Thursday, December 17, 2009

Day 8: Fenkel in Soppes, or Fennel in Saffron and Ginger Sauce

Let us not forget to honor fennel. It grows on a strong stem and spreads its branches wide. Its taste is sweet enough; sweet too its smell.
from Hortulus, by ninth-century Benedictine abbot Walahfrid Strabo, trans. from the Latin by Raef Payne

I was initially attracted to making fenkel in soppes, or fennel in sauce, because I really can't think of anything else I've ever made where fennel was the center of attention. Sure, I've used fennel, most recently in my medieval salat, but I've never actually featured it as the main event.

But fennel was a big deal in the Middle Ages. Twelfth century mystic Hildegard of Bingen ascribed  medicinal properties to it, and believed it could treat coughs, colds, heart problems, and even body odor. My favorite supposed use for fennel was as an appetite suppressant and metabolism booster. I don't know about you, but after the holidays I think I'm going to eat fennel every day!

This is another recipe from our old fourteenth-century friend, Forme of Cury. The original calls for powder douce, a mix of cinnamon, sugar, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg or mace that I used in the Peas Porridge from Day 3. I found several translations that omit it, and so I decided to  try my fenkel in soppes without powder douce as well. I don't think it suffered for the absence, but next time I make this I'll probably use some, just to see if there's a big difference.

I'm not sure what I expected this dish to taste like - truth be told, in looking over the ingredients, I thought it might taste a little ... weird. And it definitely had a very unfamiliar flavor - this isn't exactly  a dish that most modern cooks would throw together. That said, the sweet fennel combined with the onions, saffron, and wine really grew on me, and I especially loved eating my thick slice of bread as it grew soft from absorbing all the savory sauce.

I adapted a translation of the recipe I found on a database of medieval and Anglo Saxon recipes hosted by Carnegie Mellon.

Fenkel in Soppes
2 bulbs of fennel with the tops trimmed off & cut into matchsticks
4-5 onions, thickly sliced
1 heaping tsp ground ginger
10 threads of saffron, crumbled
few pinches of salt, to taste
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup each of dry white wine and water
thick slices of whole grain bread, for serving

Place the onions and fennel in a wide, deep skillet. Sprinkle the spices on top, and then add the oil and the liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer gently, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy. Then, "take brede ytosted and laye the sewe onoward." Sorry! I mean, take toasted whole grain bread and serve your fennel and onions on top, along with a generous portion of sauce.

Aside from the new and surprising taste, I also love this dish because once you've chopped everything, it's a no-brainer as far as the cooking is concerned, and when things get hectic I really appreciate making a simple meal like this.

Enjoy your fenkel, and I'll see you tomorrow for Day 9!






18 comments:

  1. Another lovely post, fennel is a staple for Italians, use it often in my soup, love this flavor, a work of art again has been created by Lady Trix!

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  2. It took a long time for me to discover but it is a staple now. i love it. And you got me the saffron again. It looks very good.

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  3. It looks really pretty, but I can't figure out the flavors from the recipe -- saffron plus ginger. Very unusual!

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  4. looks good wish I liked fennel keep em coming girl

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  5. Fennel and saffron and white wine is common in Mediterranean cuisine (aside from ginger) and I know this is my kind of dish! your fennel tartine looks great!

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  6. If I could make fennel look that way, I might be able to get my hubby to eat it! This is so pretty--I love saffron and ginger. But I really like the increased metablism and appetite suppresant part the best though!

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  7. This looks superb! I'm loving the combination of fennel and saffron! Nice!

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  8. I like the licorice-y flavor of fennel with ginger! Another great feast :)

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  9. I ♥ Day 8! I want this right now!

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  10. Sounds great. I love poor, underused fennel. There is a great Sicilian salad of fennel, blood oranges and olives - it's divine.

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  11. beautiful! i would love to try fennel like this.

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  12. Fun history lesson fennel and such a pretty presentation!

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  13. Lady Trix...that's a hoot....I love it....now, fenkel is one from the garden I love to use when canning and a few dishes, but what you have presented to us is a whole other element...me thinks ye changed the mind of we common class...

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  14. very pretty and tasty, I love the yellow color!

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  15. Too bad, I can't get any fresh fennel here! Otherwise I'll sure try this recipe. Thank you for sharing.

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  16. I don't know about using this as an appetite suppressant... I could probably eat about a dozen slices before I knew what hit me.

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  17. I think this sounds intriguing. I bet it's quite tasty! Might be a lovely appetizer for a party, actually!

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  18. This looks great!!! Just came across your wonderful blog on foodbuzz & am a new follower!
    - Jessica @ http://cajunlicious.com

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