Fifth book, chapter LVI
Lepri con pappardelle. Cap LVI
Bisogna che habbiante una lepre grassa, che non sia stata sparata,
& che sia stata presa di fresco, & gli farete un poco di taglio,
tanto che destramente se ne cavin le budella, & le trippe, mettendovisi
dentro due cocche di salvi, rosmarino, & alloro, & lasciatela star
tanto che divenga frolla,poi scorticatela, & abbruscatela, e levateli
il fegato, il polmone, e tutto il sangue, mettetelo in un vaso polito.
Tagliate tutte le parti dinanzi della Lepra, lavatela con l’acqua, con
laquale si cuocerà il polmone, e fegato nel medisimo vaso, accioche
sia più sanguinosa, & lavate con esso un poco di pugniticcio
di Porco domestico, cioè in quella parte dove il Porco sarà
ferito. Pigliate un pezzo di buon presciutto grasso, & magro
senza osso, dategli un bollo, & mettetevi a bollire con la lavatura
ogni cosa, schiumatela una, o due volte, quando la schiuma sarà
grossa, fate che il brodo sia nero & pieno di sangue, & se il suo
non basterà pigliatene uno di Porco. Quando sarà schiumata,
mettavisi buona quantità di pepe acciaccato, & come è
cotta, cavatela, & mettasi tutto il brodo in una cazzuola bene stagnata,
& quando comincia à bollire, mettetevi delle lasagne sottile
delicate & morbide: & di esse farete le scudelle, mangiando la
carne con savor di perverata.
Hare with parardelle
It is necessary that one has a fat hare, that has not been ripped open*1,
and that is close to fresh, one makes a little cut, enough that from the
right hand side one extracts the guts and intestines, put within two bunches
of sage, rosemary and bay and let it rest enough that it becomes tender*2,
then skin and singe it and lift out the liver and lungs and all the blood
and put them in a clean pan. Cut all the front pieces of the hare*3,
wash with water, with this (water) one will cook the lungs, and liver
in the pan, in order that it is most bloody, and wash with this (water)
a little of “pugnaticcio”*4 of domestic pig, that is that part where the
pig was stabbed. Take a piece of good ham, fat and lean without bones,
give a stamp (press it?) and put to boil with the washings of everything,
skim one or two times, when the scum is large/high, make the broth that
is black and full of blood; and if it’s own is not enough, take one*5 of
pork. When it is skimmed put in a good quantity of crushed pepper
and when it is cooked, take it out and put all the broth in a casserole
well lined with tin, when it starts to boil, put in lasagna that is thin,
delicate and tender/soft, of this make the bowl*6, eat the meat with peverata
(pepper sauce).
*1 – sperata from sperare – to rip open. Most probably refers
to Hare that has not been damaged by the dogs used to hunt it. In
Scappi we are told – “ Volendole arrostire nello spedo quando non saranno
lacerate delli cani” One wants to roast them on the spit when they are
not lacerated/cut by the dogs.
*2 – There is no timing given for the resting portion of this recipe,
from the subsequent instructions to remove the blood the hare must not
be kept too long, else the blood will solidify. In addition the half
gutted nature of the hare will accelerate spoilage. It may be that
one is supposed to keep it until rigor mortis passes.
*3 – the hare meat is not mentioned further in this recipe until it
is served, the implication is that it is cooked in the same pan with the
blood, liver and lungs.
*4 – another of those Italian words that translates into six english
ones. In my Italian dictionary the meaning is given as “flesh of
a pig where it has been stabbed”. Obviously by this point the word
is obscure enough that we are given it’s meaning in the following sentence.
*5 – a volume of blood is implied here given the context.
*6 – a scudelle is a shallow bowl with a wide brim. Here the
lasagne in a black hare broth is served in a bowl, with the implication
in the recipe being that the meat is served separately with a pepper sauce.
Translated by Helewyse de Birkestad, November 9, 2002.
Copyright 2002 by Louise Smithson. Email: helewyse@yahoo.com.
Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications,
provided the author is credited and receives a copy.