Author Archives: Chelsea M-C

A Man must eat… Jaqen H'gar's Ideal Meal

…and in this case, that man is Jaqen H’gar. It has to be close to three years ago now that you all threw out some wonderful suggestions for this meal, and inspired by a recent episode of the show, I have finally taken full advantage of them. I fear I have not quite done your excellent ideas justice, but a girl has to finish the post eventually, one way or the other. A man, however, eats what he must, and it’s important to keep in mind that Jaqen H’gar is a man who has to be ready to move at a moment’s notice.  

The prevailing thoughts about this meal included Venetian-inspired spicy seafood from Braavos, as well as smaller, easily transported foods, some of which could be foraged. I also loved the idea of incorporating some food trickery, and after looking into it just a bit, discovered that it was a medieval practice. There were historical recipes for making meat look spoiled, presumably to keep unwelcome guests from over-taxing one’s food stores. This would probably fall under a subcategory of Subtleties, or showpiece dishes (more on those later). In this case, the duplicity of such a dish would fit well with a faceless man’s meal. 

So in the end, I used a lot of your ideas to create a two-sided meal. For the man-on-the-go half, I took Juli’s idea of foraged quail eggs and paired it with some fruits, roots, and meats. A man would eat whatever he could come by in the wilderness, and might not be able to risk a fire for fear of discovery. A man might eat eggs raw, but I boiled mine.

For the more cultured Braavosi half of the meal, I agreed with Marianna about the Venetian connection, and went with a spicy squid ink pasta and scallops with a dash of caviar. Notice that black and white color palette of the main course? Yes, it was intentional. 

A Man must Eat - Jaqen H'gar's ideal meal, inspired by Game of Thrones

My relatively simple meal included:

  • scallops on a bed of purple cabbage and fennel, served on endives (very pretty!)
  • squid ink pasta with spicy cream sauce and mixed seafood
  • quail eggs, fruits, nuts, cured meats
  • mock-Sahlep, a thick spiced drink sold on the streets (recipe)

Venetian inspired Scallops, on bed of fennel and purple cabbage

Honorable (and comedic) Mentions:

  • Kate Quinn – all Black and White foods
  • John Billburg- molecular gastronomy, for some ‘magic’
  • @forkspoonknife – chameleons!
  • B Lolly – a delicious sounding array of specific Venetian dishes

 One thing I really wish I could have incorporated is a deceptive sort of food, to represent the faceless man’s changeable nature and capacity for deception. Instead, I hope to do an entire post that looks at medieval subtleties. Let me tell you, there were some amazing ones back in the day!

I also loved the idea of doing those black/white half moon cookies, although they definitely wouldn’t be eaten in that fictional setting. I might still have to do that, although I’d make them rectangular, to better imitate the doors on the House of Black and White. 

 So that’s it! Now that this post is done, it clears the way for future character-themed posts, and I know there are some great contenders out there, so be sure to check back in to see who’s next. Oh, and if you love that faceless man coin in the photos as much as I do, you can get your own over at Shire Post!
 
Faceless Man Coin from Shire Post - Valar Morghulis

 

A Man must eat… Jaqen H’gar’s Ideal Meal

…and in this case, that man is Jaqen H’gar. It has to be close to three years ago now that you all threw out some wonderful suggestions for this meal, and inspired by a recent episode of the show, I have finally taken full advantage of them. I fear I have not quite done your excellent ideas justice, but a girl has to finish the post eventually, one way or the other. A man, however, eats what he must, and it’s important to keep in mind that Jaqen H’gar is a man who has to be ready to move at a moment’s notice.  

The prevailing thoughts about this meal included Venetian-inspired spicy seafood from Braavos, as well as smaller, easily transported foods, some of which could be foraged. I also loved the idea of incorporating some food trickery, and after looking into it just a bit, discovered that it was a medieval practice. There were historical recipes for making meat look spoiled, presumably to keep unwelcome guests from over-taxing one’s food stores. This would probably fall under a subcategory of Subtleties, or showpiece dishes (more on those later). In this case, the duplicity of such a dish would fit well with a faceless man’s meal. 

