Title: 'roasted' Salmon with Wine Sauce
Categories: Medieval Seafood Main
Yield: 6 Servings

Samon roste in Sauce. Take a Salmond, and cut him rounde, chyne and all, and roste the pieces on a gredire; And take wyne, and pouder of Canell, and drawe it thorgh a streynour; And take smale myced oynons, and caste there-to, and let hem boyle; And then take vynegre or vergeous, and pouder ginger, and cast there-to; and then ley the samon in a dissh, and cast the strip theron al hote, and serue it forth.

275 ml/10 fl oz/1 1/4 cups medium-dry fruity white wine 175 g/6 oz small onions, peeled and finely chopped Good pinch of ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar Good pinch of ground ginger 6 salmon cutlets, about 2.5 cm/1 inch thick Oil for grilling

No oil or fat is mentioned in the original recipe, but they are suggested for frying other fish in the same manuscript. Fish must be grilled on a greased surface whether cooked over the heat or under it as we cook it now. Oil was the obvious medium to use, because salmon could be eaten at Lenten meals, when strictly pious people did not eat butter.

We do not need to 'streyne' our wine or spices today. Cook the wine, onions and cinnamon gently in an open pan until the onions are soft and the wine is slightly reduced. Add the vinegar and ginger, and leave at the side of the stove. Heat the grill while you brush the fish cutlets with oil on both sides. Grill them under moderate heat, turning once, until just cooked. Serve each cutlet with a spoonful of wine and onions on top.

from The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black Chapter 6, "The Court of Richard II" posted by Tiffany Hall-Graham From: Tiffany Hall-Graham Date: 05-27-94

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