Medieval Monday: Lenten Slices
In two weeks I will be cooking lunch for an event and have been playing around with redactions for it. The recipes are from all over Western Europe and some of the dishes are being specifically test-run for a feast I’m doing in October to see how they go over with the attendees. I am also running cooking classes all day and we will be making a couple of dishes that I have never made before and we will be learning together and then there will be a challenge where two teams are given ingredients and three recipes that they can use, the teams will then agree on a recipe and work together to recreate the dish, which will then be served to the attendees.
The menu is:
There will be bread, almond cheese (one savory one sweet), butter, seasonal berries, cheese curds, and honey at the dining tables.
- Lozenges: This is a dish of layered pasta and cheese.
- Onion Pea Soup: Onion and pea puree garnished with lemon juice and parsley.
- Camaline Meat Brewet: Beef pickled in vinegar with ginger, cloves, and a number of other spices. This is served cold.
- Crustade of Flesh: A single-crusted pie with chicken cooked in verjuice and chicken broth with saffron and currants.
- Pot-herbs with Almonds: Spinach and chard mixed with ground almonds.
- Lenten Slices: A bread pudding with almond milk, cake pieces, raisins, and dates.
- Other desserts, TBD.
The recipe that I am particularly excited to serve are the Lenten Slices, which is basically medieval bread pudding. The recipe is from Wel ende edelike spijse and was transcribed and translated by Christianne Muusers (http://www.coquinaria.nl/kooktekst/Edelikespijse1.htm).
The redaction is not mine, but I do not know where I got it from. I wrote it down at least three years ago and did not write down the source of the redaction at that time and don’t remember where I got it. If you know where it came from, let me know.
Original Recipe:
.xvij. Inde vasternen mortroel Maect dicke amandelen melc ende doeter toe soffraen ende nemt Corsten van witte broode Cleene ghesneden ende doetser in zieden ende doeter gecapte vyghen in ende graen van rosijnen van ouerzee de dteenen vutgedaen.
Translation
1.17. Porridge of almonds and bread in Lent. Make thick almond milk and add saffron. Take the crusts of white bread, cut in small pieces, and let them boil in it, and add chopped figs and grains of stoned raisins from oversea.
Redaction
Almond Milk
1 c ground almonds
2 c boiling water
Pudding
1/2 c white sugar
pinch of salt
2-3 c diced bread or biscuit pieces of stale cake pieces
pinch saffron
3/4 c raisins
6-8 large figs cut in 3/4″ dice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius, gas mark 4).
Combine the almonds and water.
Steep for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sieve the mixture to remove coarse grains or blend mixture in a blender until the grains are absorbed.
This should yield approximately two cups of almond milk.
Take the almond milk and put it in a pot over low heat.
Combine the almond milk, sugar, and salt.
When dissolved, add bread (or biscuits or stale cake) and stire well.
Add saffron.
Add raisins and figs.
Cook while stirring over low heat.
In approximately fifteen minutes that mixture should become thick and porridge-like.
Taste.
Add more sugar if desired.
Prepare your loaf pans with parchment to make removal easier.
Pack the mixture firmly into the loaf pan.
Place loaf pan in water bath and bake for thirty minutes.
Slice into 8-10 slices and sprinkle each slice with sugar and serve.
This can be served either warm or cold.
There is no direction as to which is appropriate, but both are tasty.
Tags: Add new tag, Medieval Monday, recipe