Civero de Salvaticina

Civet of Venison

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

Original Recipe:

Per Fare Civero de Salvaticina

Per fare civero de salvaticina in prima coci la carne in aqua miscolaa con altrectanto aceto, et come è cotta cavala fori del brodo, azio che se sciucchi. Asciutta che serrà frigila in bono lardo; et volendo fare duo piatelli del dicto civero, togli una libra de uva passa, et mezza libra de amandole senza mondarle, et pista bene queste chose. Dapoi togli una libra de pane tagliato in fette, et siccato al foco, ma non troppo bruscolato, et ponilo a mollo in uno poco de vino roscio, et pisalo con le predicte chose, poi distemperale col brodo de la dicta carne, et passale per la stamigna in una pignatta, et ponila su la brascia longi dal foco, facendola ben bollire per spazio de meza hora; dapoi vi metti zenzevro, et cannela assai, che sia dolce o forte secundo el commune gusto, o del tuo Signore. Dapoi tolli una cipolla, et cocila in una pignatta et macinala molto bene, et ponila insieme col lardo, nel quel è cocta; et metti ogni cohsa in la ignatta ne la qual sono le chose predicte, lassandola bollire anchora un poco più; poi fa li piaelli de la prefata crne, et de sopra gli metti de questo civero, et mandali a tabula.

Translation: (from The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book)

Civet of Venison

To make a game-meat civet, first cook the meat in water mixed with an equal amount of vinegar, and when it is cooked take it out of the broth so it can dry. When it is dry, fry it in good pork fat; and if you want to make two plates of his civet, take a libra of raisins and half a libra of almonds without skinning them and crush these things well. Then take a libra of bread cut into slices and dried at the fire, but not too burnt, put it to soak in a little red wine, and mash it with those things, then thin it with broth from the meat, and put it through a sieve into a pot, and put it over the embers, far from the fire, and let it boil well for a half hour; then add plenty of ginger and cinnamon so that it be mild or strong according to the collective taste, or to the taste of your master. Then take an onion and cook it in a pot and mash it well; mix it with the pork fat in which it was cooked and add it all to the pot containing the aforementioned things, letting it boil a little longer; then serve out that meat, and over it put some of this civet, and send it to table.

My Interpretation:

Simmer meat in water and vinegar for 1½ - 2 hours. Remove meat from broth and let dry. Braise meat in Olive Oil. Grind raisins and almonds together and put in pot with meat, bread crumbs, wine and spices. Cook onion in pan in which meat was braised until translucent and add to pot. Let cook a few more minutes and then serve.

Works Referenced:

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