SC - Fw: [Mid] Feasts: Serving and Carving
Alderton, Philippa
phlip at morganco.net
Sat Jan 17 12:25:51 PST 1998
Alys Katherine,
This was so well thought out, and in line with a recent discussion, that
I've forwarded it over to Cooks.
phlip at morganco.net
Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider that cain't be throwed.
:
: Greetings! After several days of reading comments about
: feasts, Id like to toss in this for consideration. While some
: SCA cooks (feastocrats) will try using period recipes most
: of them dont seem to research what period serving methods
: might have been like in the years/country the recipes are
: taken from. Whole chickens (or any whole cut of meat) are
: one example.
:
: Even through the late 1400s and the bokes of courtesy it
: is noted that there are special rules for cutting and disjointing
: meats. The feasters were not expected to hack up their
: own chickens as we in the SCA are expected. One reference
: clearly states that a whole chicken is for the lord and that the
: lesser folk get only parts. (Those at the head table were
: expected to send choice pieces of their larger dishes to people
: seated at lower tables, as a mark of favor from the lord.) While
: general statements are rarely accurate, one might be safe saying
: that in the SCA time periods, no whole chickens should _ever_
: be served to any table other than the high table. And, at high
: table, the carver should perform his magic. It shouldnt be the
: high table guests job to cut up their own chicken.
:
: While serving styles did change, for much of our (English) time
: frame foods were put in front of each two, or possibly four, diners
: who were then expected to eat from those dishes. Our family-
: style meals, where one bowl is passed down the table, was
: probably not the norm. Several people noted in recent posts that
: there were problems with the first feasters taking a lot of one
: dish, leaving little for the eighth or tenth person down the line.
: If one adapted medieval serving habits (as we are supposed to be
: doing) this would be minimized.
:
: We SCAers are doing a pretty good job of exploring the re-creation
: of all sorts of medieval arts, crafts, and combat. Why is it that in
: cooking and serving we are content to present and serve food in
: a twentieth-century style? There are primary sources available as
: well as good secondary sources. Its really nice to go to a feast
: where the presentation, serving, carving have all been done with an
: eye to re-creating that aspect of dining!
:
: Is there any interest in discussing how to make this part of a feast
: (carving and serving) more medieval?
:
: Alys Katharine
:
:
: From: alysk at ix.netcom.com (Elise Fleming)
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