#soutenniers

[medieval-glutton]

The Grande Finale

Invariably when I am doing a feast, I tend to make a decision that later on looks *crazy*...  Last time, I made pasta by hand.  For 50.  And I mean, and hand crank pasta cutter....  (Lesson learned: Kitchen aid pasta attachment..)

This time, well, it was crepes.  200 crepes to be exact.  

How did this come about?  Well..  Back in November, I was having a get together here at “The Library”.  I made the meal, and everyone else brought a little something.  One of my dear friends is Gluten Intolerant, and the Pastry/Decorating Minion’s hubby can’t eat chocolate, so I was scrambling for a dessert option.  I made White Chocolate Mousse, since it fit all the parameters.  The Pastry Minion brought some Rice Flour Crepes, and we commented that since the feast was French, Crepes would be perfect.  

The Coffee Minion had in fact done crepes at an event before, but it had been many years ago, so we decided what the heck..  The Quince would be made into a filling, along with some apples to bulk out. Since I was not a TOTAL masochist, I made the executive decision to make the crepes offsite, and freeze them,  All in all, the plan worked out very well!  The Crepe recipes that follow were provided by the Pastry/Decor minion.  I am NOT sure of the proper attribution, but they are modern recipes.

Gluten Free Crepes:

1 2/3 Cups whole milk

3 large eggs

1/2tsp salt

1 Cup plus 3Tbsp white rice flour

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)

Blend everything,  when combined let rest (I am guessing about 2hrs in fridge). Cook in crepe pan hot enough to sizzle water drop.  Before pouring batter spread approx. ½ tsp butter with paper towel around bottom of crepe pan.   Makes about 12 crepes.

For these crepes, the rest time is crucial, since the rice flour tends to make them a bit puffier, and more pancake like.

Standard crepes:

1 ¾ Cup whole milk

4 Large Eggs

½ tsp salt

1 ½ Cups Flour

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)

Whizz milk, eggs, and salt in blender till mixed.   Add in flour and whizz till mixed.   Then add butter.   Let batter rest 5 min.   If still too thick add ½ Cup additional milk.   Note:  I have never needed the additional milk with this recipe.

Now when I was making the standard crepes in batches, I was working alone, so I developed an assembly line.  I made a single batch of batter and poured it into an 8 cup glass measuring cup.  I then made a second batch, that I left in the blender while I worked though the first.  When I was ready for the second batch, I poured it into the Measuring cup, and blended a third batch.  The batches that sat for more than a few minutes did need a bit more milk as it thickened up on standing, but otherwise, I did not feel that there was any need for additional milk.

As the crepes came out of the pan, we layered them with sheets of parchment between them.  When I completed a double batch, I wrapped the stacks in plastic wrap/cling film, and then put them in freezer bags for storage.  This method worked remarkably well and kept the crepes fresh.

The filling we did was a simple combination of the canned Quince, and sliced Granny Smith apples fried in butter, with fine spices.  Simple and quite yummy!

During the planning, E. suggested we perhaps make a Creme Anglaise to pour over the crepes, and then we realized that Vanilla was very post period.  We scratched our heads, and decided that we would use the syrup from the canned Quince to flavor the custard sauce.  O.M.G.  That was the most incredible solution.  The custard was beautifully creamy and not overly sweet.  The Honey and Star Anise from the syrup just made the custard sing!

1 Cup Cream

1 Cup Milk

1/3 cup Sugar

5 Egg Yolks

1 Tbs Quince syrup (See: How to Cook Quince)

Mix the yolks and sugar together.  In a saucepan heat the milk and cream to just under a boil, and remove it from the heat.  Take a tablespoon of the cream mixture, and whisk it into the eggs to temper them.  Slowly add the remaining cream until everything is well blended.  (Seriously.  Go SLOWLY.  If you rush, you’ll end up with very sweet scrambled eggs...)  Place the saucepan back on the heat, and bring the mixture to 170 degrees, or until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Do NOT allow the custard to boil!

