Hosting your own medieval feast may require some effort but can be great fun. Creating the right atmosphere and dressing the table need not be too difficult. Switch off the electric lights, illuminate with candles, let the wine, beer or mead flow freely, and why not add a little background mediaeval music. Minstrels are an option, of course, but beware of overcrowding the modern dining room!
Despite being known to the Romans, it appears that forks were not popular or used greatly in the early Mediæval period. Dining instead relied on knives and spoons, with the meal eaten off a 'trencher', a plate made from bread. To achieve this, each guest will need a large slice of thick slice of four day old bread trimmed to a square. Together with the trencher, each guest should have a finger bowl half filled with water and a little lemon juice, and the table should be set with a basket of bread for all to share.
The sample menu below may seem overwhelming, but your guests will only need a small portion of each dish. So, settle down for a three hour feast of great food in good company...
First Course
Mounchelet (Mutton Stew)
Drepe (Quails in Sauce)
Funges (Mushrooms with Leeks)
Second Course
Blanche Brewet de Alemayne (Chicken in Almond milk)
Grete Pye (Great Pie)
Leche Lumbard (Pork rissoles in red wine sauce)
Saffron and Pine Nut Rice
Pasternakes de crème (Parsnips in cream)
Third Course
Pears in Confit (Pears in sweet red wine)
If your guests have any room left at all, the feast should finish with a selection of cheeses, apples and nuts.
Do get in touch should you have any questions, or if you are looking for alternative recipes. Bon appétit!
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