Custard puddings
based on milk and eggs have been popular in Europe since the Middle
Ages; the most luxurious versions were flavored with spices that only the rich and powerful could afford. The recipe shared in this post uses saffron & vanilla and was inspired by the Medici -the banking family who influenced the politics of Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Defining an era
The House of Medici rose to prominence after Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici decided to leave Rome and establish his own business in Florence. It was 1397. In the next 200 years, the Medici bank became the largest in Europe and Giovanni's son Cosimo and great-grandson Lorenzo, in particular, became the most influential people in Italy. They were also great patrons of Renaissance art. Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci were all employed by this family. Moreover, four popes of Rome (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leo XI) and two queens of France came from the House of Medici. Caterina de' Medici, wife of Henry II, mothered three kings; she was believed the main ambassador of Italian cuisine in France, introducing her new subjects with baked goods such as 'biscotti' and 'macaron'. Both she and Maria de' Medici, second wife of Henry IV (and grandmother of Louis XIV), were very powerful at court after their husbands died. In common with other members of their Italian family, they liked and supported art. As for the House of Medici, it continued influence the politics of Europe even after the bank's decline. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Medici were Dukes of Florence and Grand Dukes of Tuscany, enjoying great power and wealth. The main line of the dynasty was ended in 1743.
Renaissance custard pudding
The best-selling Italian cookbooks published during the Renaissance, i.e. De Honesta Voluptate et Valetudine (1494) by Bartolomeo Platina, Opera di Bartolomeo Scappi M. dell' arte del cucinare (1570) and L' arte di ben cucinare (1662) by Bartolomeo Stefani, feature no recipes for 'budino' (pudding). Many of their dishes, however, might be categorized as such. These are crostate and torte, savory pies baked in a mold. (The first term is possibly derived from the French 'croustade' or the English 'custard'. The second nowadays refers to a particular type of rich cake.) Custard puddings for dessert appear only in Bartolomeo Stefani's work. The author was in the service of Carlo II di Gonzaga-Nevers, Duke of Mantua in Northern Italy, and therefore a neighbour of the Medici. Although principally a guide for the dinner prepared in honor of the Swedish queen Christina, L' arte di ben cucinare was also the first Italian cookbook featuring everyday recipes. Otherwise, Bartolomeo Stefanis' custard puddings were influenced from foreign cuisines: his latte alla Spagnuola is the Spanish 'crema catalana', which is typically flavored with cinnamon, and his crema seems to be a version of English custard that uses butter rather than heavy cream. Regrettably, both saffron & vanilla are excluded from Bartolomeo Stefani's list of dessert ingredients.
CREMA
This version was inspired from both latte alla Spagnuola and crema. The main difference from Bartolomeo Stefani's recipes is that it's baked in the oven.
I n g r e d i e n t s
500ml whole milk
200g raw cane sugar
a vanilla pod (including the seeds)
2g saffron
orange peel
4 eggs
M e t h o d
1. Place a roasting pan half-full of water in the middle of the oven and set the temperature to 180C. 2. Gently heat the milk in a saucepan, adding the flavors and half the sugar. Remove the vanilla pod and orange peel and set aside to cool. 3. Lightly beat the eggs with the rest of the sugar. Combine the mixtures and transfer to 6 ramekins. 4. Place into the roasting pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Serve the puddings warm.
V a r i a t i o n
After combining the liquid and solid ingredients, pour into a heavy-bottomed pan and cook over very low heat until the custard thickens.
 |
| The Medici family in a 1459 allegory of the Nativity |
Defining an era
The House of Medici rose to prominence after Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici decided to leave Rome and establish his own business in Florence. It was 1397. In the next 200 years, the Medici bank became the largest in Europe and Giovanni's son Cosimo and great-grandson Lorenzo, in particular, became the most influential people in Italy. They were also great patrons of Renaissance art. Masaccio, Brunelleschi, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci were all employed by this family. Moreover, four popes of Rome (Leo X, Clement VII, Pius IV, and Leo XI) and two queens of France came from the House of Medici. Caterina de' Medici, wife of Henry II, mothered three kings; she was believed the main ambassador of Italian cuisine in France, introducing her new subjects with baked goods such as 'biscotti' and 'macaron'. Both she and Maria de' Medici, second wife of Henry IV (and grandmother of Louis XIV), were very powerful at court after their husbands died. In common with other members of their Italian family, they liked and supported art. As for the House of Medici, it continued influence the politics of Europe even after the bank's decline. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Medici were Dukes of Florence and Grand Dukes of Tuscany, enjoying great power and wealth. The main line of the dynasty was ended in 1743.
Renaissance custard pudding
The best-selling Italian cookbooks published during the Renaissance, i.e. De Honesta Voluptate et Valetudine (1494) by Bartolomeo Platina, Opera di Bartolomeo Scappi M. dell' arte del cucinare (1570) and L' arte di ben cucinare (1662) by Bartolomeo Stefani, feature no recipes for 'budino' (pudding). Many of their dishes, however, might be categorized as such. These are crostate and torte, savory pies baked in a mold. (The first term is possibly derived from the French 'croustade' or the English 'custard'. The second nowadays refers to a particular type of rich cake.) Custard puddings for dessert appear only in Bartolomeo Stefani's work. The author was in the service of Carlo II di Gonzaga-Nevers, Duke of Mantua in Northern Italy, and therefore a neighbour of the Medici. Although principally a guide for the dinner prepared in honor of the Swedish queen Christina, L' arte di ben cucinare was also the first Italian cookbook featuring everyday recipes. Otherwise, Bartolomeo Stefanis' custard puddings were influenced from foreign cuisines: his latte alla Spagnuola is the Spanish 'crema catalana', which is typically flavored with cinnamon, and his crema seems to be a version of English custard that uses butter rather than heavy cream. Regrettably, both saffron & vanilla are excluded from Bartolomeo Stefani's list of dessert ingredients.
CREMA
This version was inspired from both latte alla Spagnuola and crema. The main difference from Bartolomeo Stefani's recipes is that it's baked in the oven.
I n g r e d i e n t s
500ml whole milk
200g raw cane sugar
a vanilla pod (including the seeds)
2g saffron
orange peel
4 eggs
M e t h o d
1. Place a roasting pan half-full of water in the middle of the oven and set the temperature to 180C. 2. Gently heat the milk in a saucepan, adding the flavors and half the sugar. Remove the vanilla pod and orange peel and set aside to cool. 3. Lightly beat the eggs with the rest of the sugar. Combine the mixtures and transfer to 6 ramekins. 4. Place into the roasting pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. Serve the puddings warm.
V a r i a t i o n
After combining the liquid and solid ingredients, pour into a heavy-bottomed pan and cook over very low heat until the custard thickens.
Comments