So that’s the feast!  Next time I’ll discuss the lessons learned in putting this feast together!!

[medieval-glutton]

Second Course continues...

The Bourbelier of Pork was a hearty dish, so we needed a needed some strong sides.  The Parsnip Pye was a great choice!  

The original recipe came from Overture de Cuisine:

To make a pie of fresh Parsnips. Take the parsnips well washed, & put them to boil until they are cooked, then take two or three chopped onions & fry in butter, a salted lemon in pieces, nutmeg, & pepper, a little chopped mint, & put all together in the pie, & butter enough.

Note it is necessary to cut the parsnips into pieces, when the pie is half cooked put therein a little Spanish wine.

The redaction was provided Daniel Myers at Medieval Cookery:

8 - 10 parsnips 

1 medium onion 

5 Tbsp. butter 

1/2 salt cured lemon *

1/4 tsp. nutmeg 

1/8 tsp. pepper 

1/4 cup sweet wine (Marsala) 

Peel parsnips, cut into large pieces, and remove any woody core. Put into a large pot of boiling water and cook until tender. Drain and set aside.

Cut onion into quarters and slice thinly. Fry in 2 tablespoons of butter until soft.

Rinse salt-preserved lemon discarding any pulp, and cut into thin slices.

Place parsnips in bottom pie crust. Cover evenly with onions and lemon. Sprinkle with nutmeg and pepper, and dot with remaining butter. Cover with top crust, cutting a small (about an inch) hole in the center. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, pour wine into hole, and then bake for 20 more minutes.

In tests we decided that the preserved Lemons needed to be kicked up a bit more, so we increased the Lemon to 3/4, and we did not add the additional butter.  Since we used the Pate Brisee recipe for the pie crust, we felt there was enough butter.  

For the Vegetable we made a blanched broccoli, that wasthen sauteed on the flat top with garlic.  

At the end of the course we sent out Crystal Jellies as a palate cleanser.  The redaction is courtest of Baroness Elizabeth Cangeys the Ravenhaired and Baron Talun the B. ;)   :

1 1/2 oz unflavored gelatin (** when in doubt, go up in quantity - will set firmer**)

2 3/4 cups water, divided in half

2 3/4 cups red wine (young and fruity, like a zinfandel or a red table wine)

1 3/8 cups sugar

1 3/8 sticks cinnamon, broken into large chunks

1/3 oz fresh ginger, sliced 

Combine red wine, sugar, half the water, and the spices in a pot.  Bring to a full boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer 10 minutes to fully infuse the spice flavors, then bring back to a boil.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining (cool) water and allow it to dissolve.  Strain the wine mixture to remove the spices and add it to the gelatin.  Stir well to mix.  Pour into a 9' x 13" pan and chill several hours to set.  We have had to freeze it for service for hot weather events.  Slice into 1" squares, makes about 9 dozen.  I like to dust with superfine sugar for service.

* To make salt cured Lemons: Slice lemons quarter wise, but do not slice all the way through the bottom.  Take salt, and sprinkle the lemons thoroughly, and put them in a Quart Glass canning jar.  Once you have filled the jar with the lemons, pour lemon juice in the jar, until the lemons are covered.  put the lid on the jar, and let cure for 4 weeks.  

[medieval-glutton]

More of the First Course

So the big protein dish for the first course was Grave of Small Birds.   The original recipe basically looked to me like a proto-version of Coq au VIn.  The original recipe came from Du Fait du Cuisine.

