Ceilidh XVI - March
29th, 2003
Featuring Several Recipes from Mary Savelli’s “Tastes
of Anglo Saxon England”
First Course
Mearh Smeamete -Sausage Casserole
Hlaf - Bread
Æppla Syfling -Apple Butter
Caules Wyrtmete -Cabbage salad
Second Course
Hriðer Smeamete Stewed Beef
Beren Briw Barley Polenta
Hunigbæe Moran Honeyed Carrots
Third Course
Sciellfisc-Shellfish*
Brǣdan Fisc-Fish baked with Coriander*
Pisan Peas with salt and oil*
Fourth Course
Sumerlio rnearhgehæcc Summer Pudding***
Hunigæppel Honey Nut Cakes
**Caveat** It has been 12 years since this banquest
was cooked, once again, many of my redactions have been lost to time. Several
recipes (denoted with a *) my best guesses on food that could have been served
based on archeological digs and cooking methods. The "Fish baked
with Coriander" is Roman in origin, as well as the Honey-Nut Cakes.
Summer pudding is modern in origin. I have taken my best guess on the names for
the items that are not
Mearh Smeamete -Sausage Casserole Serves 6
1 small onion chopped
1 tbsp. oil
1 pound pork sausage
1 large apple chopped
½ tsp. each salt and cinnamon
¼ tsp. each black pepper and cardamom
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
Approximately 2 cups cubed bread
1 large baking dish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease casserole
dish with butter and line the bottom of the dish with half of the bread.
Heat oil and sauté onion and sausage. Stir the apple into the sausage mixture
and spoon it over the bread in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with
seasonings and vinegar; set the dish aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter, stirring in the flour
to form a roux. Add the milk all at once and stir until thickened and
bubbly. Spoon this mixture over the sausage and apple. Top with
remaining bread and bake in a casserole uncovered for 30 minutes (Savelli,
2002).
Hlaf – Bread
Guests were offered rye, oat and wheat breads
purchased at the local bakery. The bakery uses sourdough starter to make
it’s bread J
Æppla Syfling -Apple butter Makes 1 ½ cups
2 medium apples peeled and finely chopped
1 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
2 tbsp. Honey
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. Each dried mint and cumin leaves
Boil the apples in the cider for 30 minutes or until
soft, puree. Thoroughly mix the remaining ingredients into the apple
puree and cool.
Caules Wyrtmete -Cabbage Salad Serves 4
½ head of cabbage shredded and rinsed
2-4 spinach leaves torn and rinsed
1 small leak chopped fine
½ cup fresh or frozen peas cooked and cooled
½ cup feta cheese, cubed
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ cup olive or salad oil
¼ tsp. each salt and pepper or to taste
Toss vegetables together in a large bowl. Mix
together salt, pepper, oil and vinegar and pour over the salad, tossing
gently. Top with cheese.
Hriðer Smeamete-Stewed Beef Serves 4-6
¼ tsp. saffron threads
1 tbsp. hot water
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 ½ to 2 pounds stewing beef or beef brisket
2 tbsp. oil
¾ cup dried breadcrumbs
1 small apple chopped
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dates chopped
½ cup honey
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. each ground black pepper and cinnamon
¼ cup apple juice (or dry red wine)
2 tbsp. butter
1 baking dish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crush saffron and
add to the hot water and vinegar and set aside. Brown the beef in the oil
and set aside. Grease the casserole dish with butter and spread ½ cup of
breadcrumbs in the bottom of the dish. Spread the beef, fruit,
saffron-water and other spices evenly over the crumbs. Mix the honey with the
wine and gently pour this mixture over the beef. Spread the remaining
bread crumbs over the beef and dot the crumbs with butter. Bake for 45
minutes or until done.
Beren Briw- Barley Polenta
1 cup barley
4 cups water
4 radishes minced
2 tbsp. butter
½ cup water
1 ¾ cups beef broth or stock
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
Soak the barley in water for four hours. Drain
the water and reserve the barley. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan;
sauté the radish. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to boil.
Reduce the heat, cover the pan with the lid and let mixture simmer until barley
is tender. Approximately 40-60 minutes.
Hunigbæe Moran- Honeyed Carrots
5 carrots chopped
½ tsp. salt
2-4 medium radishes sliced
½ cup butter
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. dried mint
1 tbsp. cress chopped
Boil the carrots with salt. Simmer for
approximately 15 minutes. Saute radishes in butter, add honey and
vinegar. When this is well blended, add the carrots, cinnamon, mint and
cress. Lower heat and heat through (approximately 5 minutes).
Note: For this recipe I
used a mix of carrots and parsnips
Sciellfisc-Shellfish* Serves 6-8
Note: This recipe is very
loosely based on a recipe I had located on the internet and can no longer
find. However, I believe it very closely resembled the one found at the
Ribe Viking Center website (Fish
and Shellfish: Seafood for Vikings).