So in the end, I used a lot of your ideas to create a two-sided meal. For the man-on-the-go half, I took Juli’s idea of foraged quail eggs and paired it with some fruits, roots, and meats. A man would eat whatever he could come by in the wilderness, and might not be able to risk a fire for fear of discovery. A man might eat eggs raw, but I boiled mine.

For the more cultured Braavosi half of the meal, I agreed with Marianna about the Venetian connection, and went with a spicy squid ink pasta and scallops with a dash of caviar. Notice that black and white color palette of the main course? Yes, it was intentional. 

A Man must Eat - Jaqen H'gar's ideal meal, inspired by Game of Thrones

My relatively simple meal included:

  • scallops on a bed of purple cabbage and fennel, served on endives (very pretty!)
  • squid ink pasta with spicy cream sauce and mixed seafood
  • quail eggs, fruits, nuts, cured meats
  • mock-Sahlep, a thick spiced drink sold on the streets (recipe)

Venetian inspired Scallops, on bed of fennel and purple cabbage

Honorable (and comedic) Mentions:

  • Kate Quinn – all Black and White foods
  • John Billburg- molecular gastronomy, for some ‘magic’
  • @forkspoonknife – chameleons!
  • B Lolly – a delicious sounding array of specific Venetian dishes

 One thing I really wish I could have incorporated is a deceptive sort of food, to represent the faceless man’s changeable nature and capacity for deception. Instead, I hope to do an entire post that looks at medieval subtleties. Let me tell you, there were some amazing ones back in the day!

I also loved the idea of doing those black/white half moon cookies, although they definitely wouldn’t be eaten in that fictional setting. I might still have to do that, although I’d make them rectangular, to better imitate the doors on the House of Black and White. 

 So that’s it! Now that this post is done, it clears the way for future character-themed posts, and I know there are some great contenders out there, so be sure to check back in to see who’s next. Oh, and if you love that faceless man coin in the photos as much as I do, you can get your own over at Shire Post!
 
Faceless Man Coin from Shire Post - Valar Morghulis

 

Pomegranate Syrup

Pomegranate Syrup Recipe

Pomegranate Syrup, poured over lemon sorbet

Thoughts:

I hadn’t realized until someone asked me recently online if I had a good pomegranate recipe that I was, in fact, completely lacking any such thing. I use pomegranate seeds a lot as a garnish in photos, and love to snack on them, but as far as cooking? Nada. So, I started to look around for what I could do with the stuff, and settled on this super easy recipe for starters.

This delightfully simple syrup packs a heck of a flavor punch! It’s as good on meats and salads as it is on desserts, or even mixed in with drinks, both hot and cold. The syrup is pucker-worthy in its tartness, but that’s part of its glory. While the consistency is thick if you cook it for the full time, it’s still pourable, which means you can deploy it on any delicious edible you like. Rim of a martini glass for an ominous looking cocktail? Check. A simple glaze atop a cake? Check. Personally, I consumed all of mine on several successive dishes of lemon sorbet, and have approximately zero regrets about it.

Where in Westeros?

I would immediately put it down in Dorne. Pomegranates are a common ingredient in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, both of which resemble their Dornish counterpart. It would likely have worked its way up the trade routes to King’s Landing, as well, where those with wealthy cooks could enjoy it any number of ways. Pomegranate lemonsweet to help relax on sweltering days in the capital? Yes please!

Pomegranate Syrup Recipe

Cook’s Note: While you can certainly juice your own pomegranates, I find the process to be hugely messy, and have yet to accomplish it without staining some garment or another. Instead, I buy the smallest bottle of pomegranate juice at the store, and go from there.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups pomegranate juice (about 4 pomegranates)
  • 4 Tbs. raw sugar or honey
  • Optional additions: a little ground pepper/grains of paradise, lemon juice, mint, etc.

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce and thicken as it cooks, and further thicken when it’s cool. If serving over frozen desserts, allow the sauce to cool at least an hour before serving.

For easy deployment, just use it any way you would use balsamic vinegar. If you manage to not eat it all at once, store the remainder in the fridge.

