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Blancmanger



Recipe by Daniel Myers

The dish called Blancmanger in the middle ages was not much like the modern dessert of the same name. This dish, a slightly sweet casserole of chicken and rice, was served all across Europe and appears in just about every medievalcookbook. While often described as being suitable for the infirm, it still found its place on the menus of coronation banquets andwedding feasts.


Ingredients

1 pound chicken
4 cups cooked white rice (about 1 1/2 cup uncooked)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup water
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. white pepper



Method

Boil chicken until very tender and allow to cool. Tease meat apart with forks until well shredded. Put meat into a large pot with remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until thick. Serve hot.



lxxxij - Blamang. - Take Rys, an lese hem clene, and wasshe hem clene in flake Water, and than sethe hem in Watere, and aftyrward in Almaunde Mylke, and do ther-to Brawn of the Capoun aftyrward in-to a-nother almaunde Mylke, an tese it smal sumdele with a pyn, an euer as it wolt caste ther-to, stere it wel; nym Sugre and caste ther-to, then make it chargeaunt; then take blawn-chyd Almaundys, anfrye hem, an sette hem a-boue, whan thou seruyst ynne; and 3if thou wolt, thou my3te departe hem with a Cawdelle Ferry y-wreten before,an than serue forth.

Blamanger. Take faire Almondes, and blanche hem, And grynde hem with sugour water into faire mylke; and take ryse, and seth. Andwhan they beth wel y-sodde, take hem vppe, and caste hem to the almondes mylke, and lete hem boile togidre til thei be thikk; And thentake the brawne of a Capon, and tese hit small, And caste thereto; and then take Sugur and salt, and caste thereto, and serue hit forthin maner of mortrewes.

Blank Maunger. XXXVI. Take Capouns and seeþ hem, þenne take hem up. take Almandes blaunched. grynd hem and alay hem upwith the same broth. cast the mylk in a pot. waisshe rys and do þerto and lat it seeþ. þanne take brawn of Capouns teere it small and do þerto. take white grece sugur and salt and cast þerinne. lat it seeþ. þenne messe it forth and florissh it with aneys in confyt rede oþer whyt. and with Almaundes fryed in oyle. and serue it forth.


Published: 2008-08-30