Uhtreds feast, p.14
Uhtred's Feast, page 14
Natural fermentation also happened from the earliest times, offering an easy and natural way to keep and use foods. It was mostly used to produce various forms of alcohol, but also to preserve vegetables and dairy products.
It was the preservation of meat, however—a valuable product—that was particularly important, and it could be extremely effective. Dried meat could keep for years. Various methods were used: pigs, for example, which were reared for meat, were slaughtered in late autumn and then stored in a number of ways. Parts of the animal were salted, smoked, rendered for fat, and boiled, and the scraps were used to make meatballs.
Such methods were an indispensable part of Anglo-Saxon life. Not only would preserved foods feed a household throughout a cold and barren winter; they were also necessary lifelines for travelers on land and sea.
Recipes
Barley, Leeks, and Peas
Leeks are not eaten raw but they cook quickly and add a mellow, delicious flavor. Do not defrost the frozen peas before cooking—we add them at the end to keep their texture and so they don’t get soggy.
200 g (7 oz) barley
2 tablespoons chicken fat or olive oil
2 leeks, sliced
150 g (5 oz) frozen peas
15 g (15 g) chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour 750 ml (1½ pints) water into a saucepan over high heat, add the barley and a large pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 20–25 minutes until the barley is tender. Drain.
Heat the fat in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the leeks until softened, 5–8 minutes. Add salt and pepper and the frozen peas. Stir in the parsley and barley and cook until warmed through. Taste for seasoning before serving.
Baked Barley and Mushrooms
Barley was cultivated around 10,000 years ago, and it has been used both to feed animals and to make bread, beer, soups, and stews. When cooked, barley becomes plump and chewy.
The creamy texture in this recipe is a result of adding cheese and butter, which were part of the Saxon diet. Expensive mature cheeses were eaten by the wealthy, while peasants would have had fresh cheese. If you happen to have fresh cheese available, substitute it for aged Parmesan. Mace was a spice used in wealthy kitchens along with pepper, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, and was also used to make medicine.
3 tablespoons fat
2 onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
450 g (1 lb) mushrooms, cleaned and quartered, depending on the size
300 g (10 oz) barley
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons butter
Large pinch of ground mace
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas 7.
In a heavy-based casserole pot, heat the fat over medium heat and add the onions and garlic, stirring until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until they have softened.
Stir in the barley and 1 liter (1¾pints) water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. The barley will be chewy and most of the water will be gone.
Stir in the Parmesan, butter, and mace and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and let sit for 15–20 minutes until the rest of the water is absorbed. The barley will become very creamy.
Fermented Shredded Turnip
Fermentation is a good way to preserve turnips, and this method also helps with digestion. Fermentation really plays up the natural sweetness of raw turnip, as well as a bit of that peppery bite that they have. This may simply become your new favorite sauerkraut!
About 1.8 kg (4 lb) good fresh turnips
About 120 g (4½ oz) unrefined sea salt
Cabbage leaves or cling film
Shred the turnips with a box or cheese grater into a bowl and sprinkle with the salt all over, coating well. Mix the two together with your hands as the turnips release water for about 5 minutes until you can grab and squeeze the grated turnip and the water releases easily. At this point, transfer the turnip to a nonreactive jar or container that has a lid along with the drained liquid. Tamp down the turnips, releasing any air pockets and ensuring they are entirely submerged. Leave about 5 cm (2 in) clear at the top of the container.
Place and press and tuck down the cabbage leaves to make sure the mixture stays submerged—how many leaves you need depends on the size and shape of your container. You can also use cling film, pressing down and in. You want to get out any air bubbles and ensure the shredded turnips remain submerged.
Now you can top the container with a fermentation top or lid, which is a wonderful modern convenience, or you can cover the top with a double layer of cheesecloth secured in place with string or an elastic band to keep the contents sanitary and still allow for it to breathe. Check on the contents every so often and scoop out any bits that appear to rot or become moldy. A fermentation lid will ensure a more hygienic seal, but use your judgment, and remember fermentation lids are rather new!
Fermentation does best in a cool and dark place, and the amount of time it takes depends on temperature—above 20°C (68°F) will take two weeks or so; 18°C (64°F) takes about 3 weeks, while below 15°C (60°F) takes a month or more. To know when it is ready, check the sourness by tasting a little—leave it a bit longer if you want it more sour. When done, seal with a proper lid and store in the fridge or play with extending fermentations! Use before the next growing season.
Horseradish
Horseradish is a pungent and spicy ingredient that was available even in Anglo-Saxon times, possibly brought over by Germanic ancestors. It can be grated and mixed into cultured sour cream or macerated—maceration softens the external wall of the horseradish and draws out its juices.