Stuffed Aubergines, c. 1570

stuffed Aubergines

Thoughts:

A number of quirky Lenten dietary choices were made this year by members of this household, and that meant I had to go searching for new recipes to accommodate those restrictions. Thankfully, medieval cookbooks were all about recipes for Lent, and that’s where I found this beauty. It’s in the Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi, which you ought to know by now is one of my favorite historical cookbooks.

The recipe is really quite quick and easy to prepare, especially by medieval standards. I made the fully Lenten version, which is entirely vegan, but I suspect it would also be just delicious with a bit of sausage added in. As it is, it’s still delightfully flavorful and unique. The saffron turns the broth a brilliant yellow that contrasts nicely with the dark skin of the eggplant. The quirky collection of spices and herbs combine for a flavor mix unlike anything I’ve tasted, even in the realm of historical cooking. In short, it’s delicious.

 Where in Westeros?

Eggplants in medieval times had worked their way over to the Mediterranean from Asia. They were a different vegetable than our modern ones, smaller all around, but slightly larger in Italy, by all accounts. As such, I’d peg this as a dish from Essos, or even possibly the Reach, through Dorne.

Recipe for Stuffed Eggplants

Cook’s Note: The recipe is as I made it, for a Lenten fast day. You can also add an egg and about 1/4 cup grated parmesan for some extra body and flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 4 small eggplants (under 8″long)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup each walnuts and almonds, roughly chopped
  • pinch each salt, pepper, ground cinnamon and cloves
  • 1 tsp. mixed herbs (as with Italian seasoning)
  • 1 cup rough breadcrumbs
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. wine vinegar

Broth:

  • water
  • pinch saffron
  • a good pinch each of salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and mixed spices, as above
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • 1 Tbs. wine vinegar

Take your eggplants and chop the tops from them as close to the stem as you can. Taking a melon baller (or a spoon, but that’s more difficult), carefully scoop out the insides of each eggplant, saving the excess eggplant. Place the insides of the eggplants in a food processor along with the garlic, nuts, spices, herbs, and breadcrumbs. Pulse a few times, then add the olive oil and vinegar, and pulse a few more.

Using a small spoon, gently divide this mixture evenly among the four eggplants, pressing it into them until it is all used up. Place the filled eggplants in a small saucepan with tallish sides, and fill 2/3 up with water. Add the above ingredients for the broth.

Cover the pot and simmer over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the eggplants are tender. To serve, place each eggplant on a wide bowl, and carefully cut in half. Pour a bit of the broth from the pot over, and serve up!

Pynade – pine nut brittle

Pynade. Take Hony & gode pouder Gyngere, & Galyngale, & Canelle, Pouder pepir, & graynys of parys, & boyle y-fere; than take kyrnelys of Pynotys & caste ther-to; & take chyconys y-sothe, & hew hem in grece, & caste ther-to, & lat sethe y-fere; & then lat droppe ther-of on a knyf; & if it cleuyth & wexyth hard, it ys y-now; & then putte it on a chargere tyl it be cold, & mace lechys, & serue with other metys; & if thou wolt make it in spycery, then putte non chykonys ther-to.Put honey, spices, and pine nuts into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Keep boiling the mixture until it reaches 300°F (what’s called “hard crack stage” in candy making). Pour onto a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil. Allow to cool and then break it into pieces and serve. -Two 15th c. Cookery Books

Cook’s note: Some folks are not fond of pine nuts, and others are not fond of their hefty price tag. You can easily substitute other nuts in this recipe, although you may have to chop them down a little first. Pistachios would lend a pretty color, while walnuts are a classic pairing with spiced honey. You can also mix and match the spices, based on what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups honey
  • pinch each ginger, galingal, cinnamon, ground pepper (black or long), and grains of paradise
  • 3/4 cup pine nuts

Combine the honey and spices in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat, and begin cooking. When the mixture reaches 300F, or hard-crack stage, remove from heat. Add the pine nuts, stirring vigorously to incorporate them. Pour the whole mix onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone pad. When cool, snap the brittle into pieces. Store tightly sealed at room temperature for several days.

Kitchen Curiosities: Pastry Jagger

I have a confession:

I am heartily addicted to attending auctions.

