Five Medieval Lenten Dishes

Today I thought I would bring to you a selection of dishes that would be appropriate for Lent.   I hope you try them and let me know how you liked them. Prior to the 15th century, the church had declared Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays as 'fysshe" days. During Lent and Advent all animal products such as eggs, butter, cheese and meat were forbidden. With fish days, fasting, advent and lent, fully one third or 140-160 days of the year, fish was the only meat you were allowed to eat.

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.xxxviij. Storion in brothe. Sturgeon in Broth -  Sturgeon was one of the favored fishes and in England was reserved for the King. You can eat like a king on this simply divine soup of fish, cooked in a delicate broth seasoned pepper, mace, cinnamon and ginger, sharpened with vinegar and scented with saffron.

.xlv.--For to make Blawnche Perrye. -Creamed Leeks with Fish-- a delicious dish of leeks, cooked with almond milk and rice traditionally served with fish. Also a very brief look at medieval food preservation methods.

.Cxlviij. Whyte Pesyn in grauey.- White Peas in Gravy - Yellow peas cooked in almond milk, seasoned with sugar and onion create a delcious and surprisingly delicate yet hearty soup enjoyed by king's and  peasants alike. Perfect for Lent. I urge you to try it!

lxviij - Bruet of Almaynne in lente. Rice Porridge with Dates  - Rice and almond milk porridge, sweetened with dates. Talk about medieval comfort food! This dish is creamy, sweet and delicious. It can be put together in just a few minutes and served for breakfast or as part of a feast.

xij - Fride Creme of Almaundys. - Cold Cream of Almonds - A medieval recipe for a "creamed cheese" or "butter" made from almonds. Perfect for Lent, or those with allergies to dairy.       

Five Simple and Delicious Medieval Vegetable Dishes

Positive responses continue to pour in on these kinds of posts. Today I thought I would bring to your attention five very different vegetable dishes that were enjoyed in the late Medieval period.   I hope you try them and let me know how you liked them.

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.xxx. Soupes dorroy. (Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430)) Soup Dorroy - A delicious twist on "creamed" onion soup. The onions when cooked with the wine take on a very fruity flavor, and the almond milk adds creaminess in the background that tempers the sweet fruity taste of the onions. A budget friendly, easy to cook, tasty dish that would not be amiss at a luncheon, tavern, feast or camp meal.

 

.v. Whyte wortes. (Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Creamed Wortes - A true comfort dish from Harleian MS 279 (~1430) -- Tender cabbage and kale, or other "worts" (mustards, kale, collards (known to the Greeks and Romans), kohlrabi (first described in Europe in 1554), broccoli (known to Greeks and Romans), cauliflower (sixth century), rapini (aka broccoli rabe, known to the Romans), and turnips) creamed with almond milk thickened with rice flour, flavored with saffron, salt and a touch of honey. A dish that is as delicious as it is beautiful to look at!

Compost (The Forme of Cury, c. 1390)- despite its name this recipe creates a lovely mustardy, sweet and spicy variety of pickled vegetables that are as delicious as they are pretty to look at. This recipe comes courtesy of Daniel Myers who hosts the excellent site Medieval Cookery (if you have not visited this site I urge you to do so). These pickles were served as part of the Curia Regis Brunch.

Canabenys with Lekys- Dried Beans with Leeks - Constance Hieatt "Ordinance of Pottage"-a thick, flavorful medieval soup made with dried beans (preferably fava, broad or black-eyed peas), cannelini or navy beans, leeks and/or, onions flavored with sausage and fortified with a handful of leafy greens. Great for SCA lunch or feast or an easy period camp meal. Can be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth and vegetarian sausage. 

.Cxlv. Blaunche Perreye. White Pea Soup (Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430)) Very simple and humble ingredients come together to make great flavors in this 15th Century soup for a king.

Bonus:  .iij. Joutes. - Braised Spring Greens with Bacon

Where's the Beef? Five Medieval Beef Soups

The walls are up! The tile is laid and waiting to be grouted. I am excited to see the kitchen coming back together again. I've gotten response with putting together these kinds of posts. Today's post features five different recipes for stewed beef, each unique, each delicious. I hope you try them and let me know how you liked them. Soon, very soon....I will be back to interpreting again.

