1999_CollegeOfThreeRavens

The College of Three Ravens

A Winter's Meal in Westphalia

Menu & Recipes

Feb. 6, 1999

AS XXXIII

The Barony of Thescorre

The Cauldron Bleu Cooks Guild

Head Cook

Lady Katja Davidova Orlova Khazarina

Lunch Coordinator

Lord Cadifor Cynan

Lunch Cooks

Lady Morgaine of Donegal

Mistress Daedra McBeth a Gryphon

Lady Katrina of York

Butler

THL Matilda Bosvyle de Bellacqua

Kitchen Staff

The Cauldron Bleu Cooks Guild

Mistress Michaele del Vaga

Mistress Sadira bint Wassouf

Lady Katrina of York

Lord Cadifor Cynan

Lord Ruairidh

Lady Peregrine

Lord Camillo Guinicelli

Energizer Jean

Holly of Blackrock Castle

Charlene

THL Brian of Leichester (Scoop)

Kitchen Clean Up

Lord Ulric

Recipe Book Layout

Lord Stefan Wolfgang von Ravensburg

Lunch Menu

Morgaine's Chicken Soup

Daedra's Barley Soups

Katrina's Cheese Gnocchi

Raspberry Tea

Feast Menu

Spiced Cider

Wheat and Rye Bread

Honey Butter

Pork and Beef Sausages

Egg Noodles

Herb Quiche

Carrot Puree

Apple Pie

Lamb

Mushrooms & Onions

Sweet and Sour Beets

Roasted Potatoes

Fried Dough

Lunch

Morgaine's Chicken Soup

chicken

celery

onions

potatoes

carrots

mushrooms

parsnips

parsley

garlic

rosemary, thyme, savory, basil, celery salt, salt

Daedra's Barley Soups

barley

white, yellow, and green onions

bouillon

beef

barley

white, yellow, and green onions

margarine

salt

If you want some gnocchi
Redon, p. 63

Take some fresh cheese and mash it, then take some flour and mix with egg yolks as in making migliacci. Put a pot full of water on the fire and, when it begins to boil, put the mixture on a dish and drop it into the pot with a ladle. And when they are cooked, place them on dishes and sprinkle with plenty of grated cheese.

Katrina's Cheese Gnocchi (adaptation of authors' redaction)

1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 C flour

4 egg yolks

salt

3 T grated parmesan

Mash the softened cream cheese with the eggs in a blender or mixer. Add the flour and cheese, then salt to taste. Put half or more in the refrigerator to keep cold - this is murder to work with when it's warm! Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Scoop out teaspoonfuls of the dough - any bigger and it won't cook properly. Drop into the water. As soon as it rises to the surface (10-20 seconds), scoop it up and drain it in a sieve. It's best to have one person dropping in the gnocchi and one person scooping them up. Sprinkle with more cheese, if desired..

Feast

To make Cider
Digbie, p. 101

Take a peck of apples, and slice them, and boil them in a barrel of water, till the third part be wasted; Then cool your water as you do for wort, and when it is cold, you must pour the water upon three measures of grown apples. Then draw forth the water at a tap three or four times a day, for three days together. Then press out the liquor, and tun it up; when it hath done working, then stop it up close.

Spiced Cider

apple cider mix

cinnamon sticks

lemon and orange slices

Combine hot water and cider mix, then steep a few cinnamon sticks and fruit slices in the beverage.

...Most Dainte Butter
Plat, p. 71

This is done by mixing a few dropps of the extracted oyle of sage, cinamon, nutmegs, mace, etc. in the making vp of your butter: for oyle and butter will incorporate and agree verie kindely and naturally together.

I can't find any period documentation for mixing honey and butter together, but this recipe demonstrates the existence of spiced and savory butters in late period.

Honey Butter

1/2 C butter, softened

1 T cinnamon

2 T honey, warmed

Cream all ingredients together. Makes 1/2 cup.

If you would bake Fesser
Welserin, #84

So bring milk to a boil and stir flour and fat into the milk and stir it around well in the pan, until the dough becomes fairly dry, do not brown it much. After that beat eggs into it and let it remain fairly firm. After that make nice small rolls, then it is ready.
If you would make good large buns like Semmel
Welserin, #85

Then take milk, bring it to a boil, put two small crumbs of fat into it, also put salt and a small drop of water into it. Stir in flour, one or two spoons, according to how much you will make, make the dough in the pan very dry, put it in a bowl, beat eggs into it, until you think that it is right. Take afterwards a small iron spoon and with it put the buns in the pan.

