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A '''subtlety''' (also ''sotelty'' or ''soteltie'') was an entertainment dish used in the [[Middle Ages]]. It was a type of [[entremet]] used in medieval England, though it is somewhat unclear if it was actually an edible dish or merely a type of allegorical table ornament. |
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A '''subtlety''' (also ''sotelty'' or ''soteltie'') was an elaborate form of dish common during the [[late Middle Ages]] in [[Europe]], particularly in [[England]] and [[France]]. Its function was to demarcate main courses from one another while also entertaining diners. A subtlety could be anything from a [[pie]] with exotic [[spice]]s to an elaborate [[Model (physical)|model]] of a [[castle]] made of pastry. Subtlety dishes were reserved for the [[upper class]]es who could afford the huge costs of exclusive ingredients, talented [[chef]]s and huge staffs to create lavish meals. Subtleties were often used during [[fasting|fast]] days or [[Lent]] to alleviate the restrictions in diet imposed by [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[fasting]] laws. |
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==Elaborate illusions== |
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Among the popular ingredients for subtleties were various kinds of [[fowl]], especially [[peafowl]] and [[swan]]s. These birds would often be plucked and skinned and their meat seasoned, and then baked, grilled, or boiled; stuffed with fillings of all kinds; and finally redressed with their own skins. Supported by concealed wooden struts and decorated with their original plumage, the birds would be served in lifelike poses. |
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Culinary renditions of popular [[fable]]s and religious [[Allegory in the Middle Ages|allegories]] were common. [[14th century]] [[cookbook]]s describe how to prepare a [[cockatrice]], a fantasy animal, by roasting a [[suckling pig]] and some form of fowl separately, then sewing their skins together so that the final creation would look like the fabled creature. Tableaux depicting various human activities familiar to the medieval dinner guests were popular, such as "[[pilgrim]]s" made from grilled or fried [[capon]]s, [[esox|pike]]s decorated to look like pilgrims holding roast [[lamprey]]s as staffs, miniature [[knight]]s made from grilled, stuffed fowl riding roast piglets, or [[hunting]] scenes.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.r3.org/life/articles/food1.htm |title= Dining in State: A High Cuisine Guide |author= Thomas L. Coles |format= html |work=[[Ricardian (Richard III)|The Richard III Society]], American branch |quote= With great ceremony and flourish, the subtlety is presented. Tonight, it is a spun and hardened sugar hunting scene. }}</ref> |
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Allegorical scenes with titles like "Castle of Love" and mythical and religious scenes and figures like "Lady of the Unicorn," "Knight of the Swan," and even "Lamb of God" (''[[Agnus Dei]]'') were also mentioned. Other popular arrangements were models of castles made from [[sugar]], [[pastry]] or [[marzipan]], a specialty of English chefs during the late Middle Ages. Over time, subtleties became ever more decorative and less suitable for eating, and eventually evolved into pure decorations produced by [[painter]]s, [[carpenter]]s, and [[Smith (metalwork)|metalsmith]]s rather than by chefs. |
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The need to dazzle and amaze the [[nobility]] impelled chefs to resort to [[practical joke]]s. Medieval sources describe how to make pies that would be filled with live [[blackbird]]s and covered with crust immediately before serving so that birds would fly out and astonish the guests when the pie was cut open. There was also advice on how to make cooked meat or fish appear raw by sprinkling dried [[hare]]'s or [[Goat|kid]]'s blood on it, or even to cover it with strips cut from [[intestine]]s to look like maggots. |
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==Examples of subtleties== |
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*Though not enjoying international prestige and fame for culinary sophistication today, [[English cuisine]] during at least the High and Late Middle Ages was considerably more refined by continental standards. A specialty of [[England|English]] cooks was to disguise [[meatball]]s as [[orange (fruit)|orange]]s. |
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*A dish that can be found in many cookbooks in [[Western Europe|Western]] and [[Southern Europe]] was "Turk's head" or "monk's head" which was intended to resemble the face and hair (or even [[turban]]) of a [[Saracen]], and in some recipes a [[monk]] where the the dark hair or turban would instead have the likeness of the dark [[cowl]] of [[Dominican Order|Dominicans]]. |
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*In a feast dedicated to [[Pope Clement VI]], a castle model was constructed and filled with [[venison]], wild [[boar]], [[goat]], [[hare]] and [[rabbit]], with all animals having been skinned, cooked, redressed and placed in lifelike postures before serving. |
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==See also== |
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* [[Entremet]] |
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* [[Medieval cuisine]] |
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* [[Taillevent]] |
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* [[Verjuice]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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<div class="references-small"><references/></div> |
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*Henisch, Bridget Ann (1976) ''Fast and Feast: Food in Medieval Society'' ISBN 0-271-01230-7 |
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*Scully, Terence (1995) ''The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages'' ISBN 0-85115-611-8 |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{wiktionarypar|subtlety}} |
{{wiktionarypar|subtlety}} |
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*[http://www.godecookery.com/how2cook/howto08a.htm How to Cook Medieval] - A |
*[http://www.godecookery.com/how2cook/howto08a.htm How to Cook Medieval] - A guide on how to make medieval cuisine and subtleties with modern ingredients |
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[[Category:Medieval cuisine]] |
[[Category:Medieval cuisine]] |
Revision as of 10:14, 28 May 2007
A subtlety (also sotelty or soteltie) was an entertainment dish used in the Middle Ages. It was a type of entremet used in medieval England, though it is somewhat unclear if it was actually an edible dish or merely a type of allegorical table ornament.
References
- Adamson, Melitta Weiss (2004) Food in Medieval Times ISBN 0-313-32147-7
External links
- How to Cook Medieval - A guide on how to make medieval cuisine and subtleties with modern ingredients