Grocers stock fresh horseradish, which is a brown-skinned root. If it is dried out, pour 1–2 tablespoons of water into a closed bag with the horseradish and place in the fridge for a few days. The root will draw in the water and reconstitute itself. This same reconstitution process works well with any root vegetable. If fresh horseradish is unavailable, purchase high-quality prepared horseradish, usually found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.
2 parts freshly grated horseradish
1 part cultured sour cream
Simply mix the ingredients together in a bowl and let them come together for an hour. Keeps well for up to a week in a cool place.
To add some extra flavor to your horseradish sauce, add any of the variations listed below.
Simple additions
Chopped fresh dill
White pepper
Black pepper
Marinated Horseradish
2 parts freshly grated horseradish
1 part cider vinegar
Honey, to taste
Salt
Mix all together in a bowl and marinate for 1 hour or more. Keeps for up to a week in a cold place.
Pickled Cabbage with Apples
Cabbage was probably domesticated in Europe before 1000 BC. It is delicious raw, cooked, fermented (see sauerkraut recipe), and pickled. The vinegar and salt used in the pickling process “cure” the cabbage.
The first mention of apples in England was by King Alfred in about AD 885 in his English translation of Pope Gregory’s Pastoral Care.
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) green cabbage, finely shredded
140 g (5 oz) salt
500 ml (18 fl oz) cider vinegar
200 ml (7 fl oz) white wine
300 g (10 oz) honey
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
6 bay leaves
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 Pink Lady apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced lengthwise
Place the shredded cabbage in a colander in the sink and sprinkle all over with salt, mixing well. Leave for 2 hours. Wash the cabbage with cold water until the salt washes away.
Meanwhile, put the vinegar, wine, honey, peppercorns, and bay leaves into a saucepan and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 20–30 minutes. Set aside to infuse and come to room temperature.
Strain through a sieve into a bowl, discarding the peppercorns and bay leaves. Put the cabbage, mustard seeds, and apple into a bowl and pour over the strained liquid. Transfer the cabbage and liquid to jars, seal, and store in a cold place for up to a month.
Pickled Fennel and Leeks
Fennel was used as food and medicine in ancient Egypt. Leeks were one of the most popular vegetables eaten by the Anglo-Saxons.
2 fennel bulbs
2 leeks
2 tablespoons salt
500 ml (18 fl oz) cider vinegar
250 g (9 oz) honey
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
Remove the top part of the fennel. Halve the bulbs and cut into thin slices. Wash the slices. Trim the root ends and cut off the leeks where the pale green turns to dark green. Halve the white and pale green parts lengthwise and wash, checking for dirt between the layers of leaves.
Combine the fennel and leeks in a bowl. Add the salt and toss to evenly coat. Add cold water to cover, then stir to dissolve the salt. Set aside for 1 hour, then taste and feel the fennel. It should be slightly softened. Drain.
Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, honey, and mustard seeds in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
Divide the fennel and leeks equally among containers with lids and pour the brine over to completely cover. Seal tightly and place in a cold place for a day to allow the flavors to permeate the fennel. The pickles will keep for at least a month in a cold place.
Pickled Mushrooms
Slightly sweet with honey and brightened with herbs, these mushrooms have a complexity of flavor that makes them useful as a snack, side, or condiment.
60 ml (2½ fl oz) cider vinegar
4–5 garlic cloves
A few sprigs of thyme or marjoram
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1–2 teaspoons coarse salt
450 g (1 lb) mixed mushrooms, such as oysters, enokis, cremini, and shiitakes, cleaned with paper towels
Combine the vinegar, garlic, thyme or marjoram, honey, pepper, and salt in a pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms (larger ones first since they take longer to cook) and cook for a few minutes, until the mushrooms are all tender. Take the pan off the heat and leave the mushrooms to cool in the liquid.
Once cool, transfer the mushrooms and their cooking liquid to clean mason jars. Seal tightly and place in a cold place, where they will keep for at least a month.
Pickled Turnips
750 ml (1½ pints) water
70 g (3 oz) coarse salt
1 bay leaf
250 ml (8 fl oz) white vinegar
900 g (2 lb) turnips, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
Heat one-third of the water in a large pan over medium heat. Add the salt and bay leaf, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, add the vinegar and the rest of the water, stirring to combine.
Cut the turnips into batons about the size of thick French fries. Put the turnips and garlic into a clean jar, then pour the salted brine over them, including the bay leaf. Cover and let sit at room temperature, in a cool place, for one week—they will mellow after a few days. The pickles will keep for a month in a cold place.
Pickled Cucumbers
Cleopatra attributed some of her beauty to pickles; Aristotle praised the healing effects of pickled cucumbers; and later peoples also highly valued pickled cucumbers.