1 pounds mixed shellfish (muscles & clams)
1 pound Shrimp or prawns
Approximately 3 cups water or broth
1 onion chopped
1 clove of garlic chopped
Saffron threads
Salt and Pepper to taste
Vinegar to taste
Clean the shellfish-be sure to remove any that are
broken, chipped, not closed tightly or are dead prior to the cooking.
Also remove the “beard” from the mussel. Bring onion, garlic, saffron, salt and
pepper to a boil. Add the shellfish, and cook until the shells are
opened. Throw in the shrimp, and stir. Food is ready when shrimp
have turned pink. Remove from broth and serve with vinegar on side as a
dipping sauce.
Brǣdan Fisc-Fish Baked with Coriander* aka Aliter ius
in pisce elixo, Apicius Serves 6-8
1 ½ to 2 pounds fish (salmon, trout, tilapia)
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. liquamen (or fish or soy sauce)
2 tbsp. dill to garnish
Clean and wash the fish. Crush the salt and the
coriander seed together until it has become a fine powder. Place the
spices into a pan and press one side of the fish onto the spices. Place
the fish into an oven proof casserole dish, cover with a lid and bake at 350
degrees until the fish has cooked through. Sprinkle with vinegar and
liquamn, and garnish with the dill. Serve hot (Ancient
Roman Recipe Page for Cooking: Fish Cooked in its Own Juice).
Pisan-Peas with salt and oil*
There was no recipe for this. I cooked frozen
peas until they were tender with a handful of chopped onions until they were
tender. They were slightly smooshed before put into the serving
bowl. I topped with salt and a drizzle of oil.
Sumerlio rnearhgehæcc-Summer Pudding* Serves 8
1 ½ cups each mixed berries (I used strawberries,
blackberries, raspberries and blueberries)
10-15 slices thin white bread, crust removed
Approximately 1 brown sugar loosely packed
Clean the fruit gently and dry. Cut strawberries
in half and keep them separated from the remaining fruit. Heat sugar and
3 tbps. Water in a large pan until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a
boil for 1 minute and add all of the fruit except the strawberries. Cook
for 3 minutes over low heat, stirring 2-3 times. The fruit should be
softened and mostly intact. Put a sieve over the bowl and tip in the
fruit and juice.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread. Line your serving dish
with cling wrap. This will allow you to tip the pudding out easier.
Cut the crusts off the bread, cut 4 pieces of bread in half, and cut at least 2
slices into 4 triangles each.
Dip a whole piece of bread into the juice for a few
seconds until it is coated. Push this into the bottom of the basin. Then
fit in the triangular shaped pieces around the sides of the basin so that they
fit together neatly. Fill in as much space as possible. Spoon the
softened fruit into the hollow space of the pudding, and add strawberries here
and there as you go. Cover with remaining bread soaked in juice, and seal
with cling wrap. Top with a weighted bowl and let the flavors mingle for
several hours or overnight. Serve with leftover juice, any extra berries and
cream (Goodfood).
Hunigæppel-Honey Cakes aka Gastris, Apicius Makes
about 15 pieces
1 each almonds and hazelnuts
1 tbsp. bitter almonds
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 ½ cups sesame seeds
7 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the nuts and
poppy seeds and roast them to give them color. Roast the sesame seeds
briefly and allow them to cool. Pound or process the sesame seeds to a
fine texture (I skipped this step). Place the honey into a pan and bring to the
boil, simmer about 7 minutes and add the pounded sesame seeds, stirring
well. Allow the honey and seed mixture to cool enough it can be handled
easily and turn onto a greased table or marble slab. Grease your hands
and knead until firm but still warm. Divide into 2 equal portions and
keep one of these warm. Grease a shallow square baking tray or pan with
olive oil, then using a greased rolling pin, roll the cooler portion of the
seasame paste into a thin sheet and fit inside the tray.
Place the roasted nuts and the pepper into a food
processor and pulse briefly, alternately, you can break them up in a mortar and
pestle. Meanwhile, heat the other half of the honey, and simmer for 7 minutes
the same way as before. Add the nut mixture and stir well. While still
hot, spread this over the sesame layer and level it off.
Roll the second sesame layer into a sheet and use it
to cover the nuts. Put it in place for an hour or until set and without
delay, cut it into lozenges, squares or any shape you desire (I sliced
it). Serve with fruit at the end of the meal, or as a sweet any time (Dalby,
1996).
Bibliography
Ancient Roman Recipe Page for
Cooking: Fish Cooked in its Own Juice. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2015, from Celtnet
Recipes: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/roman/fetch-recipe.php?rid=roman-fish-own-juice
Dalby, A. a. (1996). The
Classical Cookbook. London:
British Museum Press.
Fish and Shellfish: Seafood for Vikings. (n.d.). Retrieved
February 10, 2015, from Ribe VikingeCenter: http://ribevikingecenter.dk/en/learn-more/food-fish,-shellfish.aspx
Goodfood. (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2015, from Summer
Pudding: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4516/summer-pudding
Savelli, M. (2002). Tastes
of Anglo-Saxon England. Anglo
Saxon Books.
#medievalfood #scafeast #scacook #historicfood
