Title: Haddock in Tasty Sauce
Categories: Seafood Entree Medieval
Yield: 6 Servings

Haddoke in Cyuee. Shal be yopened & ywasshe clene & ysode & yrosted on a gridel; grind peper & saffron, bred and ale mynce oynons, fri hem in ale, and do therto, and salt: boille hit, do thyn haddok in plateres, and the ciuey aboue, and ghif forth.

900 g/2 lb haddock fillet Salt 75 g/3 oz onions, peeled and finely chopped Oil or butter for frying 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 75 g/ 3 oz fine soft white breadcrumbs 125 ml/4 fl oz/ 1/2 cup brown ale

A *civet* is a piquant stew, usually made with meat of furred game; hence the brown ale. In old dishes the cook is usually told to 'drawe' a fish, animal or bird when it is merely to be cleaned, so I have interpreted *yopened* to mean the the creature was split right open and boned. It could then easily be cut in pieces as in a *civet* and eaten with a spoon. Oil could be used by strict (and wealthy) dieters for frying food in Lent, but poor folks would probably use butter, and omit the costly saffron as I have done-the ale kills the colour anyway.

Skin the haddock fillet and cut it into several pieces. Put enough salted water into a shallow pan to cover the fish and bring it to the boil. Put in the fish and simmer for a moment or two, then cover the pan and draw it off the heat; the fish will continue to cook in the hot water while you make the sauce. For this, fry the onions in the fat until just beginning to brown. Mix the pepper with the breadcrumbs and add them to the onions with the ale and 225 ml/8 fl oz of the water used to cook the fish. Process until smooth in an electric blender, then simmer for a few minutes to reheat.

While simmering, drain the remaining water from the cooked fish and put the pieces on the grill rack. Brush them with a little melted fat, then place them under a hot grilling flame until they are just beginning to glaze. Cut them into bite-sized or serving portions and spoon some sauce over them. Serve the rest separately. If you do not like ale or beer use cider instead.

from The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black Chapter 3, "Life in the Cloister" posted by Tiffany Hall-Graham From: Tiffany Hall-Graham Date: 05-24-94

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