And not necessarily to buy anything. Honest. In a large part, I just love the frenetic atmosphere, the social buzz of congratulations and irritation, and the calculated bidding of long-time pros. I’ve learned the all-important lesson that nearly every piece of beautiful old furniture, while unique, is not the only lovely piece that will ever sell at a great price.

That said, every now and then I find an item that is just fantastic, and truly rare. In this case, it was a pastry jagger, probably from the early to mid 19th century.

Now what, you might ask, is a pastry jagger? It’s essentially a historical kitchen unitasker, meant for cutting pastry dough with its wheeled end, and poking holes in it with the (sometimes) tined end. I had only recently learned about these implements, so when I saw one at the auction, I knew I had to try to get it. I stealthily built a box lot (totally allowed at this auction) of Pyrex, assorted dishes that looked boring and valueless, and the pastry jagger in a baggie with a couple of clay pipes. Fortunately, the auctioneer didn’t list my top pick when enumerating the contents of the box, so there was next to no competition for it. The fellow sitting behind me was very surprised when I pulled this out of my box of loot, and declared it a “great buy”, a high commendation from one auction-goer to another.

Anyhow, I thought it was just a delightful little thing, and wanted to share a few pictures with you!

Helva

Helva

To celebrate the release of the Dornish eCookbook, From the Sands of Dorne: A Feast of Ice & Fire Companion Cookbook, here’s a quick and easy recipe that didn’t quite fit in the new book: Helva. It’s essentially sort of like a Middle Eastern shortbread, with butter, flour, sugar, and in this case, just a bit of tahini. I first encountered Helva while living in Turkey, and have very fond memories of skimming a little of the warm confection from the top of the cooling pan when my host-mother wasn’t looking.

The flavor is simple, but delicious, with the rich buttery goodness of a shortbread, plus a little nuttiness added by the tahini. I (somehow) held onto a few of mine for several days, and while they began to harden, they were no less delicious. I could see these being fast favorites not only in Dorne, but also beginning to creep their way up to the capitol and over to Highgarden.

 Helva Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick salted butter
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 Tbs. tahini
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • pine nuts for garnish (optional)

Make a roux with the butter and flour over medium heat. When it starts to turn a slightly pinkish golden color, remove from the heat. Add in the tahini and sugar, and stir to completely combine. At this point, the mixture should start pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Using two large soup spoons, scoop up a portion of the mixture. Holding one spoon in each hand, press the bowls of the spoons together, squeezing out any excess mix. This should create an oblong shaped piece of helva. Repeat until all the mixture has been used up.

If you like, press a pine nut (or other nut of your choice) into the top of the helva discs while still warm. Helva will keep for several days, unrefrigerated.

Chocolate Wax Seals

Chocolate Wax Seals, a delicious garnish for special desserts. From The Inn at the Crossroads.

I have some eclectic hobbies.

Granted, there are a number of perfectly good reasons I might have a rather sizable collection of sealing wax and seals. I do run a quasi-medieval blog, after all. But if I’m honest, it’s partly just that I’m addicted to the things. They are seriously cool!

So while planning for Valentine’s day this year, I began to wonder… Could I make chocolate “seals” the same way I do with wax? Short answer: Oh. Yes.

Now, you have to understand something about Valentine’s Day in my family. Growing up, it was second only to Christmas in terms of scope. As I got older, it definitely outpaced birthdays. I’m told that a lot of people find this odd. I mean, Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about romantic love, isn’t it?

Well, I think it should be about all kinds of love, whether it’s Platonic, romantic, long-distance, slightly awkward, familial, or, ah…

Then again, maybe not...

Then again, maybe not…

Whether you celebrate your love for your kids, extended family, spouse, neighbors, or just your cat, just make sure you make the day a special one!

Where in Westeros?

As I said above, chocolate is a non-entity in Westeros, but this concept is still sound. Medieval desserts often included foods that had been pressed into molds, or shaped in a variety of ways. This included marzipan, quince paste, sugar paste (like fondant), and more… I imagine something like this being served at special feasts, such as for weddings or coronations, perhaps with little house sigils on them?

