SC - RE: SC-Thanksgiving/SCA & Europe
LrdRas@aol.com
LrdRas at aol.com
Wed Nov 1 20:27:27 PST 2000
Recently (2 months ago) Ras and Elysant (of this list) got married. I
could not attend their wedding so I made them a wedding feast in my home. It
was a lot of fun researching the food. I will make comments after each dish.
Phillipa
_FIRST COURSE_
SPICED WINE
*****I put cloves, cardomon and cinnamon into a jug of Paul Mason. My
husband, who does not drink, really liked it.********
CARDAMON CHALLAH
**** This was pleasantly spiced with Indian "sweet" spices. Next time I am
going to really spice it heavily because the spice mixture was not strong
enough for my personal taste.******
HONEY BUTTER.
***Well, honey butter is honey butter, what can I say?****
STUFFED EGGS
4 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
2 tsp cilantro leaf, ground in a mortar to a paste
1/2 tsp onion juice
1/4 tsp pepper, ground
3/8 tsp coriander seed, ground
murri (not included)
2 tsp olive oil
salt to taste
Cut eggs in half with a thread (dental floss works great too).
Push yolks through a sieve and add rest of ingredients.
Mix together, adding oil if necessary, until it forms a smooth paste.
Fill each white with yolk mixture and pin two halves together with a
toothpick.
Sprinkle with ground pepper.
***This was Ras's own recipe. It came out very nice. I was concerned that
the lack of mayo would ruin the taste, I was pleasantly surprised with the
olive oil.*****
RECIPE FOR SALAT
Take parsley, sage, green garlic, scallions, lettuce, leek, spinach, borage,
mints, primroses, violets, "porrettes" (green onions, scallions, & young
leeks), fennel, and garden cress, _rue_ (omit rue because it is an
abortificant), rosemary, purslane;
Rinse and wash them clean.
Peel them. (Remove stems, etc.)
Tear them into small pieces with your hands,
Mix them well with raw oil;
Lay on vinegar and salt,
serve.
***** I should make salad like this more often. It was a lovely mixture of
herbs and veggies.****
_SECOND COURSE_
WINTER SQUASH OR PUMPKIN SOUP
5 ½ lbs winter squash or pumpkin
4 C almond milk - made with a little more than 4 cups of water and 2/3 C
almonds
4 Tbsp butter
salt to taste
Peel the squash and remove the seeds.
Cut into 1" chunks and cook on boiling salted water for 10 minutes.
The squash must remain firm and must not fall apart.
Drain and press gently through a seive to remove excess water.
Chop to a coarse puree with a knife or food processor.
Place the puree in a sauce pan, add the almond milk and butter and bring to a
boil.
Check for salt before serving
******The recipe calls for 4 C almond milk. I used 2 cups of almond milk and
2 C water. The soup didn't come out as rich as it would have with all almond
milk, but I can't have that much almond milk at once....so.....
TART DE BRYMLENT (A MEDIEVAL LENTEN TART)
1 1/2 lb Salmon -- Dough -- for 9 inch pie crust
2 tb Butter
2 ea Pears -- peeled, cored & thinly -sliced
2 ea Apples -- peeled,cored & thinly -sliced
2 tb Lemon juice 1 c White wine
2 tb Lemon juice 2 tb Brown sugar
5 ea Cubebs: , thinly crushed 1/8 ts Cloves, ground
1/8 ts Nutmeg 1/4 ts Cinnamon
1/2 c Raisins 10 ea Prunes -- pitted & minced
6 ea Dates -- minced 6 ea Figs, dried -- minced
3 tb Red currant jelly -- or Damson
Preheat the oven to 425F and bake the pie crust for 10 minutes. Let cool.
Cut the fish into 1 1/2" chunks, salt lightly and sprinkle with 2 tbsp lemon
juice.
Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet and toss the pear and apple slices
in it until they are lightly coated.
Combine the wine, lemon juice, brown sugar, spices and dried fruits, and add
to the mixture in the skillet.
Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until the fruit is soft but still firm.
Check the flavoring, and drain off excess liquid.
Paint jelly on the pie crust.
Combine fish chunks with fruit and place the mixture in the crust.
Bake at 375F for 15-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily.
