This was served as part of the second course at the Ymir 2023 feast.
Introduction
A rich saffron rice cooked in almond milk, a dish that appears in both the Gentyll manly Cokere manuscript and the Eltham Ordinances, suggesting it had real staying power across the period. I wanted a substantial carbohydrate dish for the second course, and doing an almond milk version kept it vegan-friendly as well.
Source
Gentyll manly Cokere (~1500)
Take Ryse and seth them in fayre water and stepe them well And then take hem of and caste them in A fayre vessell and pyke them clene and set them on the fyre A yene And do ther to broth of freshe beef or of mary bonys and let hem seth well And do ther to grownd safferon and salt and if hit be fastyng day temper hit with Almound mylke and serue hit forth.
Discussion
- The almond milk was made from scratch: almonds soaked overnight, blended with water in batches, and strained. I also added a small amount of almond extract to ensure the almond flavor came through clearly in the finished dish; depending on the almonds, the flavor of homemade almond milk can be subtler than expected after cooking.
- The rice was par-boiled in salted water for five minutes and drained before being finished in the almond milk. This follows the original method and also reduces the risk of scorching, since the rice has already absorbed some water before going into the almond milk.
- The saffron was steeped separately in a small amount of boiling water and added partway through cooking, which gives more even color distribution than adding threads directly to the pot.
- Rice in large quantities holds heat very well, which made this a relatively forgiving dish for feast service. The main challenge was avoiding scorching during the almond milk absorption phase, which requires steady stirring and careful heat management.
Rice of Genoa
Saffron rice cooked in homemade almond milk — a vegan-friendly golden pilaf from the Gentyll manly Cokere manuscript.
Ingredients
- Almond Milk:
2 c whole raw almonds
5 c water
Almond extract, a few drops (optional)
- Rice:
2 c short-grain rice
Pinch of saffron (~1/8 tsp), steeped in 2 tbsp boiling water
Salt, to taste
Directions
- Soak almonds in water overnight. Drain.
- Blend soaked almonds with 5 cups fresh water in batches. Strain through cheesecloth or a nut milk bag, squeezing to extract as much milk as possible.
- Par-boil the rice: bring salted water to a boil (as for pasta), add rice and cook 5 minutes. Drain.
- Steep saffron threads in 2 tablespoons of boiling water and set aside.
- Bring almond milk to a simmer in a heavy pot. Slowly stir in the parboiled rice.
- Continue cooking and stirring until the rice thickens. Add the saffron water and stir thoroughly to distribute the color.
- Remove from heat and stir occasionally as the almond milk is absorbed. Return to low heat if it cools too much, but do not allow to scorch.
- Taste and adjust salt; add a few drops of almond extract if the almond flavor needs strengthening.
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