Chocolate Wax Seals

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • edible gold dust (optional)

You’ll also need:

  • brass wax seals (the more, the better)
  • a pan full of snow, or a bowl of water filled with ice
  • paper towel
  • pan lined with parchment paper

Set up a double boiler on your stovetop: fill a saucepan with about an inch of water, and place a glass bowl over top; the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Place your metal seals into the snow or ice water to chill.

Pour 3/4 of the chocolate into the bowl, and turn heat up to medium. Stir gently with a spatula until the chocolate is all melted, then add the remaining 1/4 cup chips. Turn the heat down and stir to incorporate these last chips as they melt. This helps temper the chocolate so it looks and feels better when you are done with it.

When all of the chocolate is completely melted, spoon very small dollops onto your parchment paper. For standard sized seals, a dollop about the size of a nickel should do. Place a handful of these, then wait patiently for a minute or so while the chocolate begins to cool. Then take your chilled seal, dry it with paper towel, and gently place it onto a chocolate dollop. Leave it there! If you try to remove it immediately, as is generally possible with sealing wax, you’ll end up with a gooey, sticky mess. Instead, watch the edge of the chocolate carefully. When it begins to change from glossy to a more matte appearance, give the seal a little wiggle. If it comes loose, great! If not, try giving it a little more time for the chocolate to fully cool. If that still doesn’t work, then your chocolate was probably too hot when you applied the seal. Wash the seal off, chill, and try again.

This will take a few tries to get the hang of , so stick with it! When you have done as many seals as you have chocolate, let them all cool. If you would like to brush them with edible gold dust, I found that adding a little bit of water to the dust helped me control where it went.

Chocolate Wax Seals, an elegant garnish for special desserts. From The Inn at the Crossroads.

The finished seals are great decorations on cookies, cupcakes, or any other dessert you might think of for a special occasion. Best used within a couple of days, and should be kept cool so they hold their shape.

How to make Chocolate Wax Seals, a delicious garnish for special desserts. From The Inn at the Crossroads.

Hildegard’s Happy Cookies

“Nutmeg has great heat and good moderation in its powers. If a person eats nutmeg, it will open up his heart, make his judgment free from obstruction, and give him a good disposition. Take some nutmeg and an equal weight of cinnamon and a bit of cloves, and pulverize them. Then make small cakes with this and fine whole wheat flour and water. Eat them often. It will calm all bitterness of the heart and mind, open your heart and impaired senses, and make your mind cheerful. It purities your senses and diminishes all harmful humors in you. It gives good liquid to your blood, and makes you strong.” -Hildegard von Bingen, Physica, ~1153

Thoughts:

For those who haven’t heard of her, Hildegard von Bingen was a nun of many talents who lived during the 12th century. Amidst composing music, founding monasteries, and apparently receiving visions from on high, she also wrote a treatise on diet, which is a fascinating read. In that, she lists the good and bad qualities of various ingredients, and how best to consume them for health.

I stumbled on these cookies by accident while looking for new recipes to try. If you search for them online, you’ll find many modernized versions that are likely quite tasty. However, as you know by now, I am a stickler for staying as true as possible to the original recipe. So when Hildegard says combine spice, flour, and water, then that’s what I do. Although, I’ll admit that when I tried the dough, I capitulated to my tastebuds and added a bit of raw sugar, too. Don’t worry, though. Hillie thought that sugar was “refreshing”, so I think she’d approve.

The resultant cookies, or cakes, are sort of like hardtack. Like… a healthy hardtack. They were not especially appealing when I first began to nibble on one, but the aftertaste is full of warm spiced goodness. While it’s certainly possible that HvB left out more common ingredients, figuring that anyone reading would know to add them (often done in historical cookbooks), I’m inclined to think that she meant them to be a little bland, despite the spices.

I mean, doesn’t this just seem like something a medieval nun would prescribe for someone with the blues? Plus, the lack of eggs and butter means that these would last almost indefinitely, a definite perk when dealing with expensive imported spices. I made mine with a lovely Irish wholemeal flour, combined with a bit of spelt flour. This gave it a rustic, flaked texture that holds together well, even when being toted around the house as a snack.

I can’t vouch for the purported healthy side effects, but so far, I’m a grudging fan. I also found that a nice dollop of thoroughly modern peanut butter and honey went delightfully well with the cookies. Just saying…

Where in Westeros?

