{"id":10594,"date":"2008-04-28T19:10:51","date_gmt":"2008-04-28T17:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coquinaria.nl\/?p=10594"},"modified":"2019-12-09T20:38:31","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T19:38:31","slug":"gooseberry-omelette","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coquinaria.nl\/en\/gooseberry-omelette\/","title":{"rendered":"Gooseberry Omelette"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Straight to the recipe<\/small><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Brazier.A sixteenth-century Dutch recipe<\/h2>\n

The recipe for omelette (tasey<\/em>) balances on te edge of what we could name the\u00a0culinary Middle Ages<\/em>. It is taken from the\u00a0Seer excellenten gheexperimenteerden nieuwen Coc-boeck<\/em>\u00a0(The very excellent and tried new cookbook<\/em>) that the physician Karel Baten (Carolus Battus) published as appendix to the second edition of his translation into Dutch from\u00a0Ein new Artzney Buch<\/em>\u00a0(Heidelberg, 1568) by the German Christopher Wirtsung in 1593. Battus supplies us with several recipes for omelette, with smelt (small fish), apples or pears, and this recipe with gooseberries. The use of ginger, cinnamon and sugar is typically medieval. Rosewater is also used in medieval recipes, but was especially popular during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. At the end of the\u00a0sixteenth century<\/span>\u00a0the distinction between savoury and sweet was getting clearer, but it was still not unusual to serve a sweet dish such as this omelette together with meat or fish. In a modern menu this dish would be a dessert.<\/p>\n

Subtle coals<\/h3>\n

The coal fire mentioned in the recipe was used for delicate dishes that burn easily. It can be controlled better than wood fire, and produces less smoke. Even better was the brazier, a perforated container of stoneware or metal on legs in which glowing coals were kept. On the brazier one put a pot or pan, and the dish could be kept warm, or prepared without danger of burning. The picture on the left shows a seventeenth brazier from pewter or silver(plate).<\/p>\n

The original recipe<\/h2>\n

There is no modern edition of the\u00a0Coc-boeck<\/em>\u00a0of Karel Baten, but on this\u00a0site<\/a>\u00a0you can find a transcription.<\/p>\n

Om een tasey van stekelbesyen te backen.
\nNeempt versche boter ende smeltse in een panne. Doeter dan soo vele stekelbesyen in datse bycans twee vyngeren hooch liggen ende laetse met de boter een weynich sieden tot datse maer recht hen coleur verloren hebben. Clopt dan wel cleyn 7, 8 ofte 9 eyeren met wat gengeber ende wat rooswaters. Gietet tsamen over de besyen ende latet so over een coolvyer backen dat niet en brande. Als de tasey genoech gebacken is, so laetse properlick uut de panne in de schotel rijsen datse niet en breke. Dan stroyter suycker ende caneel op ende dientse.<\/em><\/div>
To bake an omelette of gooseberries.
\nTake fresh butter and melt it in a pan. Add so much goosberries that they are almost two fingers high, and let them simmer with the butter until they have lost their colour. Then beat 7, 8 or 9 eggs with a little ginger and rose water. Pour together over the gooseberries, and let it bake over a coal fire without burning. When the omelette is done, let it glide from the pan onto a dish without breaking. Then sprinkle sugar and cinamon on it and serve.<\/div>
<\/div><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Modern adaptation of the recipe<\/h2>\n

Compared to the\u00a0recipes from the\u00a0Viandier<\/em><\/a>\u00a0this is a simple one. But no less tasty. Gooseberries are available from June on, so this is an ideal recipe for the early summer. When they are plentiful, or you have your own gooseberry bush, you can freeze them so that you can make this omelette all year round. Another medieval Dutch recipe with gooseberries is\u00a0broiled mackerel with gooseberry sauce<\/a>. There you’ll find more information about gooseberries.
\nVFirst course<\/span>\u00a0or\u00a0side dish<\/span>\u00a0for 4 persons<\/span>;\u00a0preparation in advance<\/em>\u00a010 minutes<\/span><\/span>;\u00a0preparation<\/em>\u00a010 minutes<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"Gooseberry250 gr (1\u00bd cup)\u00a0gooseberries<\/span><\/a>
\n30 gr (2 Tbsp)\u00a0butter<\/span>
\n3\u00a0eggs<\/span>
\n\u00bd\u00a0tsp\u00a0ginger powder<\/span>
\n\u00bd Tbsp\u00a0rose water<\/span><\/a>
\n1 tsp combined sugar and cinnamon
\noptionally extra sugar<\/p>\n

Preparation in advance<\/h3>\n

Clean and wash the gooseberries, remove any stalks.
\nBeat the eggs with ginger powder and rosewater.
\nTaste one of the berries. If it’s very sour, add some sugar to the eggs.<\/p>\n

Preparation<\/h3>\n

Melt the butter in a frying pan that is not too large, take care that the butter does not turn brown. Add gooseberries, they should completely cover the bottom of the pan. Temper the heat, and stir the gooseberries around until they turn soft and start to lose their colour. Pour the beaten eggs over the berries, cover with a lid, and leave on a slow fire until the eggs are done. Slide the omelette onto a plate very carefully to keep it from breaking, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.<\/p>\n

To serve<\/h3>\n

Cut the warm omelette into wedges.<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/h2>\n

All descriptions of ingredients<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>Gooseberries<\/h4>\n

Gooseberries (Ribes grossularia<\/em>) were not cultivated before the thirteenth century, but they are indigenous to Europe. Despite the English name, geese do not eat gooseberries. Some say that gooseberries are thus called because of the great combination of gooseberry saice with fatty meat, like that of goose or mackerel. In the north of France gooseberry sauce was a classic accompaniment to mackerel, a fatty fish (the French call the gooseberry\u00a0groseille maquereau<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0mackerel berry<\/em>).
\nIn the nineteenth century it was believed that the Dutch name\u00a0kruisbes<\/em>\u00a0was derived from the Finding of the True Cross on May 3rd. But the medieval names\u00a0stekelbesij<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0kroeselbesij<\/em>\u00a0(the modern word\u00a0kruisbes<\/em>\u00a0is derived from this) indicate that it is the hairy skin that gave the berry its Dutch name. (likewise in German: Stachelbeere).<\/p>\n

<\/a>Roze water<\/h4>\n

This is indeed water that is perfumed with rose petals. In the modern Western cuisine its use is obsolete (except in e.g. marzipan), but during the Middle Ages and Renaissance it was a popular condiment (as was orange blossom water). In the Middle-East and India rose water is still in use.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Bibliography<\/h2>\n

The editions below were used by me. Links refer to available editions.<\/p>\n