Une arboulastre en tarte

Une arboulastre ou deux d’œufs. Prenez du coq deux fueilles seulement, et de rue moins la moitié ou néant, car sachez qu’il est fort et amer: de l’ache, ténoisie, mente et sauge, de chascun au regart de quatre fueilles ou moins, car chascun est fort: marjolaine un petit plus, fenoul plus, et percil encores plus; mais de porée, bettes, feuilles de violettes, espinars et laitues, orvale, autant de l’un comme de l’autre, tant que de tout vous aiez deux poignées largement – LM 225
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…
Ingredients

Eggs, Manchego Cheese (100% Sheep’s Milk,) Rice Flour, Ginger, Salt, Coq, Rue, Lovage, Mint, Sage, Marjoram, Tarragon, Parsley, Spinach, Swiss Chard

LM provides this recipe as the first in his list of “Various ways to prepare eggs,” and goes into great detail on its preparation. It is also a rare recipe from our major sources that includes herbs in a wide variety and quantity. He doesn’t specify the Cheese to be used, but we’re instructed to grate it, so soft cheeses are eliminated. I chose Manchego as a grated cheese that was known and desired throughout Europe and still considered delicious today, and suitable for more people than cow’s milk cheese would be. In his recipe he also calls for a mix of greens including chard, violet leaves, spinach, lettuce, and clary. Given the strong herbal taste of this recipe already, I sincerely doublt those other greens contribute much more – and in any case they are not available to us. We also omit Tansy which is now known to be toxic, and substitute Tarragon for Fennel Fronds as not to waste many pounds of fennel bulb . Unlike most recipes from our sources, this one also includes a service temperature – “neither too hot nor too cold.” This can be made in advance and then warmed in the oven just before service.

LM also directs an interesting cooking method which we cannot replicate at our scale, but which a person cooking this smaller recipe may want to try. He instructs to “put the kneaded dough into the bottom of the skillet, and add the tart filling with plenty of grated cheese mixed in. Since the bottom, that is, the pastry that forms the bottom of the tart, will be cooked before the top side is barely heated up, you must have ready another skillet with its bottom well heated, wiped, and cleaned. Fill this pan with hot coals, and put it inside the first skillet, atop and touching the filling.” Because I need to make 15 of these, I will be using an oven.

References

LM 225, LM 231

Modern Redaction
1 leafCoq
1/2 leafRue
2 leavesLovage
2 leavesMint
2 leavesSage
2 stemsMarjoram
1 stemTarragon
4 stemsParsley
1 cupSpinach, chopped
1 cupSwiss Chard, chopped
1/4 t.Ginger
1/4 t.Salt
8 eachEggs
4 oz.Manchego, grated
1 recipePastry
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F
  • Roll out your pastry 1/4″ thick and fill your tart mold, removing the excess
  • Combine all of the Herbs and chop finely, by hand or in a food processor.
  • Add the Spinach, Swiss Chard, Ginger, Salt, and Eggs and beat to combine thoroughly.
  • Lastly, add the Cheese and then pour into the prepared Tart
  • Bake the tart until the crust is dry and the filling reaches 170°F internally
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool, serving it warm but not hot
Process Photos