French Toast

Source: Libro de arte coquinaria by Maestro Martino de Como, 15^th century

Original Recipe:

Suppa dorata

Habi de le fette di pane bianco mondato che non habia corteccia, et fa’ le ditte fette siano quadre, un pocho brusculate tanto che da ogni parte siano colorite dal foco.  Poi habi dell’ove battute inseme col succaro assai et un poca d’acqua rosata; et mettirali a mollare dentro le ditte fette di pane; et cvatile for a dextramente le mettirai a frigere un pochetto in una padella con un poco di butiro o de strutto, voltando molto spesso che non si ardino. Poi le conciarai in un piatello; et di sopra gli mettirai un pocha d’acqua rosata fatt gialla con un pocho zafrano, et del zuccaro habundantemente.

Translation: (from The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy)

Gilded sipets

Take slices of white bread, trimmed so that they have no crusts; make these slices square and slightly grilled so that they are colored all over by the fire. Then take eggs beaten together with plenty of sugar and a little rose water; and put the slices of bread in this to soak; carefully remove them, and fry them a little in a frying pan with a little butter and lard, turning them very frequently so that they do not burn. Then arrange them on a plate, and top with a little rose water colored yellow with a little saffron, and with plenty of sugar.

My Interpretation:

8 slices of white bread, crusts removed	3 Tbsp. rosewater
5 large eggs	6 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. sugar	10 Threads saffron heated in 2 Tbsp. rosewater

Toast or grill bread very lightly (cut into shapes, if desired, prior to toasting). Beat eggs, 1 Tbsp. of sugar and 3 Tbsp. rosewater together. Melt butter in frying pan over medium low heat. Dip bread into egg mixture for about 30 seconds and then place in frying pan. Cook bread until they are golden and spring back to the touch. Arrange on plate and sprinkle with saffron colored rosewater and remaining sugar.

Notes:

I omitted the lard in this recipe. The lard would allow for a higher burn point of the butter, but with a modern stove I find it unnecessary.

Works Referenced:

The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy; Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, & Silvano Serventi, translated to the English by Edward Schneider; The University of Chicago Press, 1998

Libro de arte coquinaria, Maestro Martino de Como, Digital version: Valeria Romanelli, 7/2004. http://www.uni-giessen.de/gloning/tx/martino2.htm

The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book, Translated by Luigi Ballerini, Jeremy Parzen, Stefania Barzini, University of California Press, 2005
- A translation of the work of Maestro Martino of Como, 15^th century