These recipes and their sources are provided by Lord Alexsei Dmitriev. For additional information on how the feast was cooked, alterations, sources, etc. please visit Lord Alexsei.
First Course
Zucche Fritte (Fried Gourds)
Source: Libro de arte coquinaria by Maestro Martino de Como, 15th century
Original Recipe: Zucche Fritte
Togli de la zucche e nettale bene. Et dapoi tagliale per traverso in fette sottili come la costa d’un coltello. Et dapoi gli fa’trare solamente un boglio in acqua, et cacciale fore; et dapoi le poni a sciuttare. Et poneli de sopra un pocho pocho di sale et involtale in farina bella, et frigile in olio. Dapoi caciale fore et togli un pocho di fiore de finocchio, un pocho d’aglio et di mmollicha di pane; et pistali bene et distempera con agresto in modo che resti ben raro, et passa per la stamegnia, et getta questo tal sapore sopra le ditte zucche. Le quali etamdio son bone ponendogli solamente di sopra agresto, et fior di finocchio. Et se voi che’l ditto sapore sia giallo metevi un pocho di zafrano.
Translation: (from The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy) Fried Gourds
Take gourds and clean them well. Then slice them across in slices as thin as the blade of a knife. And then give them a single boil in water, and remove; and then allow them to drain. And sprinkle on them a very small amount of salt and toss them in flour, and fry them in oil. Then remove them, and take a little fennel seed, a little garlic and the inside of a slice of bread; and grind these together and blend with a very little verjuice, and pass through the sieve and sprinkle this sauce on the gourds. They are also good seasoned simply with verjuice, and fennel seed. And if you prefer the said sauce to be yellow add a little saffron
My Interpretation: (for 32 servings)
I decided to forego the sauce, since when I have eaten them in the past, I preferred the crispiness of them plain. At the feast, I made them with gluten free flour (which worked fine).
4 lb. Zucchini or Summer Squash
salt
2 cups GF flour
3 cups olive oil
Slice zucchini thinly and parboil them. Drain them on paper towels. Lightly salt zucchini slices and dip them in flour and place in hot oil in pan for frying. Drain on paper towels and then place on serving dish.
Emperor’s Magnificient Fritters (Cheese & Pinenut Fritters)
Source: Libro di cucina del secolo XIV, 14th century.
Original Recipe: Fritelle da Imperadore Magnifici
Se tu voy fare fritelle de Imperadore, toi la chiara de l’ova e fete de formazo frescho, e batille cum la chiara de l’ova, e mitige un pocho de farinaq e pignoli mondi. Toy la padella cum assay onto, falo bolire e fay le fritelle. Quando sono cocte, polverizali ben zucharo e tienli caldi, etc..
Translation: (from The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy) The Emperor’s Magnificent Fritters
If you want to make the Emperor’s fritters, take egg whites and slices of fresh cheese, and beat them together with the egg whites, and add a little flour and hulled pine nuts. Take a pan with plenty of fat, bring it to the boil, and make the fritters. When they are cookded, sprinkle them with plenty of sugar and keep them hot, etc. And if by chance you do not have any pork fat, use good oil. And similarly, if you don’t want to use sugar, use some good honey.
My Interpretation (for 32):
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups flour
12 egg whites
1/2 cup pine nuts
sugar or honey
canola oil, for frying
Mix cheese and egg whites together, beat until well blended then stir in pine nuts. Drop cheese mixture into hot frying oil. Cook until golden brown. Drain and sprinkle with sugar or drizzle with honey.
Salat (Salad of Greens)
Source: Forme of Curye, ab. 1390 A.D. (Pages 40v & 41r).
Original Recipe: Salat
Take parsel, sawge, garlec, chybollus, oynons, lek, borage, myntes, porrettes, fenels and towne cressis rewe rosmarye, purslary, lauen and waische hem clene pyke hem pluk hem small wiþ þyne hond and mynge hem wel wiþ rawe oyle. lay on vyneger and salt and surve hem forth.
Translation: Salad
Take parsley, sage, garlic, chives, onions, leek, borage, mint, scallion, fennel and nasturtium, rue, rosemary, purslane, rinse and wash them clean pick them pluck them small with thine hand and mingle them well with raw oil. Lay on vinegar and salt and serve them forth.
My Interpretation (for 32):
One of the traditions surrounding the Feast of St. John the Baptist is the picking of fresh herbs for the healing powers. Herbs feature heavily in the feast foods, so I wanted to honor that tradition with a salad heavy in a variety of fresh herbs.
