Category: Medieval

Funges

Funges

Mushrooms in broth and spices. A 14th Century English recipe.
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Course Side Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 8 leeks sliced into rings and washed, white parts only
  • 6 Tbsp butter divided
  • 1½ lb mushrooms quartered
  • 1 c chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • ½ tsp brown sugar
  • pinch saffron threads
  • ½ tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a heavy skillet, and sauté leeks for a few minutes until they begin to wilt. Add mushrooms, and stir to coat.
  • Combine stock, sugar, saffron, and ginger, and pour over the vegetables. Simmer 2 minutes.
  • While vegetables are simmering, melt remaining butter in a small skillet and add flour. Cook until thickened and a golden brown. Add roux to the vegetables, and continue to cook until liquid has thickened slightly and the vegetables are evenly glazed. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Cock-a-leekie Soup

Cock-a-leekie Soup

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Cuisine Scottish

Ingredients
  

  • 25 g butter
  • 6 chicken drumsticks
  • 6 leeks washed, cut lengthwise, and chopped
  • 4 rashers bacon chopped
  • 2 litres chicken stock
  • a bouquet of thyme, bay leaf, and parsley
  • 8 prunes
  • fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter.
  • Brown chicken (whole legs, skin on). When browned, add bacon. Fry for 2 minutes, and add leeks.
  • Add stock, bring to boil.
  • Once boiled, reduce to low simmer. Skim surface with spoon to remove chicken residue.
  • Add bouquet of herbs, prunes, and season with salt and pepper.
  • Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  • After the hour, remove bouquet and chicken. Discard bouquet.
  • Separate the meat from the bones, return to pot.
  • Serve.

Notes

There’s a “funny” story that comes along with this recipe.  I was making a large version of this soup as part of a Baronial Banquet I ran in 2013. I had some friends over to help, and we pre-made 15 gallons of Cock-a-leekie soup in my large brew pot.  We carried it downstairs into the Squamish November cold garage, with the garage door opened a crack, to let it cool overnight.
The next morning, I went to check on it and when I lifted the lid discovered a bulging surface which suddenly let out gasses.  Awful gasses.  I’d neglected to consider my large brew pot was triple-walled, and held in the heat very well.  I poked at the surface and discovered the soup was bubbling.  I’d fermented 15 gallons of cock-a-leekie soup. 

Lens et hordeo

A Dish of Lentils and Barley

A reconstructed medieval recipe, published in 1465, Rome. Used when I cooked Baronial Banquet.
Print Recipe
Course Side Dish

Ingredients
  

Barley, for 160:

  • ⅝ qt olive oil
  • 1⅔ qt onion chopped
  • 13⅓ cloves garlic minced
  • 3⅓ qt barley pearled
  • 1⅔ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 2⅛ gal vegetable stock
  • 1⅛ Tbsp salt

Barley, for 8:

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ c onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 c barley pearled
  • 1 dash freshly ground pepper
  • ⅝ qt vegetable stock
  • ¼ tsp salt

Lentils, for 160:

  • 7 lbs lentils
  • 3½ gal water
  • 7 onions peeled and halved
  • 7 whole garlic cloves peeled
  • 7 whole bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste

Lentils, for 8:

  • ½ lb lentils
  • 1 qt water
  • ½ onion peeled and halved
  • 1 whole garlic clove peeled
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the oil to a deep, oven-proof pan heated to high and fry the onions and garlic until very lightly browned. Add barley and pepper and stir until coated. Add stock and salt and bring to a boil. Quickly place in a baking dish and cover. Bake until barley is tender and stock is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand covered for at least 10 minutes.
  • While barley is baking, wash and pick over lentils. Combine lentils with 8 cups water, whole onion, garlic clove and bay leaf in a large pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain and let cool. Remove the onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
  • Putting it all together:
  • Combine barley and lentils, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.

Cranachan

Cranachan

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine Scottish

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz rolled oats
  • 4 tsp clear honey
  • 2 oz Scotch whisky
  • 1/2 c double cream
  • 4 oz fresh raspberries about 1/2 c
  • 2 oz cream cheese or crowdie, if available
  • 2 Tbsp clear honey for drizzling

Instructions
 

  • Toast oatmeal in oven until just browning. Let cool. Soak oatmeal in whisky and 4 tsp honey, and let sit overnight
  • Soften cream cheese, and mix in raspberries.
  • Beat cream until stiff, put a spoonful into a wine glass. Alternate with raspberry mixture, oatmeal, and cream, avoiding "layering" the desert. Top with drizzles of honey.