19. And again a gravy of small birds and poultry: to give understanding to him who makes it, let him take about a thousand small birds and let these small birds be well plucked and carefully cleaned so that there remains neither feathers nor refuse; and take a hundred large poultry which are fair and clean, and let them be cut in half and cut into pieces, and one should make four pieces from each quarter, and wash them very well and cleanly with the small birds; and, being washed, put them to dry on fair, white, and clean boards. And take a great deal of lard and melt it in fair, large, and clean frying pans; and arrange that you have a fair and clean cauldron and put your small birds and poultry therein and strain your melted lard well and cleanly, then put it into the said cauldron over the said small birds and poultry. And take a great deal of bread according to the quantity of your meat and slice it into rounds and put it to roast on the grill until it is well browned; and have beef and mutton broth - and let it not be too salty - put in a fair and clean small cask, and put therein a great deal of clear wine; and when your bread is roasted put it to soak in the said cask of broth and clear wine. And take your spices: cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise, pepper; minor spices: nutmeg, cloves, mace, galingale, and all spices - and let the said master be advised not to put to much in of anything, but have a temperate and sure hand in putting in that which it seems to him is necessary. And while he is straining his bread and his spices, let him have his meat sautéd over a fair clear fire; and let him have a man who stirs it constantly with a big slotted spoon so that it does not stick to the bottom and that it does not burn; and the said master in straining his bread and his spices should put while straining either a third or a half or what he has strained with his meat, so that the said meat will neither be spoiled nor burn, until he has strained all of it and put it into the said broth. And, being strained and set to boil, the said master should check and taste if it needs spices, vinegar, salt or something else and that it has too much of nothing; and do not wait until your meat is overcooked but draw it back over a few coals, at least until it is time to take it to the sideboard, and there, at the sideboard, it should be arranged in serving dishes well and properly.

The modern redaction is as follows:

1 Lb Chicken Thighs

1/2 Cup Red Wine

1/2 Cup Water

1/4 Cup Cooked Bacon

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Pepper

1/4 Tsp Ginger

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer until done - about 20 minutes

Now here’s the thing...What works well at home, for 3-4 people, is NOT going to necessarily translate to cooking for nearly 100!  I mean we were looking at 40 lbs of chicken here!  And finding enough pots to cook that was going to be damn near impossible.  So  alterations were made to the cooking method.  First we used Chicken quarters since my butcher had them at a great price.  Then we seared them on the flat top in the kitchen, laid them out in hotel pans with the liquid and spices, and finished off the birds in the oven.  A third of the sauce was held back, and reduced so we had the heavy glaze that we drizzled on top.  

The whole process worked beautifully.  The chicken was cooked though, and falling off the bone!

The other period dish we did for this course was a Spinach Tart.  

This recipe came from Le Mangier de Paris:

TO MAKE A TART, take four handfuls of beet-leaves, two handfuls of parsley, one handful of chervil, a bit of turnip-top and two handfuls of spinach, and clean them and wash them in cold water, then chop very small: then grate two kinds of cheese, that is one mild and one medium, and then put eggs with it, yolk and white, and grate them in with the cheese; then put the herbs in the mortar and grind them up together, and also add to that some powdered spices.

The redaction came from Daniel Meyers at Medieval Cookery

1/2 pound spinach, washed and chopped 1/2 cup parsley 6 eggs 2 cups mozzarella, grated 1/2 cup parmesan, grated 1 tsp. chervil 1 tsp. fennel 1 tsp. powder fine

Wash spinach and parsley, and chop them well. Beat eggs in a large bowl, add greens and remaining ingredients, and mix well. Pour into pie crust and bake at 350°F until firm - about an hour.

Spinach Tart is crazy popular in our neck of the Woods (Kingdom of Atlantia FYI...)  so I really did not change too much around, and I like to have vegetarian options for folks (as long as they can do ovo/lacto dishes.)  Sadly I made 2 slight errors, so there were some changes.  In my haste, I forgot to pack the ground fennel, so we added more of the Powder Fine, and i miscalculated the amount of Parmesan I needed, so we only used a third of the what the redaction called for, and upped the Mozzarella to compensate.   

