15th C Italian savory mushroom recipe.
XXV Mushrooms. If you want to make mushrooms, take dried mushrooms and put them to soak in hot water and wash them well. Then boil them a little and make them cook how you want and prefer. Then take onions and herbs and season with strong and sweet spices, and then add the mushrooms and fry everything together. Take unpeeled almonds and grind them and then put on top of the mushroom dish, alternatively you can add verjuice and it needs to be served hot.
My Version
I had access to a good amount of fresh mushrooms at a cheap price so I chose to use those instead of using dried mushrooms. I cut the mushrooms into quarters and sauteed them with chopped onions, parsley, and thyme. Then added salt, grains of paradise and a bit of ginger. Before serving I sprinkled each dish with ground almonds.
Sources
– Libro di cucina/ Libro per cuoco (14th/15th c.) (Anonimo Veneziano)
Translated 2003 to January 2005 CE by Helewyse de Birkestad, OL (MKA Louise Smithson) from the
transcription of Ludovico Frati (ed.): Libro di cucina del secolo XIV. Livorno 1899 prepared and made
available online by Thomas Gloning. Last updated March 28th 2005.