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Balloc Broth
Balloc Broth is a traditional Medieval recipe for a classic dish of eels cooked in wine and water flavoured with herbs that are served with pike cooked in the original broth that is now flavoured with spices. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Medieval version of: Balloc Broth.
prep time
25 minutes
cook time
35 minutes
Total Time:
60 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Spice RecipesHerb RecipesBritish RecipesEnglish Recipes
Original Recipe
A Forme of Cury)
Ꞇe eelus +̅ ylꝺ ē +̅ eɼue ē ꞇo pecys +̅ ꝺo ē ꞇo eeþ watꝯ +̅ wyne ſo þꞇ iꞇ be a litul ouꝯſtepeꝺ . ꝺo þer ꞇo auge +̅ oþꝯe erbes wiꞇ fewe oynos y mynceꝺ. +̅ wan þe eelus buþ oꝺen y nowꝫ ꝺo ē a ỽeſſeỻ . ꞇae a pie +̅ erue yꞇ ꞇo gobeꝯ +̅ eeþ ȳ in þe ſame bɼoꞇ · ꝺo þꝯꞇo pouꝺo · ꝫ̅ꝫ̅ · galyngale · canel · +̅ prꝑ · +̅ ſalꞇ iꞇ +̅ caſt þe eelus þꝯꞇo anꝺ meſſe iꞇ forꞇ ·
Translation
Bolloc Broth
Take eels and skin them, and slice them into pieces and cook them by boiling in wine and water so that they be a little steeped therein. Add to this sage and other herbs with a few minced onions, and when the eels have boiled sufficiently remove to a dish. Take pike and slice into serving pieces then boil in the same broth [as used for the eels] and add pounded ginger, galingale, cinnamon and pepper. Season with salt and add to it the eel pieces and serve it forth.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 eels
200ml white wine
400ml water
4
sage leaves, minced
2 tbsp
parsley, chopped
a pinch of thyme
a pinch of minced
rosemary
2 onions, minced
500g pike, cut into serving pieces
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp groung galingale (or galangal)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
salt, to taste
Method:
Begin by preparing the eels. To skin and gut, hold it down by the head on a solid work surface with a towel (an eel is very slippery). With a sharp knife, make an incision around the neck, just below the head. The thick filmy skin will separate. Grip the skin with a pair of pliers, and pull it down the length of the eel to the tail and cut it off. Make a slit down the length of the stomach and pull out the innards. Rinse the eel well under cold running water then cut into pieces.
Combine the eel pieces, wine and water in a pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. At this point add the herbs and onions. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove the eel pieces and set aside.
Add the pike to the eel cooking stock, bring to a boil then add the ginger, galingale, cinnamon and black pepper. Cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the pike is tender (add more water if necessary) then place the eel pieces back in the pan and allow to heat through.
Season to taste with salt and serve it forth.
Find more Medieval recipes as well as more recipes from the Forme of Cury here.
