SC - Side dish suggestions needed

[Philip & Susan Troy]

"Knott, Deanna" wrote:
> 
> Greetings!
> 
> Let's say you were doing a feast and price was not an issue.  What side
> dishes would you make?  What is your absolute favorite side dish?

Hmmm. That's hard to say, since one person's side dish is another's
entree. I'm quite fond of the Taillevent riz engoulee or fancy rice,
boiled like a porridge until a nearly homogeneous creamy mass with a
rich stock, saffron, and ginger (I think). A marvellous accompaniment
to, say, roast chicken with green sauce. At the risk of arguments over
periodicity or the lack thereof, I find many of the vegetarian
alternatives to feast-day foods, such as, for example, the greens cooked
in almond milk or butter instead of with ham, make excellent practical
side dishes. 
 
> I am working on an idea and looking through all of the stuff I can find for
> stuff to go with pheasant, lobster and (I haven't decided yet) venison or a
> really good beef roast.

Taillevent (apparently Le Menagier's main source) includes pottages and
sauces to be served with a great number of roast and boiled meats,
poultry, and fish, bearing in mind that there is often a certain overlap
between pottages and sauces. F'rinstance, of the many English syrosye or
cherry pottage recipes that exist, some mention meat cooked in it, some
refer in passing to meat added to it before service, and some don't
mention meat at all. So, this could be interpreted as a sort of stew, a
simple thickened soup (I refuse to think of this as a pudding -- yecch!)
or an accompaniment to a roast or boiled hunk of meat. 
 
> I was reading Le Menagier from Cariadoc's web site.  In it is discussed
> several dinners.  Now my question is this, are these typical big celebration
> feasts?  While I want to do and all out feast,  it seems that variety of
> meats AND fish in these are just a bit much.

Something worth remembering is that Le Menagier appears to have been of
the bourgoisie, many of whom still, um, try harder, if you know what I
mean. Think of the wedding receptions held by some of the wealthiest
people, where there is no huge dinner served. Now, with all respect to,
say, licensed plumbers (generally a hard-working and fairly well-off
group) , you might be likely to find that the wedding reception for such
a man's only daughter is rather opulent by comparison. Possibly even a
little overdone. I suspect Le Menagier (who seems to be reporting on
menus from various feasts he has either attended or heard about) might
have had little personal interest in keeping up with Maitre and MesDame
Jones. 

For just about every period menu you'll find listing a dozen courses of
a dozen or more dishes, you can find one that includes two or three
courses with four or five dishes per. You don't have to go crazy, at
least not if periodicity is the only justification.

Adamantius
Østgardr, East
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com
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