*****I served this at room temperature. It was really tasty. Next time
though, I am going to cut the pieces of salmon and apple and pear smaller so
that one can have a blened taste of all in the mouth at one time and not feel
as if there is this great big chunk of something. Also, I will roll the
crust much thinner.******
POMMYS MORLES
2 cps Almond milk
1 cp Rice, crushed
2, Apples, peeled, cored and diced fine
1/2 cp Sugar
1 pinch Saffron, crushed and soaked in 2 T Hot water 3/8 tsp Cinnamon,
ground
3/8 tsp Cloves, ground 3/8 tsp Mace, gtround
3/8 tsp Black peppar, ground
Bring almond milk to a boil.
Add rice
.Reduce heat to the lowest flame possible.
Cover tightly. Cook for 20 mins.
Stir in apples, sugar, saffron and spices.
****This was really yummy! Nice change to rice pudding.*****
_THIRD COURSE_
CHICKEN BOKENADE
Harleian MS 279/ Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books, p. 13
•1 whole chicken •fresh chicken broth (optional)
•1 small bunch parsley, chopped •2 Tbs. chopped sage leaves
•1 Tbs. chopped hyssop •1 tsp. each mace & cloves
•1 dozen egg yolks, beaten •1 Tbs. ginger •
1/2 cup verjuice (red wine vinegar) •1/8 tsp. saffron •1/8 tsp. salt
Place the chicken in a large pot; cover with water or fresh chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and continue cooking until the meat
is tender & falling from the bone; remove from the broth & allow to drain
& cool.
Pick the meat from the bones, discarding the fat & skin, and cut into large
chunks.
Place meat in a separate large pot. Strain the broth to discard all meat,
fat, etc.; add just enough broth to the chicken in the pot to just come to
the top of the meat.
Add the herbs & bring to a boil, Then reduce heat; beat in the egg yolks,
spices, and vinegar and simmer until thick.
Serve as a main meat dish. Serves 6-8.
Hint: when using either water or broth to boil the chicken, add a healthy
shot of wine; if using water, be sure to add a little salt & pepper.
******This was great!! I would make this again in a second! I think this
dish would be especially good for sick people. My only *negative* comment
was that when I mixed the egg in (and yes I removed a portion of the hot
liquid, allowed it to cool a bit and wisked the egg into that before adding
it to the pot.) The soup ended up like egg dop soup rather then
egg-thickened soup. Tasted great though.*****
ROASTED CARROTS
.1 lb carrots (8 medium large)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2-3 tsp each white wine vinegar, white wine
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs: parsley, and a pinch each of any
other fresh, mild green herbs (eg, dill, chives, tarrragon, thyme
marjoram)
salt and pepper to taste
Scrub and scrape carrots, and brush lightly with oil.
Either roast in a 400 degree oven or arrange in one layer in a suitable dish
for microwaving and microwave at full power, uncovered, 15 minutes.
Slice into a serving dish.
Dress with minced herbs, oil, vinegar, wine, and salt and pepper to taste.
GREEN PESEN ROYAL
Ancient Cookery p. 470/44
1 lb green shelled peas
2 t fresh parsley
1 t fresh mint
almond milk: 1/4 c blanched almonds, 1/2 c cool water
1/8 t salt
1 T sugar
6 threads saffron
2 beaten egg yolks
2 T sugar (sprinkled on at end)
Make almond milk
_FOURTH COURSE_
MUSCOVY DUCK WITH BURGUNDY AND CRANBERRY SAUCE
2 Muscovy duck breast halves, skin intact 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. cracked black pepper Salt to taste
2 Tbs. olive oil
For Marinade:
2 cups Burgundy wine 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
4 fresh rosemary sprigs 1/2 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced Black pepper
For Sauce:
3/4 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen 2 Tbs. honey
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into 4 pieces Salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Add duck breasts, cover and
refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. Turn duck 2 to 3 times while marinating.
Remove duck breasts and pour marinade through strainer into sauce pan.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and reduce liquid to about 1/2 cup.
Pat breasts dry with paper towels.
Season with salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic.
Heat oil in skillet and place breast skin-side down in hot oil.
Cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until skin is browned and just a bit crispy.
Flip over and cook other side about 4 to 5 minutes or until medium-rare.
Transfer to cutting board and let stand for a few minutes to firm up before
slicing.
To make sauce,
Add cranberries and honey to marinade, and cook for about 10 minutes more or
until cranberries soften.
Remove from heat and whisk in chilled butter pieces.
Season with salt and pepper.
