Oranges of Xativa which are Cheesecakes
shown served on a platter with "Oranges of Xativa which are Cheesecakes" and "Pastry of Roast Hen", both from the same recipe source
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 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.
From: Translation of recipe from 1529, Ruperto de Nola, Spain
Oranges of Xativa which are Cheesecakes:
Method:
- quickly boil spinach in salted water
- squeeze out all as muct water as you can
- Cook fatty bacon (most typical streaky bacon will do well here). The recipe suggest cooking it the size of fingers. Reserve the fat.
- fry the drained spinach gently in the bacon fat
- toss in a pot with broth and fatty bacon (the suggested broth here is mutton, I did not have this on hand at the time so used leftover beef and chicken broth which tasted fine enough)
- --there are options for adding dairy or almond milk, as well as raisins, cheese or just parsley and mint... I just made the simple version above and it was quite nice.
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