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From the Brick Spoon

Orange Omelet for Harlots and Ruffians

by Ivan Ivanovich ot Streltsov

In the 1430's, Pope Martin brought a new cook into the Vatican. That man was Johannes Bockenheim. Herr Bockenheim was a marvelous cook, and a true professional, with a bent for recording his accomplishments in the kitchen using '”telegraphic terseness and little detail." At least according to several modem researchers. With the aid of Bruno Lauriox he compiled his recipes, giving a breakdown by nationality and social class from peasant to prince, from dodge to debauchee. That is where this recipe comes in.

Following the methodology of medieval thought, this was an ideal dish to cool the senses and dampen the passions. It contained no red meat, no spices, nothing to enflame the senses. And sugar, expensive as it may have been, was known to calm the nerves, and cool the body. As evidenced by the use of sugar by period physicians as a medicinal, and aid to recovery of health.

Original Recipe:

Recipe ova percussa, cum pomeranciis ad libitum tuum, et extrahe inde sucum, et mitte ad illa ova cum zucaro; post recipe ouleum olive, vel seeimine, et fac califieri in patella et mitte illa ova inuts. Et erit pro ruffianis et lecceatrichus.

English Translation of Original Recipe:

Take eggs and break them, with oranges, as many as you like, squeeze their juice and add to it the eggs with sugar, then take olive oil or fat, and heat it in the pan and add the eggs. This Was for ruffians and brazen harlots.

The Medieval Kitchen's Recipe:
6 eggs
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 oranges
2 tablespoons sugar
salt

Juice the oranges and the lemon. Beat the eggs, add the juice, the sugar and salt to taste, and cook the omelet in olive oil. Serve warm.

Working Recipe:
3 Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon light Olive Oil
3 Australian Naval Oranges*
1/2 Cup of Sugar, plus 3 Tablespoons

Juice two of your oranges. Make orange syrup**, then separate third orange into pieces, and warm in syrup. Break and separate eggs. Whip egg whites until they start forming peaks. Fold in egg yolks, 1/4 cup of orange juice, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Pour mixture into a heated omelet pan, with the olive oil. Cook on medium heat, then turn when omelet starts to set Allow to set Remove from heat, put warmed orange slices onto omelet, and fold. Garnish with more orange slices and drizzle with syrup. Serve it forth. This works as a breakfast omelet, or makes a delightful light meal or desert.

*I chose Australian Naval Oranges for a number of reasons. First, convenience. These are seedless oranges. Second, they tend toward slightly bitter, and for taste.

 



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