"Pear" Meatballs in Broth

"The Good Huswives Handmaide for Cookerie in Her Kitchin"

ORIGINAL RECIPE

How to make Fartes of Portingale. Take a peece of a leg of mutton. Mince it smal and season it with cloves, Mace, pepper, and salt, and Dates minced with currants: then roll it into round rolles, and so into little balles, and so boyle them in a little beef broth and so serve them foorth.

RECIPE REDACTION

by Lorna J. Sass, "To the Queen's Taste; Elizabethan feasts and recipes adapted for modern cooking"

The Portuguese influence was felt strongly during the Tudor period, since England relied on the merchants of Portugal to provide most of the sugar, spices, and other luxury imports from the East. Much of England's economy was based on the exportation of wool; hence, primarily old sheep were slaughtered for food, and mutton was more commonly eaten than lamb.

Here is a hearty soup whose full-bodied flavor belies the ease of preparation. The fartes are meant to be light and airy, and should therefore be eaten immediately after they are cooked.

6 c. broth or stock, beef

1 lb. lean lamb or mutton, ground

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. mace

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1-1/2 tbsp currants

1-1/2 tbsp pitted, finely minced dates

garnish: fresh parsley

1. Bring stock to a boil, then reduce to simmer.

2. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients, being careful to sprinkle spices and salt evenly over the meat.

3. Roll mixture into a dozen small balls.

4. Place meatballs in simmering stock. Cover pot and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until meatballs are done.

5. Skim excess fat from top.

6. Serve hot with a garnish of parsley.

Serves 6.

RECIPE REDACTION

by Francine Segan, "Shakespeare's Kitchen, Renaissance Recipes for the Contemporary Cook"

"A man may break a word with you, sir, and words are but wind,

Ay, and break it in your face, so he break it not behind."

'The Comedy of Errors, 3.1'

8 oz. lamb, ground

2 ea. eggs, large

1/2 c. cream

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1 dash pepper, black (freshly milled)

1/2 tsp. mace, ground

5 ea. dates, pitted (finely chopped)

3/4 c. currants

1-1/2 qts Renaissance Stock:

4-1/2 lbs chicken parts (necks, backs, wings, giblets)

1 lamb shank (about 8 oz)

2 sprigs rosemary

2 ea. bay leaves

3 ea. mint sprigs

4 ea. flat leaf parsley sprigs

1 whole mace

2 onions, peeled and quartered

1 c. white wine

1/2 c. blanched almonds, ground

8 ea. dates, pitted and chopped

1/2 c. currants

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Place the chicken and shank bone in a large pot. Add 2-3/4 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Skim the impurities that rise to the top. Add the rosemary, bay leaves, mint, parsley, mace, and onions and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the wine, almonds, dates, and currants and simmer for 1 hour, periodically skimming any impurities that rise to the top. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

1. Puree the lamb, eggs, cream, cloves, salt, pepper, mace, dates, and 1/2 cup of the currants in a food processor until it forms a paste. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. Bring a saucepan of water to a slow simmer. Using 2 spoons, form 3/4 tsp of meat into an olive (or pear) shape. Repeat with the remaining meat. Carefully place a few meatballs at a time into the water and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are cooked on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and repeat until all the meatballs are cooked.

3. Place some of the meatballs in the bottom of each bowl. Gently ladle the Renaissance Stock into the bowl, being careful not to pour the stock directly on the meatballs. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of currants around the stock.