Fire to Feast
Magistra Rosemounde of Mercia and Master William MacNaughton (Copyright Micaela Burnham 2012)
This class was taught in our camp at Pennsic War for people to learn how to use fire to cook as well as how to schedule a meal when you don't have modern conveniences. It went well, and we fed about 15 people. People rotated between food preparation and wood and fire preparation.
The Schedule
9:00 AM: Roz sets up kitchen and camp, mis-en-place all ingredients, serving dishes and tablecloth put on sideboard.
10:00: Class starts. Introduction, Will talks about making fires, wood chopping, etc. Has people chop wood.
10:30: Make pastry dough and chill.
10:45: 1. Start fires in both pits and ovens
2. Prep the greens and leeks
11:00: Make the pasty filling
11:30: Assemble pasties
11:45: 1. Prep the chickens
2. Start the almond milk heating
11:55: 1. Start water boiling for the greens
2. Add the rice to the almond milk (20-30 min.)
12:00: 1. Put the chicken on the grill and weigh it down (12-15 min. per side)
2. Put pasties in oven (15-20 minutes)
12:05: 1. Blanch greens
2. Make sauce
12:08: Drain greens, rinse and cool, then chop
12:15: 1. Check pasties and remove if done
2. Put sauce in small pan on low heat to warm (use brazier)
3. Check rice for doneness—if done, finish
12:20: 1. Put greens in pot with butter and water to finish (use second brazier)
2. Check pasties if not already removed
3. Check rice if not already done
12: 25: 1. Remove greens to bowl and finish
2. Check rice if not already done and finish
12:30: Put all dishes on side board; chickens and sauce, greens, pasties, and rice pudding
Discussion over lunch
Recipes
Pastry
1 1/2 quarts flour
4 sticks unsalted butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup + chilled water
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron
Filling
2 pounds small button mushrooms, or mixed mushrooms
4 ounces grated mild white hard cheese, white cheddar, or parmesan
1 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons poudre fine
Poudre fine
11 grams powdered ginger
24 grams ground cinnamon
1 gram ground cloves
1 gram grains of paradise
24 grams sugar
Make the pastry in 2 batches. Divide it into 12 balls and chill in zip-locks.
Meanwhile wash the mushrooms and trim off stems. Cut them into 1/2 inch dice. Blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain completely and blot dry. Place these in a bowl and mix in the grated cheese, olive oil, salt, and poudre fine. Set aside.
Roll out the pastry dough balls into 1/4 inch thick circles, 4-5 inches in diameter, 4 at a time on a lightly floured board, keeping the remaining dough covered. Divide the mushroom mixture into fourths, then use one of the these divided equally between the four dough circles (about 2-3 Tab. per circle). Dampen the edges of the circles with water and draw them up and seal them, crimping the edges with your fingers. (See picture above) Remove the pasties to a very lightly buttered parchment paper on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and mushroom mixture.
Mix the egg yolks with the saffron and a tablespoon or so of water and whisk together. Let this stand about 15 minutes for the saffron to soak in. Brush this over the pasties.
Bake in a 425' F oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Buttered Greens, serves 12, adapted from Pleyn Delit
2 bunches fresh spinach, washed thoroughly, stems removed
2 bunches flat leaf parsley, stems removed and rinsed
4 leeks, greens and roots trimmed, washed and sliced
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup plain toasted bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
Blanch the spinach, parsley, and leeks in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Squeeze out all moisture possible. Chop coarsely.
Put in a pan with the butter and 1/2 cup clean water. Stir, cover and leave over very low heat 5 minutes. Stir in salt. Place in serving dish and toss with bread crumbs. Serve hot.
Grilled Spitch-cocked Chickens, serves 12, adapted from many sources by Micaela Burnham
2 large roasting chickens or capons, rinsed and dried, then split through the breast bone and opened up flat
Salt and pepper
1 stick of softened butter
1 cup of mixed chopped herbs; rosemary, parsley, thyme, mint, marjoram or whatever is handy
Olive oil
Mix the chopped herbs with the softened butter. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken and push some of the herb butter underneath the skin, distributing it as evenly as possible. Salt and pepper the chickens on both sides, then rub them liberally with olive oil.
Put the chicken over a medium hot fire on the grill and weight them down with a heavy skillet. Turn regularly to avoid burning. When the juices run clear when stabbed in the thickest part of the thigh, the chickens are done, about 12-15 minutes per side. Remove to a serving platter and wait 5-10 minutes before carving into pieces.
Camelline Sauce, serves 12, adapted from The Vivendier
2 medium thick slices of French bread, toasted
2 1/4 cups red wine
1/2 cup raisins
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Soak the raisins and bread slice in the wine until the bread is completely soaked and raisins are plumped slightly. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve, mashing to extract as much juice as possible. Heat over medium-low heat until just thickened. Bottle until needed. Shake well before serving.
Rice Pudding, serves 12, adapted from The Vivendier
4 cups short grain rice, washed and drained
8 cups almond milk
3/4 stick butter, cut into tablespoons
1 1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
Heat the almond milk until it is steaming and starting to boil. Add the rice and stir. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is completely cooked, 20-30 minutes. Stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Stir in the sugar and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust sugar. Place in a serving bowl.
Bibliography
Fêtes Gourmandes, Jean-Louis Flandrin and Carole Lambert, 1998, ISBN 2-7433-0268-2
Pleyn Delit, Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler, 1976, ISBN 0-8020-2252-9
The Vivendier, Terrence Scully, 1997, ISBN 0-907325-81-5
Food and Feast in Medieval England, P.W. Hammond, 1993, ISBN 0-7509-0992-7
Magistra Rosemounde of Mercia and Master William MacNaughton (Copyright Micaela Burnham 2012)
This class was taught in our camp at Pennsic War for people to learn how to use fire to cook as well as how to schedule a meal when you don't have modern conveniences. It went well, and we fed about 15 people. People rotated between food preparation and wood and fire preparation.