4 pounds spring mix
1 package each parsley, sage, rosemary, chives, mint
4 leeks (greens)
1 fennel (greens)
4 scallions
4 small onion or shallots
4 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. kosher salt
Rinse and pat dry spring mix and herbs. Pick tender greens from herbs (discard woody stems and pieces) and add to spring mix. Thinly slice greens of leek, fennel, scallion, onion, and scallion and add to spring mix. Gently toss greens with olive oil and salt. Just before serving, dress with vinegar.
Second Course
Sorcell Rosted (Roasted Duck) with Sauce Gamelyne (Cinnamon Sauce)
Source: Cookery Book II Harleian MS. 4016, ab. 1450 A.D (from Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books)
Original Recipe: Sauce gamelyne.
Take faire brede, and kutte it, and take vinegre and wyne, & stepe the brede therein. and drawe hit thorgh a streynour with powder of canel, and drawe hit twies or thries til hit be smoth; and then take pouder of ginger, Sugur, and pouder of cloues, and cast thereto a lilul saffron and lege hig be thik ynogh, and thenne serue hit forthe.
Translation: Sauce gamelyne.
Take fair bread, and cut it, and take vinegar and wine, and seethe the bread therein, and draw it through a strainer with powder of cinnamon, and draw it twice or thrice until it be smooth; and then take powder of ginger, Sugar, and powder of cloves, and cast thereto a little saffron and let it be thick enough and then serve it forth.
My Interpretation:
A sarcell rosted is just a small duck roasted. The original plan was to cook the duck on a spit, but we could not get them attached securely to the spit. So I spatchcocked (a new word for me!) and grilled them over the fire. They were then cut into pieces and served with the gamelyne sauce.
Gamelyne sauce (for 32, 4 ducks):
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
4 tsp. powdered ginger
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbs. Sugar
1 cup vinegar
15 threads of saffron
4 cups wine
4 tsp. ground cloves
Combine bread crumbs with wine and vinegar and let stand for 5-10 minutes to soften the bread crumbs. Mix in remaining ingredients, blend until smooth.
Spynoches yfryed (Fried Spinach)
Source: Forme of Curye, ab. 1390 A.D. (Page 188)
Original Recipe: Spynoches yfryed.
Take spynoches; perboile hem in seþyng water. Take hem vp and presse out þe water and hew hem in two. Frye hem in oile & do þerto powder douce, & serue forth.
Translation: Fried Spinach
Take spinach; parboil them in boiling water. Take them up and press out the water and hew them in two. Fry them in oil & do there-to powder douce, & serve forth.
My interpretation:
4 lbs fresh spinach
powder douce: mixture of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, mace, allspice
Canola oil for frying
Reduce the spinach by parboiling. Squeeze out the water and chop coursely. Fry in hot oil. Remove and drain, then just before serving, sprinkle with powder douce.
Spelt Polenta
Source: Platina De Honesta Volvptate, & ualitudine, uel de obsonijs, & arte Coquinaria libri decem:
(Andrews, E.B. trans. Platina. De Honesta Voluptatae. L. de Aguila. Venice, 1475. St. Louis: Mallinckrodt, 1967.)
Original recipe: De Halica.
Celsus counts spelt among the fruits of the earth of good juice, such as wheat, winter wheat, barley, starch, and all that he calls breadstuff. From spelt, nevertheless, and barley and rye, he says the best potions and gruels are made; from what Columella was pleased to call ordeum, while Celsus calls it oriza, which seems to be a derivative. There are those, however, who think that this is Latin, and not foreign.
Modern recipe from Gode Cookery:
Celery
Milk
Spelt (rolled once)
Basil, fresh
Mustard, dried
Salt
Margarine
Finely grate the celery. Next bring the milk to a low boil and add the celery. When the celery is thoroughly cooked and the milk has become flavorful, slowly mix in the spelt. Cook until the spelt is firm but not gluey. Remove from heat and add the dried mustard and salt to flavor. Now, chop the basil finely. Next, in a lightly greased pan, layer the basil along the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan bottom with spelt. Place another layer of basil, and repeat until the pan is filled with spelt 1″ thick. Now, take a spoon and shape the surface of the spelt into waves, crests, pools, etc. Sprinkle with more basil. Finally, melt the margarine in a large pan and liberally pour over the spelt. Place in a 350° F oven for 1 hour. Do not cover as the spelt will rise. Serve hot.
Third Course
Smoked Beef with Verde Sawse (Herb Sauce)
Source: Forme of Curye, ab. 1390 A.D. (Page 67v).
Original Recipe: Verde Sawse
Take parsel. mynte. garlek. a litul serpelf & sauge, a litul canel. ȝinȝur. peper. wyne. brede. vyneger and salt grynd hit smal wit safron & messe hit forth.
Translation: Green Sauce
Take parsley, mint, garlic, thyme, sage, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, wine, bread, vinegar and salt grind it small with saffron and mess it forth.