I imagine that such quasi-medicinal foods might be the purview of the Maesters, or possibly the Sept, but that last might just be my mind associating septas with nuns…

Recipe for Hildegard’s Happy Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. clove
  • 2 cups flour (including 1/2 spelt, 1/4 almond)
  • 2 Tbs. raw sugar
  • water enough to moisten

Combine all dry ingredients, then add just enough water to bring the mix together into a workable dough. Roll this out on a floured surface to about 1/4″ thickness, and cut into desired shapes. Arrange on a cookie sheet.

Bake cookies at 350F for around 15 minutes, or until they are mostly hard.

Quince Paste

DSC07351

So, I saw these quinces in the store about a month back, and was very excited. Quinces were very popular in historical cooking, and I thought to myself, “Great! I can make all sorts of things!” Starting with quince paste, because it goes well with cheese, and I happen to love me some cheese.

As with many experimental recipes, the first time didn’t quite work out as I would have wished. So I thought, “No biggie. I’ll just get more quinces.” And the next time I went to the store, I looked. And the time after that, I looked. And looked, and looked. Nary a quince to be found, I’m afraid.

As a result, this recipe is a little more rustic than I usually like to publish, but on the off chance that you can still find quinces where you are, huzzah! I’ve since learned that one ought to boil the peels along with the fruit (in a cheesecloth bag) for their super pectin goodness, so perhaps that is also where I misstepped.

In any case, despite my moderate textural issues, whereby my paste was more of a spread, it was still delicious enough to eat with a spoon. Which I did, and it was great. Although quinces somewhat resemble very hard apples, their fruity flavor is quite unlike like any other fruit. Well worth another go, if only I could find more! ;)

 

Quince Paste Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3 quinces, peeled, seeded, and chopped (peels saved)
  • 2 cups raw sugar (such as demerara, or turbinado)

Tie the quince peels into a piece of cheese cloth and put in a medium pot along with the quince fruit. Cover with water, and bring to just under a boil. Allow the mixture to simmer for around 40 minutes, then remove from heat. Take the peels out and discard. Press the fruit through a sieve, then pour back into the saucepan, along with the sugar. Let this mixture simmer for around an hour and a half, or until it has turned a pretty dark red color, and thickened.

Now, at this point, you essentially have quince paste. I tried to really dry mine out in a low oven for several hours, but to no avail. Instead, I spooned it into jars, and enjoyed as-was!

For extra perusal, here are several historical recipes for quince paste, and related quincy dishes:

This is an excerpt from Libro di cucina / Libro per cuoco
(Italy, 14th/15th c. – Louise Smithson, trans.)

CXXXIII – To make marmalade of quinces good and fantastic. Take the quinces and peel and put to boil in lots of water and cook until they are come down; take a basin holed or the grater, and grate very fine that you take all that is good, and guard that the seeds don’t go into the grated quince. Save for 3 days in the air this grated mix before you put in the the honey, then for each pound of grated quinces you want to have 3 pounds of honey. Bring to a good boil together when the honeyis cooked add spices fine and if you want for the mixture, put to boil a little of sugar, for 3 pounds of quince marmalade you want to have 6 ounces of sugar in change of spices. When it is cooked tip it onto a table bathed with fresh water, and make it in the way of sheets of pasta large and just less than half a finger thick, and make in the way of wafers and put in a “albarello” (kitchen salt pot, refers to a specific storage vessel) with spices and with laurel: that it does not go bad you must boil two hours until it is cooked always stirring. This quince marmalade you want to cook always well mixed with a flat wooden stirrer, etc.

 

Red Quince Paste
To make the paste of a fine red, bake the quinces in the oven a long while, then peel and sift them in a strong hair-sieve; dry the marmalade over a slow fire a little while, to about half the consistency of a paste then to redden it the more, keep it a good while on a slow ashes-fire, stirring some time; and to add to this redness, put a little steeped cochineal, and reduce it on a flow fire, to a thick paste; that is, when it loosens from the Pan; put as much sugar as marmalade, or paste, soak it a little while on the fire and let it cool, just enough to work it well with the hands, and finish directly as usual.
From Borella, The Court and Country Confectioner (London: 1770)