A Florentine of Veale

Caryl de Trecesson (Carol Hanson)

Sources: From The Good Huswifes Jewell by Thomas Dawson, London, 1596 (Falconwood Press, Albany, NY, 1988): To make a florentine Take the kidneis of a loyne of veale that is roasted, and when it is cold shredde it fine, and grate as it were half a Manchette very fine, and take eight yolkes of Egges, and a handfull of currans, and eight dates finely shred, a little senamon, a little ginger a little suger and a little salt, and mingle them with the kidneyes, then take a handfull of fine flower and two yolkes of egges, and put into your flower, then take a little seething licquor, and make your paste and drive it abroad very thinne, then strake your dishe with a little butter, and lay your paste in a dish & fill it with your meate, then drawe an other sheete of paste thinne and cover it withall, cut it handsomly upon the top, and by the sides, and then put it into the Oven, and when it is halfe baked drawe it out, and take two or three feathers, and a little rosewater, and wette all the cover with it, and have a handfull of suger finely beaten, and strawed upon it, and see that the Rosewater wet in every place, and so set it in the oven againe, and that will make a faire ise upon it, if your oven be not hotte inough to reare up your ise, then put a little fire in the Ovens mouth. From A new booke of Cookerie by John Murrell, London Cookerie, London, 1615: A Florentine of Veale. Mince colde Ueale fine, take grated Bread, Currins, Dates, Sugar, Nutmeg, Pepper, two or three Egges, and Rosewater: mingle all well together, and put it on a Chafing-dish of coles, stirre them till they be warme, and then put some betweene two sheetes of puft-paste, and bake it, put the rest vpon slices of a white loafe and frye it in a Frying-pan, washt before with the yolke of an Egge: serue it with Sinamon and Ginger, at the second course. Redaction: 2 commercial puff-pastry sheets 1-1/2 c. minced cooked veal (about 3/4 lb.) 1/3 c. plain bread crumbs 3 eggs 1/2 c. currants 1/2 c. chopped dates (=8) 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground ginger 1 TB. + 2 TB. white granulated sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1 TB. rosewater Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Beat eggs lightly. Mix together with veal, bread crumbs, currants, dates, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and 1 TB. of the sugar. Grease a baking sheet and lay out a puff pastry sheet on top. Spread the mixture on the pastry and top with the second sheet. Firmly pinch the edges together, then take a sharp knife and make slits in the top pastry to allow the steam to escape. Bake for 20 minutes. Mix 1 TB. rosewater with 2 TB. sugar and spoon over the top to ice it. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Makes about 16 servings. Comments: A very easy recipe to make and delicious to eat. The center filling becomes rather dense and so it slices easily.

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