My Interpretation (for 32, about 10 lbs of beef):
I used two round eye roasts. They were smoked in the smoker for several hours, until the internal temperature was about 150-155°. After the meat rested, it was sliced into portions and plated with the sauce on the side.
4 sprigs each Parsley, Mint, Sage, Thyme
4 clove Garlic
2 tsp. ea Cinnamon, Ginger, Salt, Pepper
2 cups Wine
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup Vinegar
1 pinch Saffron
Soak bread crumbs in vinegar and wine, let set for at least 30 minutes. Remove all woody bits from herbs. Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth.
Ris engoule (Golden Rice)
Source: Le Viandier de Taillevent, 14th C. France
(Scully, Terence, ed. Le Viandier de Taillevent. An Edition of all Extant Manuscripts. Ottawa: University of Ottawa Press, 1988.)
Original Recipe: Ris engoule: Fancy Rice for Meat-Days.
Cull the rice and wash it thoroughly in hot water and set it to dry by the fire, then cook it in simmering cow’s milk; then add ground saffron infused in your milk, to lend it a russet colour, and greasy beef broth from the pot.
Modern Recipe from Gode Cookery (for 32):
4 cup rice
8 cups whole milk
pinch salt
4 cup beef broth
4 Tbs. butter
pinch ground saffron OR a few drops of yellow food coloring
Bring the milk to a slow simmer. Add the rice and salt and continue cooking slowly, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. When the rice is nearly cooked and much of the liquid is absorbed, stir in the beef broth, butter, and saffron/food coloring. The final color should be russet, a sort of golden-brown. Continue cooking slowly until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and place in a serving bowl.
Pescodde (Peas and bacon)
Source: The Goodman of Paris (Le Menagier de Paris). c. 1395
(Power, Eileen. The Goodman of Paris (Le Menagier de Paris). A Treatise on Moral and Domestic Economy by A Citizen of Paris (c. 1395). New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1928.)
Original Recipe: In new peas cooked to be eaten in the pod, you must add bacon on a meat day: and on a fish day, when they are cooked, you separate the liquid and add underneath melted salt butter, and then shake it.
Modern Recipe from Gode Cookery (for 32):
8 pounds fresh new peas pods
1 lb of bacon
1 quart water
Salt to taste
4 T butter (optional)
1. Rinse the pea pods, and trim off stems.
2. In a pot, over medium heat, bring water to a boil, add bacon, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for ten minutes.
3. Add pea pods, return to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for twenty minutes, or until the pea pods are tender.
4. Remove the bacon, and fry until crisp.
5. Put into a serving bowl, salt to taste. Garnish with crispy bacon
Dessert
Torta Bianca (Ginger Cheesecake)
Source: Libro de arte coquinaria by Maestro Martino de Como, 15th century
Original Recipe: Torta Bianca:
Piglia una libra et meza di bono cascio frescho, et taglialo menuto, et pistalo molto bene, et piglia dodici o quindici albume o bianchi d’ova, et macinali molto bene con questo cascio, agiogendovi meza libra di zuccharo, et meza oncia di zenzevero del più biancho che possi havere, similemente meza libra di strutto di porcho bello et biancho, o in loco di strutto altretanto botiro bono et frescho, item de lo lacte competentemente, quanto basti, che serà asai un terzo di bocchale. Poi farrai la pasta overo crosta in la padella, sottile come vole essere, et mectiraila a cocere dandoli il focho a bell’agio di sotto et di sopra; et farai che sia di sopra un pocho colorita per el caldo del focho; et quando ti pare cotta, cacciala fore de la padella, et di sopra vi metterai del zuccharo fino et di bona acqua rosata.
Translation: (from The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book)
Take a libra and a half of good fresh cheese and cut it up fine, and pound it very well; take twelve of fifteen egg whites and blend them very well with this cheese, adding half a libra of sugar and half an oncia of the whitest ginger you can find, as well as a half libra of good, white pork lard, or instead of lard, good, fresh butter, and some milk, as much as needed; this will be a good third of a boccale. Then make the pastry, or crust, into the pan, as thin as it ought to be, and cook it nicely with fire both below and above; and make sure that the top is a little colored from the heat of the fire; and when it seems cooked, remove it from the pan and put fine sugar and good rose water on top.
My Interpretation (for 4 pies):
6 lbs ricotta cheese
3 cups sugar
2 dozen large egg whites
3 cups butter
1/2 cup powdered ginger
1 1/3 cup milk
1 pie crust
Beat in cheese and eggs together until smooth. Add ginger, milk and butter to the egg and cheese mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. If you wish, sprinkle the top with rosewater and fine sugar.