The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black

I picked up The Medieval Cookbook by Maggie Black when I was in Belgium. Of course there are recipes to try out, but the parts I like best are the commentary on medieval society. The customs and proper etiquette rules she goes over. I will say, some of the recipes I have no interest in trying, as I've either made them before or know what they will taste like just from the ingredients. A few I want to try and will probably do so just for fun. I do miss being able to cook for large groups. That was always fun, if stressful. If you want to try a few medieval recipes, I've used both of these sites in the past and they are really good.

A Boke of Gode Cookery
Medieval Cookery

Why am I posting about this here? Well, part of working with plants and animals in an agricultural setting is knowing what to do with them when they are ready to be eaten. So I think every farmer should also be able to cook. Not, Cordon Blue level, mind you, but a nice, decent meal for themselves and their family and since I am interested in Historical Farming Systems, I like playing with older recipes as well. If you want to see what living in the different time periods is like, I highly recommend any of the shows Ruth Goodman is in, such as the Tudor Monastery Farm (see previous post).

Example:

Spit-Roasted or Grilles Steaks

To make Stekys of venison or bef. Take Venyson of Bef, & leche & gredyl it vp broun; then take Vynegre & a litel verious, & a lytil Wyne, and putte pouder perpir ther-on y-now, and pouder Gyngere; and atte the dressoure straw on pouder Canelle y-now, that the stekys be al y-helid ther-wyth and but a litel Sawce; & then serue it forth.

(Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books, Harleian MS 279, p.40)

First off, the spices:

vinegar
grape juice or orange of seville juice
wine
pepper
powdered ginger
powdered cinnamon (canelle)

So, the recipe is as such:

Take a steak (beef or venison), oil it and grill it until brown. Add a bit of vinegar and spices to a bowl and mix, then baste meat and serve warm.

If you want proper proportions for this...

Serves 6

6 fairly thin beef steaks
oil for grilling

Basting Sauce:
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1-2 tbs Seville OJ
4 tbs red wine
pinch ground black pepper
pinch ground ginger

Garnish:
Sprinkling of ground cinnamon