Il Frammento - Butter

The Frammento di un libro di cucina del sec. XIV (Fragment of a 14th-Century Cookbook) is a medieval Italian culinary text originating from Codex 158, held in the library of the University of Bologna. First edited and published by Olindo Guerrini in 1887, this fragment is part of the exact same manuscript that yielded the well-known Il Libro della Cucina, published earlier by Francesco Zambrini in 1863.

While the physical handwriting of the manuscript dates to the second half of the fourteenth century, the language and style of the recipes suggest the text itself is considerably older. The fragment and the accompanying Libro della Cucina were transcribed by the same anonymous copyist, who unified their spelling and dialects into a single, cohesive document.

I am undertaking to translate this manuscript bit by bit for my own use in the SCA and others who are interested.

2  (ii)  Se  puoi  fare  buono  burro

"If you can make good butter."

Togli  VI  casci  freschi  o  passi,  pestali  bene  e  stemprali con  1'  acqua  chiara  e  fredda.  Il  grasso  tornerà  di  sopra  e questo  si  puote  operare  in  ogni  mangiare,  o  a  friggere uova  chi  non  volesse  lardo. 

Take 6 fresh or dried cheeses, crush them well, and dilute them with clear, cold water. The fat will rise to the top, and this can be used for any meal, or for frying eggs for those who don't want lard.

This is truly interesting since it is completly different to the normal method of making butter, which after all involves beating cream until the fat and proteins solidify. It is very much reminiscent of making cultured or Bilona ghee:

"How Bilona Ghee is Made – Step by Step

• Step 1: Fresh Milk from Desi Cows
• At Gir Amritphal Gaushala, we begin with pure A2 milk from our content Gir cows, raised on organic fodder and adhering to ethical practices.
• Step 2: Turning Milk into Curd
• The fresh milk is boiled and naturally cultured overnight to turn it into wholesome curd (dahi). No chemicals, no shortcuts.
• Step 3: Hand-Churning the Curd
• The curd is churned using a traditional wooden churner (Bilona) to separate the butter (makkhan) from buttermilk (lassi). This is where the name “Bilona” comes from; the wooden churn stick is called Bilona in Hindi.
• Step 4: Slow Heating
• The collected butter is then slowly heated on a low flame in clay or steel pots. The butter melts, and the water content evaporates, leaving behind pure golden ghee with a rich aroma."

This is cultured Ghee, made completely differently from what we usually do. I have not yet made this, but am very curious.