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In a Medieval Kitchen...
Flavouring Meals
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Herbs were very rare, and expensive in the Middle Ages but like today helped
bring out the taste from a whole range of meals. Some herbs are also known
to act as a preservative, while others used in medicine. During the black
death in the
15th century herbs are among many varieties of medication used to attempt to
treat the boils that were produced.
It was most commonly the more noble of peasants who had the luxury of
adding herbs to their meals, especially since they weren't so widely grown as
they are today.
On occasion a hunter would find herbs while out hunting Rabbits or Deer,
and collected them to add taste to his meal.
Hunters had to be very careful where they hunted however since often they
would be arrested if caught hunting on privately own land without direct
permission from it's owners.
Pepper and Peppercorn were among the most widely available ingredients, and
was typically offered as a side sauce to meat dishes; despite often been mixed
up with the lemon juice people used to dip their fingers into to rub onto the
meat ... |
This Day in Medieval History
30th February
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1556: Imprisonment of Thomas Cranmer In England, as part of the
counter-reformation former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer was removed
from office, imprisoned and charged with treason.
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Quotations in History
"Was this the face that launched a thousand ships?"
Christopher Marlowe, 1593
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"Pevorat"
Pepper Sauce
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Peppered Meat Topping
●
2 table spoons of butter
●
2 slices of bread
● 1
cup beef stock
● 1 table spoon
Balsamic
or Cider vinegar
● 1 teaspoon coarsely ground
(or crushed) peppercorns
● Salt to taste
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Preparation & Cooking:
Begin by taking the slices of bread and remove the crusts, then cutting
into four cubes each for a total of eight.
Heat a skillet on a medium heat, then melt the butter.
Add the bread slices to the skillet and fry until a golden brown on both
sides, then removing from the heat and placing to one side.
In a saucepan add the stock and vinegar and bring to a slow boil.
Add the fried bread, peppercorn and salt to taste, and stir slowly until the
mixture has blended together into a sauce.
Slightly lower the heat and allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Serve either as a side sauce, or pour and rub over a roasted meat.
Pevorat goes especially well with Venison, or Beef.
Source:
Bitwise
Image Source:
dkimages.com
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