Artichoke, Cock's Comb and Kidney Stew
A fine stew where slightly bitter artichoke bottoms melt in a broth bound with verjuice and sweet spices, enhanced by cockscombs and kidneys, refined offal highly prized at princely tables.
A fine stew where slightly bitter artichoke bottoms melt in a broth bound with verjuice and sweet spices, enhanced by cockscombs and kidneys, refined offal highly prized at princely tables.
Know, dear reader, that no dish delights me as much as this one. In my Florentine youth, they already cultivated these carciofi that the French knew nothing of, and I had them brought to my garden. Cook the bottoms in rich broth, add blanched cockscombs and kidneys, then bind everything with verjuice, sugar, and a little cinnamon. I confess without shame: I once gorged on it so much at a wedding feast that I thought I would die — but what a delight, by the Madonna!
- •Artichoke bottoms — a dozen (base of the stew, bitter sweetness)
- •Cockscombs and kidneys — a good handful (noble offal, melting texture)
- •Capon broth — to cover (rich cooking liquid)
- •Verjuice — half a cup (acidity, balance)
- •Sugar and cinnamon — a pinch (sweet court spice)
- •Fresh butter — a knob (binding)
Artichoke, Cock's Comb and Kidney Stew
A fine stew where slightly bitter artichoke bottoms melt in a broth bound with verjuice and sweet spices, enhanced by cockscombs and kidneys, refined offal highly prized at princely tables.
Why this dish? A chronicle reports that at a feast in 1575 in Metz, Catherine nearly “burst from eating too many artichoke bottoms, cockscombs and kidneys”: the exact combination that sums up her gluttony and love of Italian novelties.
Know, dear reader, that no dish delights me as much as this one. In my Florentine youth, they already cultivated these carciofi that the French knew nothing of, and I had them brought to my garden. Cook the bottoms in rich broth, add blanched cockscombs and kidneys, then bind everything with verjuice, sugar, and a little cinnamon. I confess without shame: I once gorged on it so much at a wedding feast that I thought I would die — but what a delight, by the Madonna!
Ingredients (period version)
- Artichoke bottoms — a dozen (base of the stew, bitter sweetness)
- Cockscombs and kidneys — a good handful (noble offal, melting texture)
- Capon broth — to cover (rich cooking liquid)
- Verjuice — half a cup (acidity, balance)
- Sugar and cinnamon — a pinch (sweet court spice)
- Fresh butter — a knob (binding)
Ingredients
- Fresh (or frozen) artichoke bottoms — 8 pieces (base)
- Cockscombs (or, failing that, veal sweetbreads) — 150 g (melting offal)
- Chicken broth — 40 cl (cooking liquid)
- Verjuice (or green grape juice + a squeeze of lemon) — 5 cl (acidity)
- Sugar — 1 tsp (roundness)
- Cinnamon — 1 pinch (sweet spice)
- Butter — 30 g (final binding)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Blanch the cockscombs (or sweetbreads) for 5 minutes in simmering water, drain and trim.
- Cook the artichoke bottoms in the chicken broth for 15 minutes until tender.
- Add the offal, sugar and cinnamon, simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
- Pour in the verjuice, adjust salt, then mount the stew with cold butter off the heat.
- Serve very hot, the stew barely coating the artichoke bottoms.
How it was made : In the 16th century, cockscombs and kidneys were prestige offal, blanched for a long time then simmered. The use of sugar and cinnamon in a savory dish was a hallmark of aristocratic tables, where sugar remained an ostentatious luxury.
The contemporary twist : Serve in individual cassolettes, topped with pan-fried raw artichoke shavings, under the name “Queen's Stew”.
Sources : Bartolomeo Scappi, Opera dell'arte del cucinare (1570) · Pierre de L'Estoile, Journal (mention du festin de 1575)
Catherine de Medici · Charactorium
