Great cooks have always known how to make wonderful things from leftovers. These fritters are a good example. Blancmanger, Manjar blanco in Spanish, was a favorite dish at the Spanish court, where it was prepared with the most luxurious ingredients available.
6
6
1
1/2
2
1 stalk
1
1 sprig
to garnish
to garnish
300 g
150 g
150 g
2 sticks
to taste
4
125 g
1 litre
Soak raw almonds in plenty of water overnight. Drain them, add 1 litre of water and chop with a blender. Pass through a fine sieve or coffee filter and set aside in a bottle or covered pan.
Put the chicken breast, crests, feet, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf and parsley in a saucepan. Cover in water, season to taste and bring to the boil. Boil until the breast is cooked: about 40 minutes.
Boil the litre of almond milk and 1/2 litre of chicken stock.
Mix 300 g of sugar and 150 g of rice flour together with 150 g of chopped and peeled almonds.
Tear the chicken breast in slices, add it to the dry mix and chop in a blender.
Beat the eggs with a little rice flour and add it to the Blancmanger.
Use two spoons to make small dough balls and fry in enough oil that they float. Use medium heat to turn them golden brown. Use all the dough.
Remove the fritters from the oil and lay them on a paper towel on a plate to drain the excess oil.
Dust with a little ground cinnamon and garnish with rose petals.
Arte de cozina is one of the most important Baroque cookbooks in Spain. The author, Francisco Martínez Motiño, worked as a scullion and as a senior chef in the kitchen of Philip II. He writes that a kitchen worthy of a king should meet three essential requirements: "cleanliness, taste and promptitude".
See the book
