The crane was a very popular animal in the kitchen of the 1300s
The food tastes they are closely linked to the culture of peoples and are subject, like everything else, to profound changes over time.
We should not be surprised, therefore, if in past centuries it was a completely normal and appreciated habit to bite into dishes that today we consider (not wrongly) disgusting.
In the famous Libro de cocina , an anonymous Tuscan recipe book dating back to the mid-thirteenth century , among other things, how to cook the crane was recommended, volatile very popular in the Middle Ages, to fully enjoy its flavor.
After being cleaned, the bird was boiled in a large boiler, then, after being skewered, it was roasted, but not completely.
At this point a sort of "sauce" was prepared frying a couple of chopped onions in plenty of lard sprinkled with saffron.
Added some more "good wine" , the crane cut into pieces was thrown into the sauce and left to boil everything.
Finally, the way of serving the dish was particular:each piece of crane was placed on a slice of bread previously softened in the same cooking broth as the animal (often, in the Middle Ages, the bread also served as a plate).