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To stew Fillets of Beefe (Madge Lorwin's Dining with William Shakespeare) Tender slices of beef, stewed in wine, lemon and herbs. I make this in the crockpot and serve it over rice. It is a welcoming dish to come home to after a hard day at work. Picture at right is part of the cooking process.  Despite constantly thinking "I need a picture of the final product" I never take one. 

vj. Beef y-Stywyd. - This recipe from Two fifteenth-century cookery-books : Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430), & Harl. MS. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1439, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS. 55 by Thomas Austin is very reminiscent of the same flavor profiles one would expect when eating Cincinnati style chili. It was a huge hit and the taste testers were very quick to remark on how "modern" this recipe tasted. It was also very quick and easy to put together another crock pot classic.

.viij. Venyson with Furmenty. - Two recipes combined to create a comforting and tasty dish. Venison (or beef) simmered in broth, wine, and vinegar seasoned with parsley, sage, pepper, mace and cloves.  Hearty and filling when served over rice or furmenty (a creamy porridge of cracked wheat scented with saffron), or even a big chunk of bread to soak up all the flavorful broth--it would be a crime not to! You must try this.

.xxiiij. Drawyn grwel. - An unctuous and savory soup made from ground beef, cooked in a broth, thickened with oatmeal and seasoned with parsley and sage. This recipe was amazing and has changed my (and the taste testers) opinions on what gruel should be. Despite rumors to the contrary, gruel is not a flavorless, thin watery soup of unknown origin. The oats add a subtle nutty flavor, the meat is tender and the water and broth thicken considerably once cooked. A worthy dish to be served to kings and peasants alike.

.xxxvij. Autre Vele en bokenade. - Veal (or beef) and thin slivers of onions stewed gently in an almond milk based broth, flavored with warm and exotic spices and sweet currants and thickened with rice flour. Yum!! This was a beautifully easy and quick recipe to throw together, and I suspect it could be made in a crockpot. It absolutely fit the bill of "comfort food".

Five Medieval Chicken Soups to Nourish the Soul

Since my kitchen is being remodeled and I am unable to cook I thought I might try something a little different. The plumbing and electric have been completed and the tile is laid, simply waiting to be grouted. Soon, very soon....I will be back to interpreting again.

Simply click the link to be taken to the page to find the recipe. Please leave me a message and let me know if you would like to see more posts like this.

Thank you!




Harliean MS 279 (about 1430) Smale Byrdys y-stwyde - Small Birds Stewed - chicken or other small fowl stewed gently in a flavorful broth made of wine, seasoned with onions, saffron, and medieval spices.  When this was tested the commentary ran from unintelligible mumbling around spoonful's of soup, to groans of pleasure and an excited exclamation of "You have GOT to get this recipe to my mom".

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) -.xv. Bowres - Braised Fowl - duck, goose, or another form of fowl is braised in a flavorful broth of ale, sage and salt and served as a soup. The taste testers squabbled over who would get to eat the rest of it. 

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - .lxxxx. Hennys in Gauncelye - Chicken in Garlic Cream Sauce - a classic dish that is still enjoyed in modern times. A beautifully golden cream sauce, seasoned liberally with garlic served with chicken. Fit for king!

Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Chykonys in bruette - Chicken in Broth  - What could be simpler then pieces of tender chicken in a flavorful broth seasoned with pepper, saffron and ginger? Simple and filling. 

Harleain MS 279 (ab. 1430) Henne in Bokenade - Stewed Chicken in Sauce -  This is a very comforting and filling dish, which could be made as saucy or as brothy as the cook desires. This dish is on my "must serve at a future feast" list. Tender bits of chicken served in its own broth, thickened with eggs and seasoned with sage, hyssop, parsley, mace, saffron and a bit of vinegar. It caused quite the uproar with the taste testers, who finally battled it out with a game of paper, rock and scissors to see who scored the leftovers.