This week I decided to do something different. And well, it did turn out very different, and I gained a new-found appreciation for food bloggers.
I believe history can truly be found everywhere, not just in museums, but in your kitchen. Experimenting with historical recipes is a joy of mine. A historic recipe is just like using a recipe from another country: it can give you a novel experience, a small substitute for traveling there.
When I travel, I want to experience what it is like for a native to live there. How do they dress? What are they fond of saying? What is unacceptable? And what do they eat?
Eating is very important. We all do it, and it says a lot about our culture. For example, what foods are readily available, tastes that we prefer, and our priorities in nutrition, cost, and flavors.
This is why I find it fascinating to eat foods that were common a long time ago. We can learn about the past in more ways than one, and eating what they ate can be quite interesting.
Fortunately, my family has been willing to try the variety of dishes I’ve made. Some will never touch our table again, such as chicken pudding, and apple and onion pie. Others are gobbled up each time, Medieval onion pie, chicken and pine nuts, and cracknels.
I have made a few pies involving both meat and fruit before. I thought that I had already made this one, but perhaps not. If I did, it must’ve turned out better, or I would’ve remembered it.
The recipe came from a Medieval cookbook purchased at Camlann Medieval Village in Carnation, Washington. Several years ago, my parents and I went to a feast there, which was a wonderful experience. Afterwords, we really wanted to eat some of that food again, so we bought their cookbook.
I’ve tried multiple recipes from it, and most of them have been enjoyed. This one looked good, and is a good example of the interesting spice combinations evident in the period.
The Pie Crust
First of all, let me address the crust, which is not a Medieval recipe. In the past, I have often had no luck with homemade crust, and resorted to store-bought. However, I was reading through the King Arthur Flour Cookbook, and decided to give it another go.
I ended up with a crumbly mess that didn’t seem to stick together no matter how much water I poured in. That probably had to do with the fact that I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose.
So I did my best to press it into the pie plate, and scatter it over the top.
The Filling
In the recipe, it calls for a mixture of pork and chicken breasts. But I just used chicken thighs. One, it was cheaper, two, it seemed authentic, though I don’t know that for sure. First step is to chop up the meat, done. I think 2 lbs instead of 1 1/2 would’ve been good for a larger family. Then put to cook with butter until white.
While that sizzles, measure out your fruit. The original recipe calls for grapes and prunes. However, in the footnote, it says that Camlann has used cranberries instead of grapes with great results. So I weighed out 4 oz. of cranberries, and 2 oz. of chopped prunes. Cranberries were easily purchased frozen since they’re out of season.
Next up: the spices. I absolutely love using spices. They can change the flavor of a dish so dramatically. Unlike what we are used to, this meat pie contains ingredients often associated with sweet dishes. It is semi-sweet, as sugar is first on the list. I dropped in a few tablespoons. Then a teaspoon each of ginger, cinnamon, and crushed fennel seeds. I just used the back of a spoon for the crushing. Finally, add in some salt. The original recipe calls for saffron, but I decided against that for now.
To the spice mixture, add an egg. I ended up with a rather thick liquid. Now it was time to assemble. Pie crust inserted, I poured in the chicken, then spread the cranberries and prunes on top. Then I drizzled the spice mix over the pie.
I then proceeded to piece together a sort of top crust from my dough scraps. Popping it into the oven at 375˚F, I let it cook for 45 minutes or so.
The dinner reviews were varied. Some politely thanked me for meal, while others said it was their favorite Medieval dish. (Take that as you will ;)). The crust was a bit hard, but it grew on me. More fruit, especially cranberries, would have been better.
I would definitely make this again, albeit with a different crust. I really enjoyed the sweet and savory flavor combination.
If you’re interested in Camlann, or some more Medieval fare, check out these websites!
Camlann Medieval Village
Camlann Medieval Village a living history museum project portraying rural England in 1376, is dedicated to offering the public personal experiences of history, including multiple learning and performing arts opportunities, built upon research of rural communities in 14th century England, to provide a deeper understanding of the relationship between historical events and western society today.
I cannot completely vouch for the below sites and shows, as I have not read or watched all their content.
Medieval food
History of food in medieval England
Medieval Recipes – Easy Recipes
Almond Milk Applemoyse Tartys In Applis Bake Mete Ryalle – spiced pork pie Barley Water Beef y-Stywyd Blancmanger (chicken & rice casserole) Boiled Asparagus Boiled Sallet Buttered Beere Cameline Sauce – a cinnamon spice sauce Stewed Capon (chicken) Cheese – fresh soft cheese Cormarye (roast pork) Cremoneze (spinach tart) Ember