Walnuts in Red Wine Syrup

ORIGINAL

Recipe Source: Scappi, Bartolomeo, "Opera: dell? arte del cucinare". August Menus

Noci monde state in vino rosso, servite con zuccaro sopra

TRANSLATION

Translation Source: Helewyse de Birkestad, OL, June 2002

Walnuts peeled, kept in red wine, served with sugar above.

Notes

Walnuts (and most other nuts) do not normally ripen until the fall. October 1st is the beginning of the "buying season" for each year’s new crop of walnuts (according to an article in the Joplin Globe about the Hammons Products Company which was looking to buy 25 million pounds of walnuts last year).

Because of this, it is my belief that Scappi is serving "last year?s" walnuts, preserved in red wine, for this menu item. Since red wine brings out the bitterness in walnuts, I also think that it is most likely that the walnuts were preserved in red wine syrup instead in red wine alone. From my experience as a cook, I know that, to make syrup, I need to combine two parts sugar to one part liquid and stir the mixture over heat until the sugar has dissolved.

REDACTION

Redaction Source: Maestra Suzanne de la Ferté (Suzanne Booth)

1 ½ cups Red Wine (Marsala and Lambrusco both work well)

3 cups Sugar

4 cups Walnuts

Method

• 1. In a small saucepan, combine the wine and sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.

  2. Add enough walnuts to the hot mixture so that the walnuts are just covered by the liquid.

  3. Remove from the heat and let cool.

  4. Cooled mixture should be stored in an airtight container, preferably in the refrigerator.