Porée de cresson
(Stewed Cress)

Origin: English      Period: Medieval

Original Recipe

Porée de cresson (from Le Viandier de Taillevent)

PORéE DE CRESSON. Prenez vostre cresson, et le faictes boullir, et une pongnée de bettes, et mettés avec, puis la miciez et friolés en huille, et puis la mettez boullir en lait, si vous la voulez telle.

Ou, en charnage, en l'eaue de la chair, ou au beurre, ou au frommage, ou toute crue sans riens y mettre, se vous la voulez ainsi; et est bonne contre la gravelle.

Translation:

Poree de cresson: To Make Stewed Cress. Take your garden cress and boil it (var: parboil it), along with a handful of chard, then chop it up fine, sauté it in oil and then put it to boil if you so wish. On non-fasting days (it may be cooked) either in meat broth, or in butter, or with cheese added, or just plain without putting anything in it, should you like it that way. It should be salted to taste, and the garden cress should be well culled. It is good against gallstones.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of fresh cress, washed
1 small handful of chard leaves, cleaned
lightly salted water or gode broth (made without breadcrumbs)
olive oil or butter
100g grated cheese (Parmesan, Pecorino, Romano etc)
salt to taste

Method:

There are two versions of this stew:

Fast-day Version:

Bring water to a boil, add the cress and chard and cook until just tender. Remove from the heat and allow to drain thoroughly. When completely dry, chop the cress and chard into small pieces. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and add the cress and chard. Fry in the hot oil until the leaves are only just browned. Remove from the heat, drain well season to taste and serve.

Meat-day Version

Bring Gode Broth to a boil (use enough broth to just cover the vegetables) and add the cress and chard. Cook until just tender then remove from the heat and allow to drain thoroughly. When completely dry chop the cress and chard into small pieces. Add about 2 tbsp of butter to a large frying pan, melt, then add the cress and chard. Fry in the hot butter until the leaves are only just browned. Add the grated cheese, toss with the leaves the add a little salt and serve.

Read: Recipe Articles and Reviews

More European recipes...

More accompaniments to main courses...

More Frying recipes...

More recipes for Greens...

More Cheese recipes...

Are any of the terms used here unfamiliar, do you want to translate from British to American cookery terms? If so then this Glossary of US and UK Cookery Terms will help you.

Need to convert any units on this site?

As a guide 1 US cup of flour = 4 1/2 oz = 140g (this applies to breadcrumbs, ground almonds etc
1 US cup of butter/margarine or sugar = 7 oz = 200g

For temperature conversions (Celsius, gas mark, Farenheit) go to the Temperature conversion page.
For mass conversions (grammes, cups, spoons, ounces etc) go to the Mass/Weight conversion page.
For temperature conversions (litres, cups, spoons, fluid ounces etc) go to the Volume conversion page.
You can also see more cookery terms and meanings as well as ingredient descriptions at the Cooks' glossary