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Post by Nagamochi on Mar 2, 2009 14:53:34 GMT -5
I've been contacted to cook for Northshield's Spring Coronation. It's a Tudor style feast, so I'm required to do only one dish, though more if I have the urge to get crazy. Now, between what I have in books, and have found online, I have recipes in spades, but Gods forbid that I find documentation as to a dish's period authenticity, as per requested by the head cook..
So, hive mind: got any suggestions in the way of a documented recipe or redaction, or even a recorded feast menu to point me in the right direction? Anne Liese has some lovely recipes from her feast a few years back, but verification seems rather trim there, though I'd love to do her asparagus and walnut sauce, since it sounds tasty and low enough on the Euro-yuck factor to go over well, but I'll take anything at this point. Domo!
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Post by Noriko on Mar 2, 2009 16:30:41 GMT -5
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Post by Please Delete on Mar 2, 2009 17:45:26 GMT -5
Just so I understand, this is a Tudor style feast, but they want you to do one Japanese dish?
Personally, I'd not do it. I think that good Japanese food would get swallowed by the richness of western food--you'd lose the subtlety and presentation, unless you can really find a way to do it right.
If you are going to do it, maybe do a Japanese take on Western food. Something breaded and fried--you would want to look at Portuguese sources, but it would basically be a form of tempura.
Another thought, if you are adventurous, would be tamago soumen: egg threads (aka fios de ovos). It is a Portuguese dessert that became popular throughout Asia, and is included in Ryori Monogatari. Take egg yolks and strain them into a boiling sugar syrup so they make 'threads' (Japanese compared them to somen noodles). It is fairly simple to make--I can e-mail you the 17th century recipe. However, it may take some adjusting to figure out the right temperature, etc. (especially if you haven't tried it before).
-Ii
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Post by solveig on Mar 3, 2009 11:28:22 GMT -5
Noble Cousin! Greetings from Solveig! I've been contacted to cook for Northshield's Spring Coronation. It's a Tudor style feast, so I'm required to do only one dish, though more if I have the urge to get crazy. Are you supposed to prepare an English dish or a Japanese dish? Regardless, you should try to approach things in the following order: 1. Find out what sort of dish the head cook is looking for. Size, course number, meat or meatless, hot or cold, that sort of thing. 2. Once you know that, look in a more or less period cookbook to find an appropriate recipe. For example, if you are to cook English, then consider looking in Plain Delite or Sir Kennith Digby's Closet Opened. (Neither is spelled correctly.) If you are to cook Japanese, then the most accessible more or less period cookbook is Ryori Monogatari. Both Ii and myself have copies of Ryori Monogatari and could possibly assist you with it provided you can first answer the sort of questions suggested in part 1. 3. Test the recipe at home before making it at the feast site. Note - Tempura originated with the Portugese and was adopted by the Japanese to such an extent that it is written as if it were a Japanese word. Note - If you want to make a European influenced stew, then make Nanbanryori. It is a reliable hit. As I recall, it is basically a chicken stew with various Japanese veggies such as soy bean sprouts |
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Post by Nagamochi on Mar 4, 2009 1:20:13 GMT -5
So the deal is that yes it's a Tudor style feast, but the head cook, bless her heart, has decided to drum up interest in it by turning the monstrosity meal into a competition with prizes and word-fame to be had.
The only requirements she set were a budget outline, enough to feed about 15 per dish, and that it be documented in some form, otherwise all the details are at the cooks whim.
My culinary talent being well known and noted in the area, she saught me out to compete. I agreed on the condition that I could prepare Japanese food. (Why? Because I'm an evil bastard like that.) She said yes. Damn....
Modernly, I have 8 years of experience cooking professionally, combined with a couple years of formal culinary training, and a highly developed palate. Trust me, I can make the most delicate consomme stand up next to classic Wisconsin beer-battered, deep-fried cheese curds.
Norie-hime, thank you for the links.
As it stands, I would ideally love to do a main dish, preferably with a bit of meat in it. In a perfect world I would go for shabu shabu, but I'm not banking on it. With consideration to strong flavors, this is why I'm eyeing up the asparagus and walnut sauce, because using black walnuts would make that pop and work.
Ok, my brain is sputtering onto empty. I THINK that covers everything.
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Post by Water_Tengu on Mar 4, 2009 13:05:41 GMT -5
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Post by Noriko on Mar 4, 2009 19:19:28 GMT -5
As it stands, I would ideally love to do a main dish, preferably with a bit of meat in it. According to Morris' "World of the Shining Prince", while the Japanese were mostly vegetarian, certain meats such as boar, deer and pheasant were eaten. There is probably little in the way though, as to how these meats were prepared (though I assume "on a stick; over fire" is a method found in all cultures ;D). Another thought that came to mind was trying something interesting with eel. It's certainly unusual in some sense and has enough fattiness to it to be comparable to a meat type dish- pretty yummy stuff. I believe eel was also eaten in parts of the British Isles, though as peasant food, so it may be an interesting substance to work with. |
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Post by solveig on Mar 5, 2009 21:11:09 GMT -5
Noble Cousin! Greetings from Soveig! According to Morris' "World of the Shining Prince", while the Japanese were mostly vegetarian, certain meats such as boar, deer and pheasant were eaten. There is probably little in the way though, as to how these meats were prepared (though I assume "on a stick; over fire" is a method found in all cultures ;D). It's called kushiyaki. I recommend unagi kabayaki. Eating eel is supposed to make you strong and is recommended during months where heavy labor is performed. |
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Post by Nagamochi on Apr 5, 2009 21:46:10 GMT -5
Thanks to all the wonderful help from those here, especially Ii-dono, I had a wonderful redaction to work with yesterday. I made sugi-tai jiru, or roughly translated as cedar-grilled sea bream stew, which went over fabulously. I didn't win any huge prizes, though with almost a pound each of multiple esoteric spices like long pepper and cubeb for the main prize which was mighty tempting, but I did receive many high praises for a fantastic dish.
Once again, thank you to one and all.
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