Slice duck diagonally, spoon sauce over and serve.
****This recipe is not period, but I love it so, so I made it!****
BUTTERED WORTESTwo Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books, p. 69
8 cups of any combination of spinach, cabbage, onion, leeks, parsley, ,
chopped
1 stick (1/4 lb.) of butter
salt to taste
1 cup diced bread or unseasoned croutons
Cover greens with water; add butter and bring to a boil; add salt.
Reduce heat & cook until vegetables are tender; drain.
Place bread or croutons in serving bowl and cover with cooked greens.
***I used much less butter than it called for. It came out fine!****
_FIFTH COURSE_
A ROAST OF MEAT
1 1/2 lb lamb or beef spices:
3 small onions = 3/4 lb 1/4 t cumin
2 15 oz cans chickpeas 1/2 t coriander
1 t salt 1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t black pepper
3 T olive oil
1/4 c green coriander, pressed down
1/8 t more pepper
1/4 t more cinnamon
Roast meat and cut into about 1/4" by 1/2" pieces.
Slice onions.
Put chickpeas, onion, spices, salt and oil in a pot and cook over moderate
heat, stirring, for 10 minutes, turning down the heat toward the end as
it gets dry;
Add meat and cook one minute,
Add green coriander and cook another minute, and turn off heat.
Sprinkle with pepper and cinnamon
Serve
*** The chickpeas gave this lamb dish a creamy quality,****
SPINACH DONE UP IN AL-BAGHDADI STYLE
1 lb spinach
1 T sesame oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 t cumin
1/8 t coriander
1/2 t cinnamon
Boil spinach in salted water about 2 minutes .Drain well and dry.
***Yum!!!***
_DESSERTS_
A TARTE OF STRAWBERRIES
2 c strawberries 8" pie shell (see recipe above)
4 egg yolks 1/3 c sugar
1/2 c bread crumbs 4 T butter
Force strawberries through a strainer or run through a blender
Then mix with everything else (the butter should be melted).
Bake crust for 10 minutes,
Then put filling into the crust and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
** I love this dessert and it is very easy to make.***
CELTIC SHORT BREAD
1 cup butter -- softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups flour
Preheat the oven to 300° F.
Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.
Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the flour, 1/3 cup at a time, until a soft dough is formed. (Do not
overbeat!)
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until rounds are just firm to the touch.
Yield: 16.
ANISE SUGAR COOKIES
2 large eggs + 8 egg yolks
1 pound wheat starch (approx. 4 scant cups)
1 pound sugar (approx. 2 cups + 5 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons ground anise seed
1 teaspoon salt
additional sugar for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 325º F.
Place eggs and egg yolks in bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium /
1minute.
Gradually add the sugar to the eggs.
Turn the speed to low and gradually add the starch, salt, & anise to the egg
mixture.
Beat on medium for 10 minutes. You will have a thick, fluffy batter.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Alternatively, you may lightly grease the pans or use non-stick pans.
Drop the batter by tablespoons 2 inches apart.
After a moment, they will spread out on the pan, and will spread further
during baking. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Place in preheated oven. Bake for apx 10 min, until the cookies are set & a
toothpick or knife-blade comes out clean.
The cookies should not be browned on top; there should be no more than a
slight hint of golden color around the edges.
Remove carefully from the pan with a spatula.
Cookies will be soft when first removed & may be prone to breakage. Will
become firmer as they cool.
Cool on racks. Store after cooling in an air-tight container.
***The day I made them, the anise was not very strong and I was disappointed.
But by the feast the anis had permeated the cookies and they were
wonderful.****
HAIS
2 2/3 c bread crumbs 2 c (about one lb) pitted dates
1/3 c ground almonds 1/3 c ground pistachios
7 T melted butter or sesame oil enough sugar
Mix dates, bread crumbs, and nuts in a food processor or blender.
For "cabobs," roll into one inch balls.
MOCK EGG
1 C ground almonds lg pinch of saffron
3/4 C sugar 1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Simmer the ground almonds in water until they are soft and then drain.
Transfer to Cuisinart.
Add the sugar and process to combine.
Divide mixture into 2 parts.
Color one part yellow with spice mixture.
Proceed to make "hard boiled eggs".
To display, cut eggs in half and put out on tray.
***It was a lot of fun trying to make _eggs_ out of marzipan.
_BON HORS_
cinnamoned almonds
pistachios
cloves
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