Espinacas Picadas

Original:

Pren espinachs e fes los bells e apres fes los perbullir en aygua e sal: e quant sien ben perbullits prem los entre dos talladors: e apres capolar losas molt be: e apres çoffregiras los ab oli de carn salada: e com seran ben çoffregits met los enla olla e vagen acoure e metras hi aximateix enla olla bon brou de carn salada e molto que sia bo e molt gras sols la flor que sia dela olla: e si peruentura volies metre en loch del brou let de cabres o de ouelles o sino de ametles pendras la carn salada e tallar las a troços axicom vn dau e metras la enla olla ensemps ab los espinachs: segons enlo temps en que seras si hi vols metre formatges frechs jau pots fer aximateix com les tallades damundites dela carn salada: empero si ni mets molts nols hi metes fins que los espinachs sien cuyts de tot met hi aço abans un poch de fer escudelles e si hi vols metre aximateix panses tendres que sien cuytes be ni pots metre ab los espinachs: e si noy vols metre queastes coses ni carn salada: ni formatge de arago rallat: met hi joliuert e menta aximateix car ja valran mos los espinachs

[de Nola, Ruperto, Libre del Coch, I, c1529]

Translation:

You must take spinach and clean it, and wash it very well, and give it a brief boil with water and salt; then press it very well between two chopping-blocks, then chop it very small.  And then gently fry it in bacon fat; and when it is gently fried, put it in a pot on the fire, and cook it; and cast in the pot: good broth of mutton, and of bacon which is very fatty and good, only the flower (63) of the pot; and if by chance you wish it, in place of the broth, cast upon it milk of goats or sheep, and if not, of almonds; and take the bacon, and cut it into pieces the size of fingers, and cast them in the pot with the spinach; and depending on what the season it is, if you wish, cast in fresh cheese; you may do it likewise, like the abovementioned slices of bacon; and if you put in a great deal, do not put it in until the spinach is entirely cooked, and cast this in a little before dishing it out; and if you wish also to cast in tender raisins which are cooked, you can do it all around the spinach; and if you do not wish to put in these things, neither bacon nor grated cheese of Aragon, cast parsley and mint with it likewise; and the spinach will be better.

[de Nola, Ruperto, Libre del Coch, 86, c1529, Trans: Brighid ni Chiarain, 2009]

Ingredients:

Spinach
Salt
Bacon
Bacon Fat
Mutton Broth
Milk (Goat, Sheep, Almond)
Cheese
Raisins
Parsley
Mint

Redaction:

Clean and wash Spinach then parboil it in Salt Water.  Remove from water, press dry, and chop it small.  Gently fry Spinach, then put it in a pot and cook with Mutton Broth, Goat Milk, Sheep Milk, or Almond Milk.  Add chopped Bacon.  You may also add Parsley and Mint.  If you wish to add Cheese, add it towards the end of the preparation.

Notes: 

After frying the Spinach, the recipe gives the choice to finish cooking it in Mutton Broth, Goat milk, Sheep Milk, or Almond Milk.  I chose Almond Milk.  The recipe also gives several suggestions in the final preparation including adding Raisins, Parsley, and Mint.  I added Parsley and Mint. 

Bibliography:

de Nola, Ruperto, Libre del Coch, 86, c1529, Trans: Brighid ni Chiarain, 2009