Ingredients

2 small fillets of white fish  per person, skin removed
2 cups vegetable stock
Lemon slices
Parsley to garnish
Vegetable stock*

*Use the bought variety if necessary, but if making it yourself, use young carrots, spring onions, a bay leaf, a little sage and chopped parsley. The liquid should be half water and half white wine.

Method

Roll each fillet firmly and secure with a toothpick. Place the fish in a pan and cover with the vegetable stock until fish is tender. Remove the fish rolls and set aside. Simmer the stock further until it is well reduced. Chill to form a jellied sauce.
Place the fish rolls on a serving platter and pour the sauce over them. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.

Note 

If the aroma of cooking fish is not appreciated, cook in a “medieval” microwave according to the maker’s instructions.

The perfect accompaniment to the Fish Rolls is a Herb Salad

Gather a collection of herbs: parsley, sage, fennel, borage, mint, rosemary. And spring onions or a leek if in season.

Wash all the items well and then break them up into small pieces.

Place in a bowl and mix well with olive oil, adding a sprinkling of cider vinegar and a little salt before serving.

Ingredients

500g pork mince
1 large egg
A little milk
2 tblsp honey
A little pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 150° C and lightly grease a baking tray.

Mix the mince and lightly beaten egg with a little milk until the mixture is firm.

Add the honey and pepper and stir well.

Form the mixture into small balls and place them on the baking tray. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.

Serve hot or cold with a dipping sauce such as tomato and basil, or garlic and crushed cucumber.

Ingredients:

175g butter
½ cup plain flour
2 cups chicken stock
¾ cup ground almonds
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tsp saffron (or cumin)
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
6 cooked breast fillets (or rabbit, well boned), cubed
Salt and pepper to taste
Vol-au-vent cases

Method

Melt butter in a pan, and add flour. Stir well for about a minute to blend. Add stock, almonds, sugar and spices, and cook until thickened.

Add the meat and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over a low heat for about 5 minutes.

Spoon mixture into the vol-au-vent cases and serve with a green salad.

Ingredients

150g butter
2 cups of brown bread crumbs
3tblsp plain flour
4 eggs
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger

Peppermint cream
1 cup cream
2tblsp sugar
A few drops peppermint flavouring
A small drop of green colouring

Method

Peppermint cream: whip cream and sugar, add flavouring and colouring until firm. Chill until ready to serve.

Cake: melt butter in a pan. Blend breadcrumbs, flour, eggs and spices. Shape mixture into flat rounds like pancakes.  Fry in butter, flipping over as needed and serve hot with chilled peppermint cream.

Ingredients

1kg pork or veal mince (or mix of both)
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
Mixed herbs
Tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground ginger
1 egg
Slivered almonds
A handful of currants

Method

Mix mince, breadcrumbs, herbs, pepper, ginger and egg together. Shape small amounts of mixture to resemble half pears. Stick slivered almonds (about 7 – 8 for each) into the shapes and add currants for eyes.

Place on a greased tray and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes. Serve on a tasting platter with fresh herbs.

Ingredients

3 large pears
300 g dark berries
300 ml red wine
300 ml white wine
25 g sugar
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cinnamon

Method

Peel and core the pears, wash the berries and drain.

Place fruit in a pan and heat in red wine, turning occasionally to coat evenly.  Simmer until tender, then cool in the liquid.

Drain, reserving liquid.  Cut pears in half.  Sieve the berries and return them to liquid.

Now boil white wine, sugar and spices until they form a syrup.  Add the pears and bring back to boil, to simmer for two or three minutes.

Serve hot with the berry/wine sauce.

Note: fresh berries might not be available, so, substitute tinned varieties obtainable from your non-medieval supermarket.

Ingredients:

10 cups red wine
juice of 3 lemons or oranges
2 cinnamon sticks
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup brown sugar
2 lemons or oranges, sliced
4 cups lemonade (optional)

Method

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and heat gently (slow cookers are good).

Serve hot but not boiling.

Note: To dilute or extend hippocras add 4 cups of lemonade 10 minutes before serving and reheat.

Ingredients

20 cm pastry flan (lid optional)
4 chicken breasts
black pepper to taste
4 cloves
150 ml white wine
150 ml chicken stock
50 g mushrooms, chopped
15 g butter
25 g bacon, chopped
3 eggs
½ teaspoon ground ginger

Method

Preheat oven to 175° C.

Place chicken, pepper and cloves in a pan and simmer in the wine and chicken stock for about 45 minutes or until meat is tender.

Saute mushrooms in butter, then add chicken and chopped bacon.  Lightly beat the eggs and ginger and extra seasoning if desired and add to the meat mixture.

Transfer to the pastry flan and cover with a pastry lid brushed with a little milk or beaten egg or with foil. Cook in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, a little longer if you have a pastry lid.

Ingredients

1 cup split peas
2 thick slices of ham
1 cup water
Seasoning of your choice to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 135° C and prepare a lightly greased 23cm pie dish.

Wash the split peas and place in the dish.  Cut the ham slices into bite-sized pieces and mix with the peas.  Add seasoning, then pour the water over the mixture just enough to cover it.  Simmer in the oven until peas are dissolved and the mixture springs back when you touch it.

Serve hot to start your meal.  (Try it cold with a salad in summer.)

Note

You may find the water has to be topped up to stop the pudding becoming too dry while cooking.