Fig and raisin'cream'

 
                           FIG AND RAISIN 'CREAM'
 
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 Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00
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   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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 *****  NONE  *****
 
   Rapey.  Take half fyges and half raisouns; pike hem
   and waishe hem in water.  Skalde hem in wyne, bray hem
   in a morter, and drawe them thurgh a straynour.  Cast
   hem in a pot and therwith powdur of peper and oother
   good powdours; alay it vp with flour of rys, and
   colour it with saundres.  Salt it, seeth it & messe it
   forth.
   
   125 g/4 oz well-soaked dried figs
   125 g/4 oz stoned raisins
   275 ml/10 fl oz/1 1/4 cups red wine (not too dry)
   Good pinch of ground black pepper
   1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
   Soft dark brown sugar to taste
   3 teaspoons rice flour or cornflour
   A drop or two of red food colouring
   Salt to taste
   
   Drain the figs, reserving the soaking liquid.  Discard
   the stalk ends of the fruit and put them in a saucepan
   with the raisins and wine. Add the spices and a
   teaspoon of sugar and bring to the boil.  Take off the
   heat and cool slightly, then turn the mixture into an
   electric blender and process until smooth.  Add a
   little of the soaking water if the mixture is
   stubbornly solid.
   
   Cream the rice flour or cornflour with a little more
   soaking water or wine and brighten the tint with a
   drop of food colouring.  Blend the 'cream' into the
   dried-fruit puree.  Then return the whole mixture to
   the saucepan and simmer until it thickens slightly.
   Season with salt and a little extra sugar if you wish.
   
   The mixture can be served hot or cold over a sweet
   cereal dish, firm stewed fruit or - best of all- ice
   cream.  Some versions in other manuscripts are stiffer
   and make a good filling for tartlets or fried puffs.
   One encloses the filling in pastry to make dumplings.
   
   from The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black
   Chapter 2, "Chaucer's Company"
   posted by Tiffany Hall-Graham
  
 
 
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