Dill, one of the most important herbs used in pickling cucumbers and other vegetables, arrived in Western Europe from its native Sumatra around AD 900, although ancient Greeks and Romans used it extensively centuries earlier.
120 ml (4 fl oz) vinegar
120 ml (4 fl oz) water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 cucumbers, rinsed and thickly sliced
1 tablespoon dill leaves
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Combine the vinegar, water, salt, and honey in a saucepan and heat until the honey has dissolved.
Place the cucumbers in a bowl and pour the vinegar and honey mix over them. Sprinkle in the dill and caraway seeds. Leave for 2 hours before eating.
The cucumber slices will keep in the pickling liquid stored in a cold place for about a week.
Sauerkraut
Fermentation is a natural way to preserve and stabilize foods, but you need to exercise a little caution with this process. This is a controlled rot of sorts, but a good rule of thumb is that if it smells good and appetizing, you are fine. Fermentation has been done for centuries and in less-clean areas than the modern and maintained kitchen, but you still should be vigilant about your preparations and keep everything clean at all times, washing and sanitizing your workspace and equipment. Soap and water are fine, as are natural cleaners, but don’t use bleach.
1 head of cabbage, about 1.8 kg (4 lb)
95 g (3½ oz) unrefined sea salt
Shred the cabbage with a knife or mandolin, reserving a couple of leaves, and sprinkle all over with the salt. Mix everything together well with your hands to help the cabbage release water, reserving the liquid. This should take about 5 minutes, until you can grab and squeeze the grated cabbage and the water releases easily. At this point, transfer the cabbage to a nonreactive jar or container that has a lid along with the drained liquid. Tamp down the cabbage, releasing any air pockets and ensuring everything is entirely submerged. Leave about 5 cm (2 in) clear at the top of the container.
Tuck down the reserved cabbage leaves on top of the shredded mix to make sure the mixture stays submerged. You can also use cling film, pressing down and in. You want to get out any air bubbles and ensure the shredded cabbage remains submerged.
As with the recipe for Fermented Shredded Turnip now you can top the container with a fermentation top or lid, or you can cover the top with a double layer of cheesecloth secured in place with string or an elastic band to keep the contents sanitary and still allow for it to breathe. Check on the contents every so often and scoop out any bits that appear to rot or become moldy. A fermentation lid will ensure a more hygienic seal.
Fermentation does best in a cool and dark place, and the amount of time it takes depends on temperature; above 20°C (68°F) will take 2 weeks or so; 18°C (64°F) takes about 3 weeks, while below 15°C (60°F) takes a month or more. To know when it is ready, check the sourness by tasting a little—leave it a bit longer if you want it more sour. When done, seal with a proper lid and store in the fridge or play with extending fermentations! Use before the next growing season.
Vinaigrettes
Vinegar is mentioned in the Bible and its history of usage goes back 10,000 years. The Egyptians, Babylonians, and Persians all used it to preserve food. It was the Romans who brought cider vinegar to the Saxons. Vinegar was and still is very versatile—it was used for pickling and marinating beef, was added to whey (residue from soft cheese making) to make more cheese, and it was mixed with honey and herbs to make a sauce. The Anglo-Saxons made salads with a large variety of green leaves and seasoned them with garlic, oil, vinegar, and salt. In the early spring, a salad might have included shoots sprouting from root vegetables stored in cellars.
Here are three vinaigrettes that use ingredients that were available to Anglo-Saxons.
Juniper Vinaigrette
We are taking a little leeway here on ingredients, but we do know that juniper berries and walnuts are both ancient, having been in existence for thousands of years—the Romans used juniper berries as a cheaper substitute for black peppercorns.
The predominant flavor of gin is juniper berries, so for the deliciousness of juniper vinaigrette, we are using gin. The earliest-known reference to gin was in the thirteenth century, so it must have been around for a while, right?
Shallots were introduced into Europe by the Crusaders in the eleventh century and are available in most supermarkets, but if you can’t get hold of them, you can use onion instead.
1 tablespoon juniper berries
1 shallot
2 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
1 tablespoon gin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon boiling water
Bunch of chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients except the water and chives in a blender. Process for 30 seconds. With the motor running add the water and pulse. Stir in the chives.
Transfer to a jar with a lid and store in a cold place for up to one week.
Chicken Fat Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons chicken fat
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1–2 teaspoons dried thyme or chervil, or fennel seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the chicken fat into a pan and warm over low heat. Whisk the cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of boiling water into the hot fat, or process in a small blender for 30 seconds. Add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to a jar with a lid and store in a cold place for up to one week.
Bacon Fat Vinaigrette
