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In a Medieval Kitchen...
Sweet Dishes
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the end of the Middle Ages it was customary to end a meal with a sweet or
sugary dish. Puddings included dishes of various dried and fresh fruits,
either covered in boiled sugar syrup or served as a puree. Spices such as
cinnamon were often incorporated into the syrup or puree to add a distinctive
flavour. As a warm alternative, fritters and crepes were common fare. The
fritters were usually served with extra sugar to sprinkle as desired or sweet
custard. The custard would generally be made from almond milk and eggs.
In the middle ages almond milk was made simply by grounding various almond
nuts into water and then mixed and boiled with a varied amount of eggs then
left to set, typically simply on a shelf. Unlike today the mixture would
usually turn out brown, but of course if adding custard to the Fritters the
more modern recipe is acceptable.
Many sweet dishes of the era called for Beer, or Ale in their recipes much like
this one as they added a rather sweet taste as well as softening the
ingredients.
Despite popular option, particularly in Hollywood Films, almost every medieval
dish called for vegetables, or fruit in one form or another, and in fact if not
for the lack of medicine in those days peasants in the middle ages were in fact
very healthy.
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Notes During Cooking
This recipe involves the use of Cooking Oil at high
temperatures.
Be very careful during cooking and If you do
burn yourself, immediately remove the oil from the heat,
and run the effected
skin under cold water for 10 minutes.
If serious, seek medical advice.
Keep children out of reach of any cooking utensils at all
times, in particular the saucepan or fryer.
When heating the beer or ale you may opt to place it in a plastic container and
heat in the microwave instead. However ensure the container is suitable for
microwave heating.
Generally just keep alert and use your common sense as when doing any style
or method of cooking.
This Day in Medieval History
20th January
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1265: First English Parliament begins Simon de Montfort, the Earl of
Leicester, called into session the first English Parliament at the Palace of
Westminster.
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Quotations in History
"For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill.
The eyes of all people are upon us. Soe that if we shall deal falsely with our
God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present
help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword throughout the world."
John Winthrop, 1630
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"Fretoure"
Medieval Apple (or Pear) Fritters
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● 2-3 large apples or hard pears
● 220 g (8 ounces) of plain flour
● ½ teaspoon of salt
● 1 tablespoon of dried yeast
● 1 large egg
● ½ pint of cheap ale or beer
● Oil for deep frying
Groundnut oil is recommended. |
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Cooking:
Pour the beer (or ale) into a saucepan and heat until lukewarm.
Put about a quarter of the heated beer into a mixing bowl and add the yeast.
Leave for ten to fifteen minutes until the yeast is dissolved and the
mixture becomes cloudy and stir enthusiastically for a minute or two.
Add all the other ingredients and whisk thoroughly until the mixture is
smooth. A machine mixer can also be used instead.
Leave the mixture in a warm place so the yeast can work and begin to peel the
apples and/or pears. Core the fruit, then cut into chunky wedges or segments.
Heat your oil in a deep saucepan or a deep fat fryer.
You will know when the oil is at temperature when a drop of batter dripped
into the oil turns brown and returns to the surface almost immediately.
Dip a segment of apple or pear in the batter mixture and swirl it around
until every part is covered.
Very carefully lower your batter-coated fruit into the hot oil been careful of
any possible splash back.
Turn the fritter over as it begins to brown to make sure both sides are
evenly cooked which can be seen when both sides are a nice golden brown.
Remove the cooked fritter carefully, and use a utensil with holes in it to
allow the oil to drain out. You can use a kitchen roll to drain the excess
afterwards.
Finally place the completed fritters on a clean plate and sprinkle with
lemon juice and castor sugar.
The cooked fritters can be eaten with fingers or a small fork. Beware of burning
your mouth as the fruit stays very hot and the batter is not an indicator of the
internal temperature.
Source:
History.com - Medieval Food
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