[Sca-cooks] An almost final Feast Menu

[Antonia di B C]

On 19/04/2011 10:48 AM, Chawkswrth wrote:
> 1) To be served by the white-clad Shire Ladies, some dishes will be 
> carried on paddles. Yes, these are all Period Aphrodisiacs;
>
> Tart of Onions (Made with eggs, cheese, onions and leeks)
> Handmade sausage smoked over Hickory and then prepared in Ale/Beer or 
> broth
> Chyches (roasted chickpeas)
> Frytour of Erbs (Herb Fritters)
> Hypochrysa (SP) (This is a Dry Site, so no alcohol, otherwise, I would 
> serve a light mead to those over 21)

All those things sound delicious.  If I have a criticism, it's that this 
section is pretty heavy on brown stuff.  If it were me, I'd try to 
balance it with something like carrot and cucumbers lightly pickled in 
vinegar or a really crisp salad with fennel and leafy greens.


> 2) Second Course (regular Service, with the Ranking non-Royal as the 
> Royal Carver at the Head Table)
> Steak
> Esparaguat (Asparagus)
> Armoured Turnips
> Baguettes (french bread)

Yum, yum!

> The Head Table will receive a Smoked beef shoulder with large white 
> feathers artfully pinned to look like a wing.
> The regular tables will get London Broils that have marinated 
> overnight and then put in the smoker. They will be pre sliced, and a 
> sauce applied (Pleyn Delite)
> I would do an onion compote, to go with the beef, but I think that 
> would be too much onion. Not every course needs onions, especially 
> with the number of folks we have in Kingdom who are allergic to them.

I agree.  Onions tend to be really well received, but there is too much 
of a good thing.


> 3) third but not quite the final Course;
>
> Rabbit baked in Pastry (whole or in a pie) (I will add grilled chicken 
> thighs to this for those who will not eat Thumper)
> Buttered Carrots
> Salat
>
> The Head Table will be presented 2 rabbits baked in crust, rampant. 
> Designing the support will be interesting(I am not a woodworker). I 
> will be making the heads out of dough, with pointy teeth 
> gleaming...hehehehe
> the other tables will either get one bunny in crust, or rabbit 
> pie...(using Meat pie recipe from Gode Cookery site). The Chicken 
> Thighs will be herbed, wrapped in bacon and grilled.

Is this a period treatment of the chicken?  If not, may I respectfully 
suggest sticking to a period treatment?

> 4) The Cake (this is where we depart from any attempt at Period Food)
>
> The Holy Hand Granade of Antioch in Cake form, presented to the Head 
> Table by the Gentlemen of the Shire, dressed as monks, in full 
> procession...

I'm sorry.  I hate this kind of thing.

> I also look at the Fritters and realize that I will have to cook 
> upwards of 100 of them. How can you cook that many and keep them hot 
> and crisp for Service time?

Personally, I wouldn't go there.  I like fritters as well as the next 
person, but trying to do them for 100 is a pain, and trying to do them 
in a limited kitchen is a gigantic pain.



-- 
Antonia di Benedetto Calvo
----------------------------------------------
Dulce et decorum est pro patria pavlovam coxi.