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                         FIG AND RAISIN 'CREAM'

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Serving Size  : 6    Preparation Time :0:00
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 Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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 Rapey.  Take half fyges and half raisouns; pike hem
 and waishe hem in water.  Skalde hem in wyne, bray hem
 in a morter, and drawe them thurgh a straynour.  Cast
 hem in a pot and therwith powdur of peper and oother
 good powdours; alay it vp with flour of rys, and
 colour it with saundres.  Salt it, seeth it & messe it
 forth.

 125 g/4 oz well-soaked dried figs
 125 g/4 oz stoned raisins
 275 ml/10 fl oz/1 1/4 cups red wine (not too dry)
 Good pinch of ground black pepper
 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
 Soft dark brown sugar to taste
 3 teaspoons rice flour or cornflour
 A drop or two of red food colouring
 Salt to taste

 Drain the figs, reserving the soaking liquid.  Discard
 the stalk ends of the fruit and put them in a saucepan
 with the raisins and wine. Add the spices and a
 teaspoon of sugar and bring to the boil.  Take off the
 heat and cool slightly, then turn the mixture into an
 electric blender and process until smooth.  Add a
 little of the soaking water if the mixture is
 stubbornly solid.

 Cream the rice flour or cornflour with a little more
 soaking water or wine and brighten the tint with a
 drop of food colouring.  Blend the 'cream' into the
 dried-fruit puree.  Then return the whole mixture to
 the saucepan and simmer until it thickens slightly.
 Season with salt and a little extra sugar if you wish.

 The mixture can be served hot or cold over a sweet
 cereal dish, firm stewed fruit or - best of all- ice
 cream.  Some versions in other manuscripts are stiffer
 and make a good filling for tartlets or fried puffs.
 One encloses the filling in pastry to make dumplings.

 from The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black
 Chapter 2, "Chaucer's Company"
 posted by Tiffany Hall-Graham



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