The Schedule
9:00 AM: Roz sets up kitchen and camp, mis-en-place all ingredients, serving dishes and tablecloth put on sideboard.
10:00: Class starts. Introduction, Will talks about making fires, wood chopping, etc. Has people chop wood.
10:30: Make pastry dough and chill.
10:45: 1. Start fires in both pits and ovens
2. Prep the greens and leeks
11:00: Make the pasty filling
11:30: Assemble pasties
11:45: 1. Prep the chickens
2. Start the almond milk heating
11:55: 1. Start water boiling for the greens
2. Add the rice to the almond milk (20-30 min.)
12:00: 1. Put the chicken on the grill and weigh it down (12-15 min. per side)
2. Put pasties in oven (15-20 minutes)
12:05: 1. Blanch greens
2. Make sauce
12:08: Drain greens, rinse and cool, then chop
12:15: 1. Check pasties and remove if done
2. Put sauce in small pan on low heat to warm (use brazier)
3. Check rice for doneness—if done, finish
12:20: 1. Put greens in pot with butter and water to finish (use second brazier)
2. Check pasties if not already removed
3. Check rice if not already done
12: 25: 1. Remove greens to bowl and finish
2. Check rice if not already done and finish
12:30: Put all dishes on side board; chickens and sauce, greens, pasties, and rice pudding
Discussion over lunch
Recipes
Pastry
1 1/2 quarts flour
4 sticks unsalted butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup + chilled water
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron
Filling
2 pounds small button mushrooms, or mixed mushrooms
4 ounces grated mild white hard cheese, white cheddar, or parmesan
1 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons poudre fine
Poudre fine
11 grams powdered ginger
24 grams ground cinnamon
1 gram ground cloves
1 gram grains of paradise
24 grams sugar
Make the pastry in 2 batches. Divide it into 12 balls and chill in zip-locks.
Meanwhile wash the mushrooms and trim off stems. Cut them into 1/2 inch dice. Blanch them in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain completely and blot dry. Place these in a bowl and mix in the grated cheese, olive oil, salt, and poudre fine. Set aside.
Roll out the pastry dough balls into 1/4 inch thick circles, 4-5 inches in diameter, 4 at a time on a lightly floured board, keeping the remaining dough covered. Divide the mushroom mixture into fourths, then use one of the these divided equally between the four dough circles (about 2-3 Tab. per circle). Dampen the edges of the circles with water and draw them up and seal them, crimping the edges with your fingers. (See picture above) Remove the pasties to a very lightly buttered parchment paper on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and mushroom mixture.
Mix the egg yolks with the saffron and a tablespoon or so of water and whisk together. Let this stand about 15 minutes for the saffron to soak in. Brush this over the pasties.
Bake in a 425' F oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.
Buttered Greens, serves 12, adapted from Pleyn Delit
2 bunches fresh spinach, washed thoroughly, stems removed
2 bunches flat leaf parsley, stems removed and rinsed
4 leeks, greens and roots trimmed, washed and sliced
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup plain toasted bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
Blanch the spinach, parsley, and leeks in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Squeeze out all moisture possible. Chop coarsely.
Put in a pan with the butter and 1/2 cup clean water. Stir, cover and leave over very low heat 5 minutes. Stir in salt. Place in serving dish and toss with bread crumbs. Serve hot.
Grilled Spitch-cocked Chickens, serves 12, adapted from many sources by Micaela Burnham
2 large roasting chickens or capons, rinsed and dried, then split through the breast bone and opened up flat
Salt and pepper
1 stick of softened butter
1 cup of mixed chopped herbs; rosemary, parsley, thyme, mint, marjoram or whatever is handy
Olive oil
Mix the chopped herbs with the softened butter. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken and push some of the herb butter underneath the skin, distributing it as evenly as possible. Salt and pepper the chickens on both sides, then rub them liberally with olive oil.
Put the chicken over a medium hot fire on the grill and weight them down with a heavy skillet. Turn regularly to avoid burning. When the juices run clear when stabbed in the thickest part of the thigh, the chickens are done, about 12-15 minutes per side. Remove to a serving platter and wait 5-10 minutes before carving into pieces.
Camelline Sauce, serves 12, adapted from The Vivendier
2 medium thick slices of French bread, toasted
2 1/4 cups red wine
1/2 cup raisins
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Soak the raisins and bread slice in the wine until the bread is completely soaked and raisins are plumped slightly. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve, mashing to extract as much juice as possible. Heat over medium-low heat until just thickened. Bottle until needed. Shake well before serving.
Rice Pudding, serves 12, adapted from The Vivendier
4 cups short grain rice, washed and drained
8 cups almond milk
3/4 stick butter, cut into tablespoons
1 1/3 cup sugar, or to taste
Heat the almond milk until it is steaming and starting to boil. Add the rice and stir. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is completely cooked, 20-30 minutes. Stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Stir in the sugar and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust sugar. Place in a serving bowl.
Bibliography
Fêtes Gourmandes, Jean-Louis Flandrin and Carole Lambert, 1998, ISBN 2-7433-0268-2
Pleyn Delit, Constance B. Hieatt and Sharon Butler, 1976, ISBN 0-8020-2252-9
The Vivendier, Terrence Scully, 1997, ISBN 0-907325-81-5
Food and Feast in Medieval England, P.W. Hammond, 1993, ISBN 0-7509-0992-7