[Sca-cooks] FW: [Thescorre] Article in BBQ magazine

Tue Jul 27 05:53:35 PDT 2004

A pretty good article featuring Dame Katja from Aelthelmearc.  I've included
it for the herb lists because of all the herbs and spices featured.
Enjoy!
Christianna

-----Original Message-----
From: wendyc at vivid.net [mailto:wendyc at vivid.net]
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2004 10:59 PM
To: Christy Seeley-King
Subject: Fwd: [Thescorre] Article in BBQ magazine

Thought you might find it interesting....
Wendy

----- Forwarded message from Katja Orlova <katjaorlova at yahoo.com> -----
    Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 17:36:31 -0700 (PDT)
    From: Katja Orlova <katjaorlova at yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Katja Orlova <katjaorlova at yahoo.com>
 Subject: [Thescorre] Article in BBQ magazine
      To: Thescorre <Thescorre at yahoogroups.com>

Here we go again...

The same journalist who interviewed me for Highlights
Magazine is also the editor of an international online
magazine, Barbecue & Beverage. It's at
http://www.bbqmag.com/.

She asked if they had bbq in the Middle Ages, and I
told her about spit-roasting.

And yes, she mentioned the SCA... <grin>

Here's her resulting article:

Time Travel Barbecue
Medieval Grilling
By The Right Honorable Dame Hope Wilson

	Due to the invention of the modern gas grill in the
1960s, many people assume grilling is the result of
twentieth century technology. This belief cannot, in
fact, be further from the truth.
	Cooking over an open flame dates back to the
prehistoric era, when our ancestors first learned to
control fire. Over the centuries, this process became
more refined, eventually reaching its current level of
sophistication.

Medieval Cooking Techniques
	During the age of knights and ladies, techniques
similar to those employed by modern grilling experts
were often used.
	 “One of the most common cooking methods in Europe
during the Middle Ages was spit-roasting,” said Chris
Adler-France, a.k.a. Dame Katja Davidova Orlova
Khazarina, who has studied and taught medieval food
history through The Society for Creative Anachronism
for the last decade. “Birds, cattle haunches, and
other roasts were slowly cooked over indirect heat
produced by an open fire.”
	The meat was basted with “gode broth” (meat stock),
said Adler-France, for succulent results.
	Grilling techniques were even employed within the
noble kitchen. Examination of period artwork shows
that noble homes boasted spotless kitchens with
meticulous organization. Food was often cooked by an
open hearth or over a brick stove with an open fire
underneath. Because most houses of the era lacked
ovens, breads and other baked goods  -- if not taken
to the village baker -- could be placed in a covered
cast-iron pot, such as a Dutch oven, and placed
directly on the coals. (Sound familiar?)
	Commoners were well-acquainted with the Dutch oven’s
predecessor as well: they used three-legged pots
placed directly on the fire to cook much of their
food.

Common Ingredients Used
	The Medieval recipes that exist today come from
cookbooks designed for nobles and royalty.  The
recipes were recorded to ensure that the meals were
made according to the preference of the Master and his
family. Many of the recipes include the abbreviation
TTKL, to the king’s liking, to indicate the quantity
of ingredients that was to be used, much as we use the
term to taste to indicate ingredient quantities today.
	In contrast to the commoners’ diets – which consisted
primarily of vegetables, eggs, grains, and fish – the
noble diet included a wide assortment of game, beef,
poultry, white breads, and produce. Designed for the
wealthy palate, they often included elaborate sauces
and expensive spices (see sidebar).
	This diet doesn’t sound so weird, does it? While
some, umm, delicacies – including eels, porpoises,
swan and mice – found their way onto noble tables,
many of our modern dishes find their roots in this
era.
	Like apple pie? How about macaroni and cheese?
Pancakes? Then you like medieval cuisine. (See sidebar
for more popular medieval dishes.)
	One notable exclusion from the Medieval diet is the
tomato, which was not imported into Europe from the
New World until at least the mid- to late 1550s, said
Adler-France. “Sweet/sour sauces, based on vinegar and
usually flavored with ginger, garlic, or herbs, were
usually served with the meat, according to the
‘humor,’ or primary moisture/temperature level, of the
meat.”
	The next time you fire up your grill, travel back in
time 600 years with some of the following Medieval
recipes.

Recipes
	The measurements and ingredients used in cooking have
changed over the centuries. To re-create Medieval
recipes today, some modifications must be made. The
modernized versions are referred to as redactions.
	With the exception of Renaissance Chops with
Countryside Couscous, the redactions for the following
recipes were composed by Chris Adler-France.

Renaissance Chops with Countryside Couscous
Serves 4

4 pork loin or rib chops, ¾-1” thick
Vegetable oil
2 tsp. dried sweet marjoram leaves
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 tsp. fine grind sea salt (or kosher salt)
	Lightly coat both sides of chops with oil.  Mix
together seasonings.  Sprinkle evenly on both sides of
chops.  Grill over direct heat 8-10 minutes or until
done.  Chops should be slightly pink in the center.
Serve with couscous.

Countryside Couscous
Serves 6-8

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free vegetable broth
1/4 c. water
1 tbsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon and ground red (cayenne)
pepper
1/2 c. (2-1/2 oz. pkg.) pine nuts
1/4 c. dried apricots, chopped
¼ c. dried cranberries, chopped
1 pkg. (10 oz.) couscous (about 1 2/3 c.)
2 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves, chopped
	In grill-safe pan, bring all ingredients except
couscous and parsley to boil over high heat.  Stir in
couscous; remove from heat.  Cover and let stand 5
minutes; stir in parsley.

