Stolen from the PPF kitchen

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Arboulastre. (Herb Omelettes.)
(Not stollen, though. Even though it might be seasonally appropriate, I don't like stollen. It's got all the worst features of fruitcake, but without any booze to counterbalance the fake fruit. End digression.)

An arboulastre or two of eggs. Take just 2 leaves of coq and less than half that, or none at all, of rue, since it is strong and bitter; four leaves or less of wild celery, tansy, mint, and sage; a little more marjoram, yet more fennel, and even more parsley. As for greens, take chard, violet leaves, spinach and lettuce, and clary in equal amounts, so that in all you have two good handfuls. Cull and wash in cold water, then press to remove all the water. Beat sixteen eggs well, both yolks and whites, and grind an mix them in the mortar with what is already there. Then divide in two and make two thick omelets, which will be fried in the following manner: First heat the pan thoroughly with oil, butter or another grease as you wish, and when it is good and hot all over, especially toward the handle, mix and pour your eggs into the pan and turn them often with a spatula, then sprinkle on some good grated cheese. Know it needs to be put on top, because if you grind the cheese with the herbs and eggs, when you fry the omelet, the cheese on the bottom would stick to the pan. That is what happens when you mix the eggs with the cheese for an omelet. For this reason, first put the eggs in the pan, and put the cheese on the top, and then cover with the edge of the eggs; otherwise it will stick to the pan. And when the herbs are fried in the pan, you can give the arboulastre a square or round shape and serve it neither too hot or too cold. (Menagier, 1390s)

Sources: Greco, Gina L. and Rose, Christine M. The Good Wife's Guide: a Medieval Household Book. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0801474743.

Heavily adapted recipe:
2 tsp marjoram
4 tsp mint
2 tsp sage
1/3 cup parsley
1/3 cup chard or baby kale
1/3 cup spinach
pinch salt
4 eggses
1/3 cup grated hard cheese (I used a semi-hard goat cheese)

Bring a pot of water to boil.
Wash and completely dry the herbs and greens, then chop finely in the fud processor. Remove to a bowl and whisk in the eggses and cheese. Divide in two, and pour each half into a greased quart Ziploc. Burp the air out of the bags and place them carefully in the water - the shape imparted by the bag is what you will get. Boil at a low roll for 13 minutes. Remove omelettes from the bags and serve warm.

What worked: These were a tasty Sunday breakfast and will be a fine tourney breakfast, especially with a bit of house-made bacon on the side. Using the boil-a-bag method meant that they stayed shockingly bright green.
The wife suggested adding in some fresh dill to the herb mix, replacing the omitted fresh fennel. That might go well with the other flavors (and they do look alike).

What didn't: I admit it - this is a heavily adapted redaction. It is more "inspired by" than an actual re-creation, but I think it's still in the same milieu. It could have used a bit more sage and marjoram. The cooking method is totally different, which is why I disregarded the directions and whisked in the cheese for simplicity.

Will I make it again? This has already gone into the tourney cookbook for next year.

Comments

[threadwalker]

I tried cooking eggs in bag while (non-SCA) camping and my bags ... Well, they fell apart. Lol. What kind of bag did you use? Freezer?

[madbaker]

Ziploc freezer, yes.

[allison_is]

I hated stollen until I tried the stollen from Esther's. It redeemed it for me.

[madbaker]

All the stollens I've been forced to try have been very dry, with neon fake fruit. Blech.

[allison_is]

Yup. Esther's is not dry and is very very delicious. The marzipan is moist and yummy. My mom actually told me that if I didn't bring one with me to not bother coming to Reno. I told her where she could shove her stollen ;)

[madbaker]

What's the fake fruit content?

[allison_is]

I feel like it's just raisins and orange peel and almonds in the dough.

[madbaker]

Real fruit. Nice!