Metheglin Mead

Metheglin Mead

Thoughts:

I started my batch in April, bottled in May, and tried it at the end of August, about 5 months later. At this point, it’s ever so slightly fizzy when first cracked open, and a beautiful light golden color.

It smells like honey.

The flavor is somewhat herbal, but in a good, kitchen-not-medicinal way. I could pick up hints of the sage and rosemary, in particular, while the other herbs and grasses add depth and complexity. The flavor is long and changeable, with just a smidge of acidity.

I’m going to need to learn better descriptors for alcohol. For now, suffice to say that this is wonderful, although should be consumed with caution, tasty as it is. :)

Why it should be in the Next Book:

I could envision this mead being one of many made by the Beesburys, of Honeyholt. I could also see it as a mead from either a meadowy place in the reach, or perhaps even somewhere in the Vale. Or, since metheglin was originally a medicinal mead, it would be well suited to a sept, because of the joint healing/brewing skills of monks and septons.

Get the recipe on the brew blog, Game of Brews!

To make poor Knights

I was first intrigued by the title of this recipe, then delighted when I recognized it for what it is:

Medieval French Toast.

In the UK, strips of toast are called “soldiers”, and I can only assume that there is some etymological connection between the two.

In Sweden, this dish is still known by the medieval name, or “fattiga riddare”, with similar meanings in other Scandinavian countries, and in Germany as “arme ritter”. The German version may be dated back to Ein Buch von Guter Spise in the 14th century. The Germans also have a version made with wine instead of milk that roughly translates to “drunken virgin”. Clearly, our German housemate has been keeping things from us.

The ancient Romans were the first to make this dish, although Apicius just called it, “another sweet dish”. Modern Italians have a savory version that involves slices of mozarella sandwiched between bread, the whole of which is then dipped and fried. Must. Try.

In some countries, it is a savory dish. In others, it is served for dessert. Whatever the case, this fantastic food is one of my favorites, and one I will have to keep exploring.

At this rate, I might have to do a whole french toast book…

If you have a favorite regional or international recipe for French Toast, I’d love to read it!

Thoughts:

I actually really loved this breakfast. I’m normally a die-hard maple syrup fan, to the point that I won’t order French Toast unless I know I can get real syrup with it. But somehow, with the rustic, seedy bread and primitive plate, I genuinely preferred the rose syrup.

As a general rule, I tend to dislike anything floral flavored. I prefer the nutty varieties of Turkish Delight to the Rose version, and really don’t care for flowery anything in my own kitchen. However, the vibrant punch of this rosewater syrup actually better compliments the french toast than does the maple syrup. I tried it both ways, just to be sure. ;)

The recipe will vary with the type of bread you use. I opted for a loaf of multi-grain seedy bread, which lent the toasts some interesting texture and depth. Try it out this weekend, and see for yourselves whether you prefer the rose or maple syrups!

French Toast from 1655

Cut two penny loaves in round slices, dip them in half a pint of Cream, or fair water, then lay them abroad in a dish, and beat three Eggs and grated Nutmegs and sugar, beat them with the Cream, then melt some Butter in a Frying-pan, and wet the sides of the Toasts and lay them in on the wet side, then pour in the rest upon them, and so fry them, serve them in with Rose water, sugar and butter. -The Complete Cook, 1655

Prep: 5 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes Syrup: 10 minutes

Serves: 8

Cook’s Note: Unless you are feeding a small army, you probably won’t need to make the full batch. I cut mine in half, and used 2 eggs.

Ingredients:

2 loaves bread (about 1 lb. each), the more rustic the better
2 cups cream
3 eggs
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
butter enough for frying (several Tbs.)

Rosewater syrup

2 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup rosewater

Make the Rosewater Syrup first: Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar and rosewater. Bring to a boil, then turn down slightly and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling wildly and has thickened. Pour into a serving vessel and keep warm.

