[Sca-cooks] Danelaw feast - Take Two

[Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise]

Greetings!

> Lard and other animal fats would be more period, but I have chosen to 
> substitute oil for reasons of health. I am curious, what kinds of oils, 
> if any, might have been used for cooking in 9th century "England"? Just 
> curious. I plan to use one of the healthy blends now available, along 
> with some olive oil. I have already lost the richness of the lard. I 
> will probably use a combination of oil and butter in the cooking of the 
> Leaxes Hlaf.

I think flaxseed, hempseed, and walnut and other nut oils would probably 
have been available. 

> A good question was raised about whether rosemary would grow in the 
> Danelaw area. I know that many herbs were used at the time, I just don't 
> know what herbs they were. I am trying to get my hands on one of the 
> Hagen books for guidance. Pointers would be welcome.

This is a tricky one. In England, there's reason to believe that 
Rosemary was not re-introduced until Queen Phillipa's time, so I would 
suggest avoiding it.

> At the suggestion of one of the authors, clove is being used in place of 
>  bayberry, given the danger of the latter. I do not know how available 
> cloves would have been, but here it is a modern substitution for a 
> period spice now known to be dangerous.

Hmmm... could juniper berries be used in place of bayberries instead?
 
>    * Eofor (stewed boar): Boar, onions, pepper,
>      sage, thyme, coriander seed, red wine, salt
>    * Caulres Wyrtmete (cabbage salad): Cabbage, spinach, leek, peas,
>      farmers cheese, cider vinegar, oil, salt, pepper

Note, unless these are dried peas, they would be very out of season.

>    * Leaxes Hlaf (salmon cakes): Salmon, egg, oatmeal, onion, oil

I would use oat groats rather than oatmeal.

>    * Beren Briw (barley pilaf): Barley, radishes, butter, vegetable
>      stock, salt

? why radishes? I would love to see this recipe...

>    * Peru on Wine (pears in wine sauce): Pears, red wine, honey,
>      cinnamon, cloves, cumin, pepper

Bear in mind that wine would be unusual in this time and place. Has 
anyone tried this with mead or perry?

>      cinnamon (maybe served with strawberries as well).

I would use a different berry than strawberry, one of the fall berries, 
or make a sauce of dried reconstituted berries.

-- 
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net 
"'In this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.' Well, for 
years I was smart. I recommend pleasant." - _Harvey_, by Mary Chase