Congur in Sawse

PERIOD: England, 14th century | SOURCE: Forme of Cury | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Green Garlic Sauce for Fish

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

Take the congur and scald hym, and smyte hym in pecys, & seeth hym. Take persel, mynt, peletur, rosmarye, & a litul sawge, brede and salt, powdour fort, and a litel garlec, clowes a lite; take and grynd it wel. Drawe it vp with viyneger thurgh a cloth. Cast the fyssh in a vessel and do the sewe onoward, & serue it forth icold.

- Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglish: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth-Century (Including the Forme of Cury). New York: for The Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1985.

MODERN RECIPE:

• 2 pounds catfish, other fish, or conger eels
• 1 C wine vinegar
• 1 C fresh parsley
• 1/2 C each fresh mint, rosemary, sage, or any other fresh green herbs
• 1/2 C white bread crumbs
• 5 cloves of garlic, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp hot mustard powder
• 1/8 tsp each of cloves, mace, and powdered ginger
• Salt to taste

2. In a blender or food processor, combine all the remaining ingredients except the vinegar, and grind it all very fine.

3. Put the resultant green paste into a bowl, and blend in the vinegar. Serve with the fish.

Yields about one and a half cups of sauce. Serves four to six.

NOTES ON THE RECIPE:

My family and friends described this sauce as "pesto with attitude". You may substitute any fish, and don't feel compelled to boil it. You may use whatever fresh green herbs are available. I substitute hot mustard powder for the pungent root pellitory.

Congur in Sawse is featured in Servise on a Fisshe Day