For the French Toast, whisk together all the ingredients. Melt a little butter in a frying pan. Dip the sliced bread into the mixture, wetting both sides, then place in the pan. Cook until each slice of toast is golden brown on each side. Place on a plate and cover to keep warm while you finish cooking the rest of the toasts.

Serve everything warm, with extra butter if desired, and the syrup over top. You may also indulge in a bit of powdered sugar.

*Fun Fact: A “Penny Loaf” was a loaf of bread of a standardized size. The Assize of Bread in the 13th century mandated that all bread in the UK be standardized. In 1757, a penny loaf could weigh between six to nine and a half ounces, depending on the quality of the wheat. I’d wager that a penny bought more bread 100 years before, and would hazard a wild guess that it would be about a 1 lb. loaf.

Olla Podrida – Don Quixote, 1655

Olla Podrida

Don Quixote – by Miguel de Cervantes – 1615

“‘That big dish that is smoking farther off,’ said Sancho, ‘seems to me to be an olla podrida, and out of the diversity of things in such ollas, I can’t fail to light upon something tasty and good for me.'”

Thoughts:

Olla Podrida is a kind of Spanish stew, the base of which is usually pork and beans, but can include any variety of additional ingredients. Although the exact meaning of the name is a matter of some dispute, a fairly safe translation might be “Hodgepodge”. Such a popular dish was it in the 17th and 18th centuries that it was not only mentioned in Samuel Pepys’ diary, but also in Robert Burns’ “Ode Tae a Haggis”. Quirky!

My recipe is from a Spanish reader of the blog, but I have taken the liberty of adding leek, and tweaking the seasoning to my own tastes. The resulting the broth is relatively light, but complex and hearty, although that seems like an impossible contradiction. The spiciness of the chorizo gives it a bite that is neither instant nor cumulative. In this way you can enjoy the full flavors of the broth, followed by a long pleasant heat.

The egg, called a tortilla in Spain, is the perfect accompaniment to the stew; not quite like an omelette as we know it, nor yet quite like a fritatta, the texture is hearty, yet somehow still fluffy and reasonably light. The small amount of chorizo mixed in with the other ingredients calls to the spicy sausage in the stew, and the pairing of the tortilla along with the blood sausage makes it a meal, rather than just soup.

Olla Podrida Recipe

Prep: 1 hour Cook Time: ~2 hours

Serves 6

Cook’s Note: The stew is served alongside the blood sausage and the egg tortilla. Be careful with the salt–the chorizos and the morcilla will salt the stew fair enough but better to taste it and correct.

Ingredients:

1 lb. red beans, soaked in water overnight
1 little pig’s trotter
1/5 lb. Salt Pork, rinsed
3 chorizos
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 leek, white part sliced thinly
salt to taste
1 blood sausage, preferably Burgos Morcilla
cumin and thyme to taste (optional)

For the egg tortilla:

3 eggs
a few springs parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and paprika to taste

Soak the beans in water overnight.

Add the soaked beans, water, and all remaining ingredients except the blood sausage and filling to a stock pot, and cover with a couple fingers’ width water. Cook over low heat for an hour and a half.

Take out the trotter and the chorizo; discard the trotter and grind one of the chorizos finely. Chopp the other two chorizo into rough chunks and add back into the stew. Be careful doing so, as the sausages will be hot!

In a separate pan, beat together the eggs and the other ingredients for the tortilla, adding the ground chorizo from the step above. Scramble all of this together, and cook in a fritatta pan; if you haven’t got a fritatta pan, you can improvise flipping the tortilla with a dinner plate placed over the omelette. Cut into 6 equal slices.

Slice the blood sausage and fry in olive oil. Set aside along with the tortilla. If you would like your stew thicker, make a roux by adding just under 2 Tbs. flour to 2 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Cook until the flour turns a pretty golden color. While whisking, add a ladelful of broth to the pan- this mixture will thicken almost immediately. Add more broth until the thick roux is pourable, at which point add it back into the stew.

Season to taste, adding cumin and thyme as desired. Serve hot with the tortilla and blood sausage on the side.

Enjoy!