Recipe for Broth of Deer Daintiers* and Cervoissons
Start by thoroughly parboiling the deer daintiers in boiling water to clean them perfectly. Cook until done, then cool. Cut into neat squares—neither too large nor too small. Fry in healthy bacon fat, add beef broth, parsley leaves, and fine spices in suitable quantities to keep flavors balanced, not overpowering.
For the sauce, incorporate a little camelina oil, or blend one or two poultry livers with white bread and strain through cheesecloth. Use this mixture in place of camelina, add vinegar, and dilute the spices with wine and verjuice (two parts verjuice to one part wine). Alternatively, substitute gooseberries for verjuice, and salt to taste.
*Daintiers are deer testicles.
The sauce elevates the dish, infusing substance and flavor while bridging nature and culinary art. True sauce mastery demands expertise in broths and pot-based soups.
The anonymous author of Le Ménagier de Paris (c. 1393), a cornerstone medieval culinary text, shares precise techniques to prevent soups from burning:
“Before your soup sours—and to prevent souring—stir it often at the pot's bottom, resting your spoon there so the soup doesn’t settle. If souring looms despite stirring, remove from heat and transfer to another pot.”
Excerpt from Fêtes de Table by Michel Faucheux, Éditions Philippe Lebaud.
