Salat

PERIOD: England, 14th century | SOURCE: Forme of Cury | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Salad of lettuce & herbs

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

78. Salat. Take persel, sawge, grene garlec, chibolles, letys, leek, spinoches, borage, myntes, prymos, violettes, porrettes, fenel, and toun cressis, rew, rosemarye, purslarye; laue and waishe hem clene. Pike hem. Pluk hem small wiþ þyn honde, and myng hem wel with rawe oile; lay on vyneger and salt, and serue it forth.

- Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglish: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth-Century (Including the Forme of Cury). London: For the Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1985.

GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:

 Salad. Take parsley, sage, green garlic, scallions, lettuce, leek, spinach, borage, mints, primroses, violets, "porrettes" (green onions, scallions, & young leeks), fennel, and garden cress, rue, rosemary, purslane; rinse and wash them clean. Peel them. (Remove stems, etc.) Tear them into small pieces with your hands, and mix them well with raw oil; lay on vinegar and salt, and serve.

MODERN RECIPE:

Is a further redaction of this recipe really necessary? I hope not! It is essentially a lettuce & spinach salad, containing the various fresh herbs, flowers, & salad plants mentioned above. Make as the directions specify, or use any variation of these ingredients to come up with your own personal "salat." Toss with vinegar, oil, and salt, and you're ready to serve.

NOTE: Rue can induce labor in pregnant woman; I therefore never use that particular herb because of the potential danger involved.

The primroses and violets can be mixed in with the salad, or used as a garnish on top.

Use only fresh herbs!