Brodo di Polastri (Broth of Chickens)*
| Categories: | Soup 14th Century Italian chicken Meat |
| Original Source: | Anonimo Veniziano, Libro per cuoco |
| Secondary Source: | Arte Della Cucina |
| Cook: | Joanna Dudley |
| Meeting Date: | 1993-01-00 |
| Serves: | 8
|
Brodo de polastritri.
Se to voy fare brodo de polastro, toli polastri e fali alisare, toy mandole monde e maxenale e destenprele con it brodo de li polastri, e aqua rosata, e agresta, e destempera ogni cossa insema. E poi toy canella e zenzevro, e garofali mezi maxenati, e mezi tagliati menuti, e meti entro questo brodo, e fa bolire ogni cossa insembre. E poy the i vano a tavola, meti li polastri dentro lo brodo, e fa che siano ben caldi. Quando to manestri, metelli del zucharo per suso le scutelle e sera bona vivanda.
Broth of chickens -- Anonimo Venizano, Libro per Cuoco #vi --Arte Della Cucina, pg 65
Rough translation & cooking tips from Johanna Dudley
If you wish to make broth of chickens, take chickens and dress them and boil them. Take almonds peeled and (maxenale) and (destenprele) with broth of the chickens and rosewater and vinegar. And stir everything together. And then take cinnamon and ginger and cloves half (maxenati) and half noodles (menuti) and (meti) within this broth everything together. And then, when there is space on the table, put the chicken within the broth and make it (siano) very hot when you serve it. (Motelli) the sugar shaker and (sera) good food.
Ingredients
| 1 | chicken breast, poached, whole |
| 1 c. | almonds, ground |
| 2 cans | chicken broth, diluted w/water |
| 1 tsp. | rosewater |
| 2 Tbs. | vinegar (red wine) |
| 1 tsp. | cinnamon |
| 1/2 tsp. | ginger |
| 5 | whole cloves, crushed in mortar & pestle |
| Noodles | |
| Sugar, as desired | |
Steps
- Food-processed the chicken with the almonds, rosewater & vinegar. Form into meatballs.
- Heat broth & spices.
- Cook noodles separately in water until nearly done. Drain.
- Serve sprinkled with sugar.
Note
I tried this one at home with some leftovers. Things didn't quite work out the way I'd envisioned, but I can offer some suggestions:
I think the chicken/almond mixture should stick together like tiny meatballs. My mixture was a little wet, so I dropped it in with a spoon. Next time I'd make the mixture dry enough to roll into balls. (I've seen a meatball recipe that called for rolling the balls in rice flour--it might be worth a try.)
Cook the pasta separately to the al dente point. (I tried cooking the pasta and meatballs at the same time. By the time the pasta was tender, the meatballs had dissolved. It wasn't pretty, but it tasted fine.)
The sugar adds an interesting flavor, but pass it on the side--it may be too strange for some folks.
This isn't working the way I had envisioned. The meatballs still are breaking up. They're too bland... Maybe this was meant to be a thick puree. The sugar is great!