Energizer Jean's wheat, barley, and rye loaves

Judging from woodcuts and paintings of English kitchens and feasts, Medieval bread was commonly formed into round loaves. In contrast, these German recipes specify large or small buns rather than full loaves. Wheat, rye, millet, and barley were the most common grains used for bread baking. For fun, we decided to make twists for this feast instead of the traditional round loaves. Although the ingredients and techniques for bread baking have changed very little over the centuries, I point out that this is a modern recipe and not an accurate redaction of the medieval recipes above.

1 1/2 C very warm water

2 tsp dry active yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 C non-fat dry milk powder

2 T strong honey

2 tsp salt

1 egg at room temperature

5-6 C unbleached wheat flour (preferably King Arthur)

3 T soft butter

1 1/2 C very warm water

1 T dry active yeast

1 tsp; sugar

1/2 C non-fat dry milk powder

1 T caraway seeds

1/2 C dark molasses or dark strong honey

1 T salt

2 C dark rye flour (such as Hodgson Mill)

1/2 C barley flour (such as Arrowhead Mills)

3-4 C unbleached wheat flour

2 T softened butter

1 egg white mixed with 1 T water for glaze

Start rye first: Heat 1 1/2 C water to boiling, add the caraway seeds, cover and let steep until cold. Strain off the seeds and reserve, if desired, to sprinkle on top of the buns. Use the caraway water and any more to make the 1 1/2 C in which you dissolve the yeast, sprinkled with the 1 tsp of sugar, as it proofs. When the yeast is bubbly (after about 10 minutes), beat in 1 C rye, the dry milk, molasses or honey, the salt, then more rye flour, barley flour, and white flour, Knead very well, adding white flour as needed. Don't overflour - the rye dough will always be sticker than the all-wheat dough. Let the dough rise until double inside a plastic bag. Don't bother to grease the dough. Meanwhile, start the white part, following the general instructions above, minus the caraway steeping part. When both doughs have doubled, knead them briefly to squeeze out the air bubbles. Place each part under their respective bowls for about 15 minutes to let dough relax. Cut each kind of dough in half. Place one half of each kind of dough back under their bowls while working with the other halves. Cut each type of dough into two strips. Roll each strip into a 22"- 24" long sausage. Twist one of white and one of rye strips together like a candy cane. Make a second twist like the first. Then twist the two twists together, making a four-strand strip. Coil into a circle, pinch ends thoroughly to make a wreath-like shape. Place circle of dough on a heavily greased cookie sheet. Repeat the process with other halves of dough. Place sheet in large plastic bag to rise double . Brush the tops of the buns with the egg white glaze and sprinkle with reserved caraway seeds, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Cool on rack before breaking chunks off to eat and enjoy.

How one should make Zervelat sausages
Welserin, #24

First take four pounds of pork from the tender area of the leg and two pounds of bacon. Let this be finely chopped and add to it three ounces of salt, one pound of grated cheese, one and one half ounces of pepper, and one and one half ounces of ginger. When it is chopped then knead the following into it, one and one half ounces cinnamon, one fourth ounce of cloves, one fourth ounce of nutmeg and one ounce of sugar. The sausage skins must be cleaned and subsequently colored yellow, for which one needs not quite one fourth ounce of saffron. Tie it up on both ends and pour in approximately one quart of fresh water. The entire amount of salt, ginger, and pepper should not be added, taste it first and season it accordingly. It should be cooked about as long as to cook eggs. The seasoning and the salt must be put into it according to one's own discretion, it must be tried first.
If you would make good bratwurst
Welserin, #25

Take four pounds of pork and four pounds of beef and chop it finely. After that mix with it two pounds of bacon and chop it together and pour approximately one quart of water on it. Also add salt and pepper thereto, however you like to eat it, or if you would like to have some good herbs, you could take some sage and some marjoram, then you have good bratwurst.

Katja and Katrina's beef and pork sausages redactions

Both recipes contain pork, but we decided to make separate beef and pork sausages in the interest of individual taste preferences. Thus, Zervelat became a pork-only sausage and Bratwurst a beef-only one, for the purposes of this feast. After much experimentation, we decided to switch the flavorings, finding that sage and marjoram went much better with pork and that the sweet spices better complimented the beef. In addition, we found that bacon's smoky flavor overwhelmed the pork sausage, and so substituted salt pork for the fat in the recipe. Lastly, we left the cheese out of the beef sausage, as it similarly overwhelmed the meat flavor. We found that it lacked something… and then Katrina snuck in some garlic! I loved the result so much that I went researching. I've found onions in many period sausage recipes, so I suppose that it's not too heretical.

