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Rindfleisch Knödel (Meatballs with Pepper, Greens, and Raisins)

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Original: Knödel zu kochen auff ein andere manier von Rindtfleisch.  Nim~ Rindtfleisch/ schneidt es klein/ vn~ klaub das Fett darvon/ hack es klein durcheinder/ nim~ ein wenig gestossen Pfeffer/ gerieben Saffran/ vnd ein wenig Saltz/ auch drey oder vier Eyer/ weich ein beschnitte~ Weck oder Sem~el eyn/ druck sie wol mit den Händen auß/ vnd hacks vnter das Fleisch/ thu saubere groß vnd kleine schwartze Rosein darvnter/ mach runde oder lenglichte Knödel darauß/ wie es dir wirt gefallen/ mach Butter heiß/ vnd rößt die Knödel darinnen fein langsam/ daß sie fein braun/ vnd nicht schwartz werden.  Vnd wenn du sie hast außgerößt/ so thu sie in einen gekochten Pfeffer/ der wol [Ein New Kochbuch, Beef #67, Marx Rumpolt] Translation: Meatballs of beef to cook in another manner. Take beef/ and cut it small/ and trim the fat away/ hack (mix) it small and together/ take a little pounded pepper/ rubbed saffron/ and a little salat/ also three or four eggs/ soak a trimmed loaf or roll/ press (the liqu

Sauce Madame

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Original: Take sawge. persel. ysope. and saueray. quinces. and peeres, garlek and Grapes. and fylle the gees þerwith. and sowe the hole þat no grece come out. and roost hem wel. and kepe the grece þat fallith þerof. take galytyne and grece and do in a possynet, whan the gees buth rosted ynowh; take an smyte hem on pecys. and þat tat is withinne and do it in a possynet and put þerinne wyne if it be to thyk. do þerto powdour of galyngale. powdour douce and salt and boyle the sawse and dresse þe Gees in disshes and lay þe sowe onoward. [Forme of Cury] Translation: Take Sage, Parsley, Hyssop, and Savory. Quinces and Pears, Garlic, and Grapes and fill the Geese with these, and sew the hole up so that no fat comes out, and roast them well. Keep any grease that comes out, take the mix and the grease and cook it in a small pot, and put in Wine if it is too thick. Add to it Powdered Galangal, Sweet Spice Powders and Salt, and boil the Sauce. Dress the Geese is dishes and lay the Sauce over. [Fo

Period Food on a UDS

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 I took the Drum Smoker to the Principality of Cynagua May Coronet 2023 and prepared several period dishes on it.  This is a post i made to Facebook at the end of the event. ----- Can you cook Medieval/Renaissance food on a Drum Smoker? Why, Yes! Yes you can. Scappi Ribs hanging in the UDS Along with period food, I'm also into BBQ. One of my goals was to build a Drum Smoker. It got me thinking, "Could this be applied to period food?" Specifically, bigger cuts of meat that would be cooked in fireplaces or an oven. Also, open fire is a particular danger and is mostly prohibited at event sites. I don't want to accidentally set CA on fire. A Drum Smoker is fully contained and can be easily shut down. It is al also portable . . . ish. It's large, but can easily put in a trailer along with other SCA camping gear. Friday Night: (Sauce Madame (Whole Chicken with Fruit and Herb Stuffing)) Friday went a bit Sideways. After getting camp set up, I find that I lef

UDS (Ugly Drum Smoker)

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Drum Smoker Beta .57. I started this project last fall, but had to put it on hold during the long cold snowy winter but it should be fully ready for eventing shortly. I still need to purchase a few parts for it including an exhaust chimney. I already have a Rotisserie to be installed. Final painting of the exterior will come later this year.   Along with Medieval Cooking, I also really enjoy BBQ.  The UDS provides me the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.  There are some Medieval recipes that I would like to make at events that require an Oven, Rotisserie, or something other than a Camp Stove or Bed of Coals.  Like Alton Brown, I don't want to bring a bunch of Unitaskers to an event unless I'm working a specific demo.  This build includes three 1 inch air intakes.  The Exhast Chimney will be 2 inches.  The Firebox was created by chopping down my old Bullet Smoker.  With the three 1 inch intakes, I believe I can get the temperature over 400 degrees which

Beef with Harvest Sauce

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Translation: If you want to cook with a harvest sauce, prepare the meat like I told you. Put parsley roots,  (parsley) leaves and onions into it. After it’s cooked, add six or seven eggs, according to your needs. After you’re done, put the eggs into vinegar and start whipping it. Then pour the meat’s juices into it. Pour it onto the meat again, but don’t boil it; if you boil it, its size will suffer. [ The Science of Cooking ] Ingredients: Beef ( Bottom Roast) Salt ½ Parsley Root Parsnip diced ½ Yellow Onion diced Butter 3 Eggs 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar ¼ – ½ Cup Beef Broth (if needed) Interpretation: Salt the Beef. Roughly Dice Parsnip and Onion. Saute Parsnip and Onion until transluscent in a Dutch Oven. Add Beef. If you don’t think that the Beef will produce enough drippings, add Beef Broth. When Beef is done, remove the Beef and tent it. Separate the Onions and Parsnip from the Broth. Set up a Double Boiler with a Stockpot with Water in it and a Mixing Bowl on top and place over

Cormarye (Pork in Red Wine)

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Original: Take colyaundre, caraway smale grounden, powdour of peper and garlec ygrounde, in rede wyne; medle alle þise togyder and salt it. Take loynes of pork rawe and fle of the skyn, and pryk it wel with a knyf, and lay it in the sawse. Roost it whan þou wilt, & kepe þat þat fallith þerfro in the rostyng and seeþ it in a possynet with faire broth, & serue it forth witþ þe roost anoon. [The Forme of Cury, XX.II.XIII, 53, c1390, From MS7 Ryland Library, University of Manchester, Rendered into Modern English by Glen Hughes, Derbyshire, England, Foods of England, 2016.] Take Colyandre, Caraway smale grounden, Powdour of Peper and garlec ygrounde in rede wyne, medle alle þise togyder and salt it, take loynes of Pork rawe and fle of the skyn, and pryk it wel with a knyf and lay it in the sawse, roost þerof what þou wilt, & kepe þat þat fallith þerfro in the rosting and seeþ it in a possynet with faire broth, & serue it forth witþ þe roost anoon [The Forme of Cury, XX.II.XI

Another Pea or Bean Recipe (Chickpeas)

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Original: Aliter pisam sive fabam: despumatam subtrito lasare Parthico, liquamen et caroeno condies. Oleum modice superfundis et inferes . [Apicius 5.3.7] Translation: when they have been skimmed, season them with finely ground Parthian laser, liquamen and caroenum. Pour on a little oil and serve. [Grocock and Grainger] Ingredients: Chickpeas 2 Tbsp Liquamen Fish Sauce ½ tsp Laser (Asafoetida) C aroenum ( Grape Must Syrup) Reduced Wine and Honey Olive Oil Interpretation : Boil Chickpeas in Water then drain. Add Caroenum, Asafoetida, and Fish Sauce and mix together over heat. Drizzle with Olive Oil when served. Notes: Caroenum – Syrup made from Grape Must. To substitute, I reduced Wine by 1/3 and added Honey. Bibliography: Apicius: A Critical Edition with an Introduction and English Translation, Grocock, Christopher and Grainger, Sally, Recipe 5.3.7 , pg.2 13 , Prospect Books, 2006.