Duck with Ginger-Wine Sauce
The recipe comes from Forme of Cury, published in
1390. It’s perfect for the fruits of hunting season.
Serves 6
1 whole duck, rinsed and patted dry, skin intact
1 tsp. minced fresh sage
1 tsp. minced fresh mint
1 tsp. minced fresh savory
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ c. chopped grapes
1 pear, chopped
1”-thick knob fresh ginger, grated
Pinch Poudre Douce (combination of ginger, cinnamon,
mace and sugar)
Geese drippings (may substitute butter or oil)
2 tbsp. sea salt
1½ c. white wine
	Mix together herbs, garlic and fruit. Stuff the duck
with mixture.
	Rub salt all over the duck.
	Place duck on grill over indirect heat. Place pan
beneath duck to reserve drippings.
	Grill 1-1½ hours or until done, turning occasionally.
Remove from heat and set aside.
	To make sauce, sauté ginger in goose drippings. Add
wine and poudre douce. Simmer until thickened. Serve
over slices of duck.

Katja’s Shish Kabobs
This recipe comes from an anonymous Andalusian
cookbook from the 13th century. It instructed the cook
to serve the kabobs with mustard, as it “strengthens
and increases the blood, but is difficult to digest
and slow to go down.”
Serves 4
2 lb. lamb or veal, cubed
1 c. olive oil
½ c. cider vinegar
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. ground pepper
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
Mustard
	Mix all ingredients together and marinate the meat
2-3 hours. Drain cubes and thread them on skewers.
	In a grill-safe pan, boil marinade at least 10
minutes.
	Grill skewers over medium direct heat until cooked
through, basting occasionally with the boiled
marinade.
	Serve with mustard.

Roast Fillet of Beef
This recipe comes from Robert May’s book The
Accomplisht Cook, published in 1660.
Serves 4
2 lb. sirloin
1 stick butter
1 tsp. fresh minced parsley
1 tsp. fresh minced sage
1 tsp. fresh minced chives
1 tsp. fresh minced thyme
3 egg yolks
1 orange, juiced and peel minced
1 large onion, minced
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 c. homemade beef broth
1 tbsp. wine vinegar
	Dry sirloin thoroughly. Coat lightly with butter and
place over medium direct heat. When browned on one
side, turn over and place over indirect heat. Place a
pan underneath to catch drippings.
	Meanwhile, in a grill-safe pan, sauté onions and
herbs in more butter. When the onion softens, add the
wine, juice, peel and vinegar. If you don’t have
enough drippings, add some beef broth. Simmer until
reduced, about 10 minutes. Serve over sirloin.

Cormayre
This recipe is from Forme of Cury, published in 1390.
Serves 8
5 lb. pork loin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground caraway
1 tsp. ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt (preferably Kosher or sea salt)
1 c. red wine
1 c. pork broth
	Poke the loin in several places.
	Mix the spices, garlic and wine together. Rub them
vigorously into loin, then marinate in the
refrigerator, covered, overnight.
	Drain the loin and grill over indirect heat 1½-2
hours or until done. Baste occasionally with
drippings. mixed with pork broth as needed.

SIDEBAR:
Savory Supplements
Below is a list of some spices frequently used during
the Middle Ages. All of the following spices are still
available, though some are quite expensive and may be
difficult to find. Where possible, I have noted
substitutes in parantheses.  I found all these spices
at The Pepperer’s Guild (c/o Alexandra Hahn, 31 Sharon
St., Providence, R.I. 02908). Prices range from
$0.10/oz. for sea salt to $7/oz. for mastic.

Angelica Root
Caraway
Cardamom
Cinnamon
Cloves
Coriander
Cubebs
Cumin
Elderflowers
Fennel Seed
Frankincense
Galingale
Ginger
Grains of Paradise
Hibiscus Flowers
Hyssop
Juniper Berries
Licorice Stick
Mace
Marjoram
Mastic
Mustard Seed
Myrrh
Nigella
Nutmeg
Peppercorns
Rosehips
Saffron
Sage
Sanders (Red Sandalwood)
Sea Salt
Sumac
Tansy
Thyme
Turmeric
Vanilla Beans
Poudre Forte (A combination of cubeb, cloves, mace,
ginger, black pepper, Grains of Paradise, cassia and
cinnamon.)

SIDEBAR 2:
600-Year-Old Food
Stop! Before you teach your kids that Campbell’s
invented chicken soup or Kraft brought Mac ‘n Cheese
to life, read this list. Many of today’s popular
dishes and beverages can be found in Medieval
cookbooks. Here are just a few.
Apple pie
Applesauce
Beef stew
Cheesecake
Chicken soup
Cider
Custard
Donuts
French onion soup
French toast
Lasagne
Macaroni & cheese
Pancakes, waffles & crepes
Pasta
Quiche
Ravioli
Roast (pork, beef, lamb & chicken)
Salad
Sausage
Scrambled eggs
Shish kebobs

=====
Katja's Middle Eastern Dance Page
http://www.geocities.com/katjaorlova/MEdance.html

AEthelmearc Cooks Guild http://www.geocities.com/aecooks/CGMain.html

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