2 lbs. beef shoulder

1 lb. beef kidney suet

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. combined ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves

1 tsp. ground garlic

2 lbs. pork loin or shoulder

1 lb. salt pork (or bacon)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp sage

1 tsp. marjoram

Grind the two spice mixtures. Carefully remove all connective tissue and excess fat from the meats. Cut up into uniformly small pieces. Grind the pork mixture twice and the beef mixture at least three times. Lubricate the sausage stuffer funnel with vegetable shortening and then ease on about a yard of hog casing. Tie the end with kitchen string and then fill carefully, avoiding air bubbles. Tie off the other end. Fry and serve. Makes about three yards each of sausage.

To make an herb tart
Welserin, #106

Take one handful of sage, a handful of marjoram and some lavender and rosemary, also a handful of chard, and chop it together, take six eggs, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, raisins, and rosewater and let it bake.

Cadifor's herb quiche redaction

1 9" pie shell

1/4 C raisins

4 eggs, beaten

2 T fresh sage, finely chopped

1/4 tsp dried lavender, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, finely chopped

1 T dried marjoram

3 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 tsp rosewater

1 tsp freshly ground cinnamon

1 very small pinch ground cloves

1 T sugar

Spread the raisins on the pie shell. Beat the eggs well and then beat in the remaining ingredients. Pour over the raisins. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 15 minutes and then turn down the heat to 325. Continue to bake for 15 minutes.

Of potatoes of Virginia
Gerard, p. 926

The temperature and vertues be referred unto the common Potatoes, being likewise a food, as also a meate for pleasure, equall in goodnesse and wholesomenesse unto the fame, being either roasted in the embers, or boyled and eaten with oyle, vinegar, and pepper, or dressed any other way by the hand of some cunning in cookerie.

Roasted Potatoes

Yes, folks - documentation for white potatoes eaten in (late) period by the English! Further research revealed, however, that potatoes were initially eaten in England, Germany, Ireland, and other countries solely by those in hospitals and jails and by the poor. So, this dish would NOT have been served at a feast.

baking potatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper

Wash and scrub the potatoes. Cut into quarters. Toss in a bowl with some oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out on a greased baking sheet and roast for 1 hour or more at 350 degrees.

Carrot Puree
Guter Spise, #79

How one wants to make a carrot puree. One takes carrots. And boils them in water and rolled to remove the skin in cold water. And chopped small. And add it then in a thick almond milk and the almond milk was well made with wine. And the carrots boiled therein. And add thereto herbs enough. And color it with violet flowers and give out.

Cadifor's pureed carrots redaction

3 T almonds

1/2 C boiling water

6-8 carrots whole, unpeeled, boiled in 1 1/2 C water w/ 1 cube chicken bouillon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp poudre forte

Grind the almonds in a spice grinder or coffee grinder. Add the boiling water and let steep for about half an hour, then pour into a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Allow this to set, covered, overnight. Press the almond solids to extract as much of the almond milk as you can. (I got approximately 4 T.) Cook the carrots in the water with a bouillon cube for approximately 35 minutes. Cool the carrots in cold water and remove the skins. Mash the carrots and add the salt, almond milk, and poudre forte.

An apple tart
Welserin, #74

Peel the apples and take the cores cleanly out and chop them small, put two or three egg yolks with them and let butter melt in a pan and pour it on the apples and put cinnamon, sugar, and ginger thereon and let it bake. Roast them first in butter before you chop them.
Another apple tart
Welserin, #79

Peel the apples cleanly and take out the cores, chop them small, and fry them in fat, put raisins, sugar, and cinnamon therein and let it bake.
To make a very good apple tart
Welserin, #124

Peel the apples, and remove the cores, and them be afterwards be finely chopped. After that put a half pound of sugar and a half ounce of finely ground cinnamon thereon and make a dough for a tart and spread it on top.

Michaele's apple pie redaction

1 2-crust butter pie recipe

6-9 apples, depending upon size

1/2-3/4 C sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

3 T raisins, optional

Make a two-crust butter pie recipe and divide into thirds. This will make three medium small tarts. Peel, core, and chop the apples. Mix with the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Add the raisins, if you wish, and mix well. Take one third of the crust and divide it into halves. Roll one half in a rectangle. Mound one-third of the total apple mix in center of rectangle. Roll a second rectangle and cover the apple mixture. Wet the edges of the pie crust and roll up and seal all four sides of the tart. Poke some holes in the pie crust to vent steam. You may decorate the crust with pastry decorations. You may also brush the crust with egg white and sprinkle on some sugar. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Easter Lamb
Welserin, #153

Take the lamb and draw off the skin and leave him the ears and the feet and the tail, cover with a wet cloth, so that the hair does not burn. Roast the whole lamb in this manner in the oven on a board. And if you like for it to be standing, then stick a spit into each leg. When it is almost roasted, then baste it with eggs and take it out...