For the Pie Crust, I used a Pate Brisee recipe from the Medieval Kitchen.  I love this recipe as I have very *little* luck with pie crusts, and this one comes out beautifully,

9 Tbs Butter

1 3/4 Cups of Flour

1/3 Cup Water

1 Tsp Salt

Cut the butter into small pieces, and rub or cut it into the flour until it resembles sawdust.  Dissolve the salt into half of the water and add to the flour mixture.  Combine quickly with your fingertips, without overworking, until the dough comes together.  If neccesary add more water as required.  Form into a thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap and leave to rest in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before using

Since I have a food processor available, we went ahead, and mixed the dough with that.  If you do go the Food Pro route, you really have to be sure that the butter is *VERY* cold.  The food processor will warm it up, and instead of nice sawdust texture when you add the flour, you will get paste, and the crust will not be flaky!  Also with this crust, it shrinks slightly when cooked, so make sure you have a slight overhang on the edges...

As a palate cleanser at the end of this course, we did an amazingly simple dish.  Lemons, sliced very thinly, sprinkled with sugar.  We did these fairly early in the day, and set the sugared lemon in the refrigerator to rest.  The results were amazing..  To quote a dear friend, it was like eating Lemonade.  

[medieval-glutton]

Course the First

I figured I’d go ahead and run the recipes for the feast in order, so in the first course we had a “palate challenger” of Rique-Manger, 

The Rique-Manger was a dish I was truly excited about!  It is a sweet/savory combination of Apples and Eggs with a spice mix.  When I first found the recipe on Medieval Cookery I knew I wanted to try it in a feast, since it really embodied the interesting food combinations typical in period.  So the original recipe was from Le Manger de Paris:

Rique-Manger. Take two apples as big as two eggs or a little more and peel them, and take out the seeds, then chop in small pieces, then parboil in an iron skillet, then pour off the water, and let the rique-manger dry: then add butter for frying, and while frying and stirring, drip in two eggs; and when it is all cooked, throw on powdered spices, and saffron, and eat with bread during September. 

Redaction, kindly provided by Daniel Meyers was thus:

Peel, core, and slice apples, and Parboil them in water until just tender. Drain off the water and then fry them in butter. Remove from pan and set aside. Beat eggs and fry, adding apples back to the pan just before they're finished. Sprinkle with fine spice powder and saffron. Serve hot.

So I went ahead and ran the recipe as redacted.  I *wanted* to like it, but to me the ingredients were not blending together.  So I went back to the original recipe, and took note of a few things.  First off was the direction to chop the apples, not slice, which gives the dish a slightly different texture.  The original recipe also calls for the egg to be added to the apples, NOT adding the apple to the almost fully cooked eggs.  

On a second test, I went ahead, and corrected these things.  I also changed the apple type to a Granny Smith, which provided more flavor, and added the spice to the apples while frying.  The dish was better, but still not where I wanted it.  We ran a third test, and added some milk to the eggs, and it was much better.  

We decided this iteration would be how we ran the dish for feast, however in the bustle of the day, I made an accidental change to the preparation.  The morning of the feast, we peeled and cored all the apples for the dishes, and held them in lemon water until we were ready to cook.  The Rique-Manger were cooked at the very last minute to keep the eggs fresh, and in the rush, I forgot to parboil the apples.   I also added the spice to the eggs when frying.  Folks that had tried the third test stated that this was the best of all the changes...

So the final recipe becomes:

2 Apples

8 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1.5 tsp Powder Fine

Peel, core, and chop apples, and fry them in butter, adding a tsp of Fine Spices.  Beat eggs with the milk and Fine Spice, and pour into the pan with the apples.  Fry eggs until nearly dry. Sprinkle with fine spice powder and saffron. Serve hot.

Powder Fine Spice Blend

3 Tbs Ground Ginger

2 Tbs Sugar

1 1/2 Tbs Cinnamon

1 tsp Cloves

1 tsp ground Grains of Paradise..