Saffron Fish Stew (Lean Day)
Pieces of fish poached in a wine broth tinted with saffron, seasoned with ginger and verjuice. The dish for days of abstinence, made elegant by the gold of saffron, a precious spice worthy of a king.
Pieces of fish poached in a wine broth tinted with saffron, seasoned with ginger and verjuice. The dish for days of abstinence, made elegant by the gold of saffron, a precious spice worthy of a king.
On the days the Church wants us lean, no meat on my table, royal though it be. But who said penance must be bland? My men took fresh pike or mackerel, poached them in a broth of wine gilded with saffron, sharpened with a dash of verjuice and warmed with ginger. Thus even Lent was made worthy of a king of France.
- •Fish (pike, carp, or mackerel) — according to the catch (centerpiece)
- •Saffron — a few threads (color and aroma)
- •Ginger, pepper — to measure (spices)
- •White wine and verjuice — in parts (sour broth)
- •Onion — one (aromatic)
Saffron Fish Stew (Lean Day)
Pieces of fish poached in a wine broth tinted with saffron, seasoned with ginger and verjuice. The dish for days of abstinence, made elegant by the gold of saffron, a precious spice worthy of a king.
Why this dish? The Church imposed many 'lean' days without meat on the king as on everyone: Fridays, Lent, vigils. Philip Augustus's table in Paris, on the banks of the Seine, then turned to freshwater and sea fish, simmered in a golden saffron broth.
On the days the Church wants us lean, no meat on my table, royal though it be. But who said penance must be bland? My men took fresh pike or mackerel, poached them in a broth of wine gilded with saffron, sharpened with a dash of verjuice and warmed with ginger. Thus even Lent was made worthy of a king of France.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fish (pike, carp, or mackerel) — according to the catch (centerpiece)
- Saffron — a few threads (color and aroma)
- Ginger, pepper — to measure (spices)
- White wine and verjuice — in parts (sour broth)
- Onion — one (aromatic)
Ingredients
- Firm fish fillets (cod, pike, mackerel) — 600 g (centerpiece)
- Saffron — a generous pinch of threads (color and aroma)
- Ground ginger — 1/2 tsp (spice)
- Dry white wine — 200 ml (broth)
- Verjuice or wine vinegar — 2 tbsp (acidity)
- Onion — 1 (aromatic)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Slice the onion and sweat gently in a little fat.
- Add white wine, equal amount of water, verjuice and saffron; bring to a simmer.
- Add ginger, salt and pepper, let infuse 5 min for the saffron to release its color.
- Gently place fish pieces into the simmering broth, poach 6-8 min without boiling.
- Serve the fish coated with its golden broth, on bread or with a white porée.
How it was made : Fish was central in medieval diet due to ~150 lean days per year. It was eaten poached in spiced broth, fried, or in pies. Saffron, imported and extremely expensive, signaled a wealthy table: its gold symbolically replaced the forbidden richness of meat.
The contemporary twist : Plate the fish in a shallow white bowl with the saffron broth poured at the table: a refined 'Capetian bouillabaisse'.
Sources : Le Viandier de Taillevent (c. 1300) · Bruno Laurioux, Le Règne de Taillevent (1997)
Philippe Auguste · Charactorium