SC - pea bread/porrige

[Par Leijonhufvud]

[Adamatius wrote regarding the fact that most grains/peas were consumed
boiled, not baked, in Roman eras.]

This was most likely true for many other regions and times. I have been
told by archaeologists who study early food that it varied from region
to region during the Viking age. The avaiable grains probably played a
large part in this; not everything can be sucessfully baked into bread.

One example of the boiled pea and grain dishes is the porrige that has
been reconstructed based on gravefinds in Groetlingbo (the "oe" is
<o-with-umlaut>) on Gotland (10th c, I think). Peas and barley porrige. 
Good stuff too, even if I've never tried it with the sheeps milk that
the original calls for. 

/UlfR

P.S. You want a recipie? Why on earth for? Probably want me to give it
in English as well... 

The Groetlingbo Porrige
(Based on a porrige from a Viking age womans grave on Gotland)

Makes 10 servings. 

3,5 dl barley, preferably whole grain
0,5 dl peas (dried)
0.8 l water 
1.3 l milk (sheeps milk in the original)

[NB one dl is one tenth of a liter, i.e. 3.4 fl.oz.]


* Soak the peas overnight. Throw away the water.

* Mix peas, barley and water. Perhaps some salt as well.

* Boil in a covered pot for 10 minutes.

* Add the milk, stir and bring to a boil.

* Allow to swell at a suitable temperature (45-60 min).

* Serve with milk, honey and dried or fresh apples or berries.

I have no idea if the archaeological record indicated the honey, berries
and apples, or if they were added by the archaeologist that
reconstructed it. 


- -- 
Par Leijonhufvud                             parlei(at)algonet.se
http://www.algonet.se/~parlei
"Unix IS user friendly... It's just selective about who its friends
are."  


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