Original recipe
Nim wintruebele vnd stoz sur ephele. diz tuo zvo sammene, menge ez mit wine vnd drueckez vz. dise salse ist guot zvo scheffinen braten vnd zvo huenren vnd zvo vischen vnd heizet agraz.
Translation
Take grapes and crush sour apples. Combine them and mix with wine. Strain the mixture. This sauce goes well with roast lamb, chicken, and fish. It is called Agraz.
Recipe and experience report
This “Agraz” is one of the simplest recipes in the book. Just chop up grapes and apples and mix them with wine. Strain it through a cloth, and it’s done.
Taste-wise, it’s exactly what you’d expect: a grape-apple juice with wine. I wonder how this watery “sauce” was used. Since it isn’t thickened, it would hardly stick to a roast lamb. I tried it with strips of pan-fried chicken breast and dipped them in the Agraz. That gave them a pleasant, slightly sweet-and-sour note, but it wasn’t really convincing. I could imagine this liquid being poured over a roast instead, so it has more time to soak in. Or perhaps roasts were even cooked in it. But that would be an experiment for another time.
Finally, it’s worth noting that you may add a little vinegar to achieve the right acidity. I also noticed that the liquid turned from a beautiful green to a less-than-appealing brown within 30 minutes. So red grapes and red wine would probably be the better choice.
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the apple into large chunks and chop them finely in a food processor along with the grapes and wine.
- Line a bowl with cheesecloth, pour the mixture into it, and press thoroughly to extract the liquid. Season the liquid with vinegar to taste, if desired.
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