Poree de cresson

PERIOD: France, 14th century | SOURCE: Le Viandier de Taillevent | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Stewed cress and chard, tossed with cheese

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

153. Poree de cresson: To Make Stewed Cress. Take your garden cress and boil it (var: parboil it), along with a handful of chard, then chop it up fine, sauté it in oil and then put it to boil if you so wish. On non-fasting days (it may be cooked) either in meat broth, or in butter, or with cheese added, or just plain without putting anything in it, should you like it that way. It should be salted to taste, and the garden cress should be well culled. It is good against gallstones.

- Scully, Terence, ed. Le Viandier de Taillevent. An Edition of all Extant Manuscripts. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 1988.

MODERN RECIPE:

• 1 large bunch of fresh cress, cleaned
• 1 small handful of fresh chard leaves, cleaned
• lightly salted water OR Gode Broth (made without bread crumbs)
• olive oil OR butter
• ¼ - ½ cup grated cheese (Parmesan, Romano, etc.)
• salt (to taste)

Meat-Day version: bring Gode Broth to a boil (use enough broth to be able to cover the cress and chard). Add the cress and chard and cook until just tender. Remove from heat and allow to drain thoroughly. When completely dry, chop the cress and chard into small pieces. In a large skillet, melt a tablespoon. or two of butter and then add the cress and chard. Sauté in hot butter until the leaves are just slightly browned. Remove from heat and drain well. Toss the cooked leaves with the grated cheese, add a little salt to taste, and serve.

Serves 4.