Mortarolo

Origin: Italian      Period: Medieval

Original Recipe

Mortarolo (from Libro di cucina/Libro per cuoco)

MORTAROLO PER XII PERSONE: Se tu voy fare mortarolo di batuto per XII persone, toy VI polastri e iij casi freschi e passi, e toli xviij ova e meza libra de mandole, e 1 datali, e mezza onza de zenzero intrigo, e mezo quarto de garofani e tre onze di pignoli mondi, e fafare meza libra de specie dolze fine e toy la panza del porcho e fala lesare e ben cosere e toy lo caso che tu ay e una parte de le specie e quantità de petrosemolo, e menta e salvia, e de queste cosse fay un bon batuto; quando el batuto è fatto , fay dela mità tortelli e ravioli e frizeli in lardo frescho e destruto e quando sono sofrite polveriza de le specie e toy li polastri e smembrali e sofrizili in la padella e mitige delle ditte specie asay, e quando sono sufriti uno bono pezo, toy le mandole monde e intriege e mitilli suzo a frizere e miti suso uno mizolo de aqua tanto che se coxano ben a compimento e toy i dataly e trane fuoray nocelli, overo li ossi dentro, lavali ben e festugali ben de zenzero tagliato e cenamo e garofani si che li datali siano fini. Toy lo batuto e li polastri che tu ay e ravioli e li tortelli e datari e pignoli mondi e uva passa ben lavate e habii uno testo, e miti una crosta bona sotto e un'altra in mezo, e tutte queste che sono ditte miti dentro a solo in el mortarolo e poni crosta de sopra e onzelo e rivestilo de bono lardo struto e pocho e be colato e fay coxere con pocho focho e de sovra con testo caldo che sia pocho affogato. Questa vivanda volle essere zalla e potente de specie; a fare per più persone o per men toy le cosse a questa medesima rasone etc.

Translation:

Mortarolo (mortared food) for 12 persons. If you want to make mortared food of batter for 12 persons, take 6 hens and 4 fresh cheeses and take 18 eggs and ? pound of almonds and 1 (pound) of dates and half an ounce of intact ginger and half a quarter of cloves and three ounces of pine nuts peeled and make half a pound of sweet fine spices. And take the belly of pork and put it to boil and well cook and take the cheese that you have and a part of the spices and a quantity of parsley and mint and sage and of these things make a good batter, when the batter is done make of the mix tortelli and ravioli and fry in lard fresh and rendered and when they are fried dust with spices. And take hen and chop in pieces and fry in a frying pan and put in the said spices enough, and when they are fried in good pieces take the almonds peeled and whole and put over to fry and put over a little of water enough that it cooks well to completeness. And take the dates and pull out the bits or the bones within and wash well and crack ( ? mix / chop) well with ginger cut and cinnamon and cloves that the dates are fine. Take the batter and the hens that you have and the ravioli and the tortelli and prunes and whole pine nuts peeled and currants well washed and have a dish and put in a crust that is good underneath and another in half (top), and all these things that we have said put inside and put the crust over and dress with melted lard cleaned and well strained and make to cook with a little fire and above with a hot lid that it is little smoked. This dish should be sharp and potent of spices, to make for more persons or for less take the things in this same proportion, etc.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

450ml Chicken stock
275g Boiled meat, finely minced
225g Breadcrumbs
110g Boiled bacon, finely minced
50g Butter
2 Eggs
1 Onion, finely minced
1 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Clove, powdered
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 pinch Saffron
Toasted Breadcrumbs
Salt

Method:

Fry the onion and meat in the butter then add the bacon, saffron, pepper, nutmeg, clove powder and stock.

Remove from the heat and add breadcrumbs, (which have been soaked in water and squeezed). Beat the egg and add to the mixture. Place the mixture in to a buttered casserole dish and sprinkle with toasted breadcumbs. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 200°C for 30 minutes, or until set. The final texture should be soft but firm.

Read: Recipe Articles and Reviews

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