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Bukkenade



Recipe by Daniel Myers

There are a number of medieval recipes for this dish. This is a version of the more common ones, using beef instead of veal. The result is a pleasantly different and spicy stew, perfect for dunking slices of bread.

If hyssop is unavailable, leave it out. If verjuice is unavailable, use 1/4 cup wine and 1/8 cup lemon juice.


Ingredients

2-3 lbs. beef, cut into cubes
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. hyssop
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. mace
4 egg yolks
3/8 cups verjuice
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
pinch saffron



Method

Put the beef into a large pot along with water to cover - about 8 cups. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off and discard any scum that forms on the surface. Add parsley, sage, hyssop, cloves, and mace. Stir well and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the beef is tender. Temper the egg yolks in a separate bowl by slowly whisking in a cup or two of the broth from the pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot along with the egg mixture and stir. Remove from heat when as soon as it comes back to a boil.



Source [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books, T. Austin (ed.)]: xxvj - Vele, kede, or henne in Bokenade. Take Vele, Kyde, or Henne, an boyle hem in fayre Water, or ellys in freysshe brothe, an smyte hem in pecys, an pyke hem clene; an than draw the same brothe thorwe a straynoure,an caste ther-to Percely, Sawge, Ysope, Maces, Clowys, an let boyle tyl the flesshe be y-now; than sette it from the fyre, and a-lye it vp with raw 3olkys of eyroun, and caste ther-to pouder Gyngere, Veriows, Safroun, and Salt, and thanne serue it forth for a gode mete.

Source [Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books, T. Austin (ed.)]: Buknade. Take veel, keed, or hen, and boyle hem in faire water or elles in good fressh broth, and smyte hem in peces, and pike hem clene; And drawe the same broth thorgh a streynour, And cast there-to parcelly, Isoppe, Sauge, Maces and clowes, And lete boyle til the flessh be ynogh; and then set hit fro the fire, and aley hit vp with rawe yolkes of eyren, and caste thereto pouder ginger, and vergeous, and a litel saffron and salte, and ceson hit vppe and serue it forth.


Published: 2007-11-14