Celiandre (Coriander Sauce)
Si vols celiandre a s i com mostalla e dona s ab polls en ast , ab perdius a malalt, pren lo gra del celiandre preparat e ametlles perades, canyella, giiigebre, lava l, e sucre blanch, e pica ho tot fortment e destempra ho ab agror e ab dolcor, e val mes ab v i de magranes agradolca.
[El Libre de Sent Sovi, XXIII, Ed. Luis Faraudo de Saint-Germain, c.1325, 1952]
Translation:
If you wish to make coriander as you make mustard - for a sick person serve it with roasted chicken or partridge – take the grain of the prepared coriander, peeled almonds, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and white sugar; and grind it all well, and mix it with verjuice and with sweetening. It is better with the wine of bittersweet pomegranates.
[El Llibre de Sent Sovi/The Book of Sent Sovi, XLV, c1325, Trans: Robin Vogelzang, 2008]
Ingredients:
Coriander
Almond
(Flour)
Cinnamon
Ginger
Cloves
White SugarVerjuice (Red Wine Vinegar and Sugar)Wine of
Bittersweet Pomegranates
Redaction:
Grind Coriander, Almonds, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves and White Sugar and combine together. Or you may combine pre-ground ingredients. Mix with Verjuice or substitute red Wine Vinegar with added Sugar. Add water to mix to desired consistency Add Sugar to balance flavor to taste.
Notes:
Coriander:
coriander, an aromatic herb (also known as cilantro), and the condiment
that is prepared with its grains, almonds, spices, sugar and verjuice.
Grind it . . . sweetening: the mixture of corander, almonds, ginger and white sugar once ground, is dissolved using a liquid that adds acidity – wine of bittersweet pomegranate in this case or, as we read in the similar recipe 48 of the Llibre del Coc, <<juice of sour oranges and sweet white grapes, so it is not too sour>> (suc de toranges agres e raïms dolços e blancs, perque no sia massa agre). The acidity in its turn, as we find in the Llibre del Coc, should be counterbalanced by sweetness.
[El Llibre de Sent Sovi/The Book of Sent Sovi, XXIII, c1325, Trans: Robin Vogelzang, 2008]
This recipe can be used as a Sauce or a Condiment, like Mustard. Since I could not get Almonds from the bulk bins at the local Mega Mart, I used Almond Flour which worked quite well. For proportions, I used one part Ginger, two parts Almond Flour, and four parts Coriander. I just put a dash of Cloves in since we are not partial to the flavor. I substituted the Verjuice with Red Wine Vinegar and Sugar and added a few Tablespoons of Water to get the desired consistency for the Sauce. This came out very well and had a bright sweet tangy flavor.
Bibliography:
“Celiandre.” In El Llibre de Sent Sovi / The Book of Sent Sovi: Medieval Recipes from Catalonia, edited by Joan Santanach, translated by Robin Vogelzang, 88-9. Barcelona: Barcino-Tamesis, (c.1325) 2008.