Katja's roast lamb

The original recipe focuses more on the presentation of the dish rather than the ingredients and actual cooking. Since I didn't want to serve a plain roasted lamb, I adapted a standard roasting rub for a modern (and flavorful) roast lamb dish. This is not an accurate redaction of the original recipe.

3 lbs. lamb

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sage

1 tsp pepper

1 clove mashed garlic

red wine

homemade stock

Mix together the marinade ingredients and rub them into the surface of the meat. Place in a covered bowl or ziplock bag and turn several times. Marinade for 6 to 12 hours. Preheat oven to 325. Dry the meat thoroughly. Brown the meat on all sides in oil in a casserole or Dutch oven. Cover and cook for about 2 hours, until the meat is 180 degrees.

Ein Condimentlin
Guter Spise, #48

Flavor caraway seeds and anise with pepper and with vinegar and with honey. And make it gold with saffron. And add thereto mustard. In this condiment you make sulze, parsley, and small preserved fruit and vegetables, or beets, whichever you want.

Katja's beets

For the purposes of a feast, I used the pickling mixture as a marinade over cooked beets, rather than over raw ones.

2-3 beets, scrubbed

1 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 tsp anise seeds

1 tsp pepper or cubebs

1 T mustard

1 T honey

1 T vinegar

a few strands of saffron

fresh parsley, minced

Scrub the beets but leave the roots, stems, and skin intact to prevent bleeding during cooking. Boil the beets in a 4- or 5-quart pan, covered, until tender when pierced, about 20-45 minutes. (We pressure-cooked the beets until they were tender; they can also be nuked in the microwave in water in about 15 minutes.) Drain the beets, let them cool, then trim the roots and stems and slip off the skins under cold running water. Slice the beets. Combine the pickling mixture and toss the beets in it Serve immediately, or let pickle as the original recipe states.

Mushrooms & Onions

We wanted another vegetable for this feast, but could find extremely few in the Medieval German cookbooks. So, we borrowed a dish which commonly appeared in Italian and French cookbooks of the period. (Notably, The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy.)

1 lb. mushrooms

1 lb. onions

olive oil

salt and pepper

Peel or scrub the mushrooms - don't wash! Peel and slice or chop the onions. Sauté the onions and mushrooms together in olive oil until caramelized, about 20-30 minutes. Season to taste.

Spritzgebackenes
Welserin, #82

Then take one third quart of milk and let it boil and take wheat flour, as if you were making steamed buns, and take six or eight eggs and beat them in one after the other until the dough becomes very soft and put it through a pastry bag and boil it slowly.

Energizer Jean's spaetzle

3 C flour

1.5 tsp salt

4 eggs

1/2 C water

1/2 C milk

clarified butter

Mix flour and salt. In KitchenAid, beat in eggs, then add milk and water gradually while mixing. Add flour mixture gradually. Cover and let rest at room temperature for at least one hour, preferably longer. Press through a spaetzle maker into boiling water. Stir to prevent sticking with a slotted spoon or wire scoop. Cook about 1 minute, then scoop up and drain in colander. Put in bowl and drizzle melted butter on top. Yields about 4 servings.

If you would make good hollow doughnuts
Welserin, #95

Take good flour of the very best and pour on it one third quart of cream and beat eggs into it, six, eight, according to how much you will make, and knead the dough as carefully as possible and roll it out very thin. Afterwards, fry them, then from the inside they will rise like tiny pillows, then they are ready.

Peregrine's fried dough redaction

This recipe includes modern additions of baking powder, salt, sugar, and vanilla.

1 C cream

1 egg

2 1/2 C flour

1/2 C sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla, if desired

Beat the eggs with the cream until light. Blend the dry ingredients together, then add to the wet, mixing as little as possible. Roll out thin and cut into circles or squares. Heat frying shortening or oil to 365 degrees. It should be deep enough that the doughnuts can float while frying. Fry until golden brown on both sides, then drain on paper towels.

Research Sources

Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin, c. 1553, Sabina Welser's Cookbook, translation by Valoise Armstrong, 1998.

Das Buch von Guter Spise, c. 14^th Century, translation by Alia Atlas 1993.

Delightes for Ladies, Sir High Plat, 1609. (honey butter)

The Herball or General History of Plants, John Gerard, 1633. (potatoes research)

The Closet of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digbie Opened, Digbie, 1669. (cider)

The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy, Odile Redon, Francoise Sabban, and Silvano Serventi, 1998. (gnocci and mushrooms)