Chickpea Soup

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

Original Recipe:

Brodo de ciceri rosci.

Per farne octo menestre: togli una librra et meza di ciceri et lavali con acqua calda et poneli in quella pignatta dove gli vorrai cocere et che siano sciutti et mettevi meza oncia di farina, cioè del fiore, et mettevi pocho olio et bono, et un pocho di sale, et circha vinti granelli di pepe rotto, et un pocha di canella posta, et mena molto bene tute queste cose inseme con le mani. Dapoi ponivi tre bocali d’acqua et unpocha di salvia, et rosmarino, et radici di petrosillo, et fagli bollire tanto che siano consumati a la quantiatde di octo menestre. Et quando sono quasi cotti mitivi un pocho d’oglio. Et se lob brodo si facesse per ammalati non gli porre né spetie.

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

Broth of red chickpeas

To make eight platefuls: take a pound and a half of chickpeas and wash them in hot water, drain them, then put them in the pot which they will be cooked. Add half an ounce of flour, a little good oil, a little salt and about twenty crushed peppercorns and a little ground cinnamon, then thoroughly mix all these things together with your hands. Then add three measures of water, a little sage, rosemary, and parsley roots. Boil until it is reduced to the quantity of eight platefuls. And when they are nearly cooked, pour in a little oil. And if you prepare this soup for invalids, add neither oil nor spices.

My Interpretation:

1 - 15 oz. can chickpeas	½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. flour	1 sprig fresh sage
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil	1 sprig fresh rosemary
½  tsp. salt	1 handful parsley stems
½ tsp. ground pepper	1 Quart water

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Combine all ingredients, reserving 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil, in pot and mix well. Cover with water and simmer for 2 hours. Add remaining oil, stirring in just before serving.

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