Medieval banquet.

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Medieval banquet.
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alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 9:08 pm Post subject: Medieval banquet.

I have just recieved this email, and wondered if anyone else had any suggestions, or answers to help with it please.

Dear Ali

I thought this year I would do a dinner party.

I have access to a rather nice oak panelled dining room in a large house nearby. It has a catering kitchen which I can use too. The tables could seat up to 24, may be more. So, I would like to host a Medieval Banquet. I have a nice costume to wear also.

For the Food I would like to do a Roast Pig. I would like to use the Head as a centre piece, decorated with apples.
Then serve roast pork with nice breads, apples and cheeses. Pies and salads as well.

My question is how is the best way to do this? Where do I get such a pig? Do I need a whole one? How shall I cook it in a medium catering oven?
Any advice appreciated.

Love

xxxxx

I don't think I will have a pig ready at that time, but I know nothing about this sort of cooking.

Can anyone help? Not with sourcing the pig, with the actual menu.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 9:28 pm Post subject:
I'd re-title the thread 'Oi Sally, Help'. Apart from that...

Spider

Joined: 17 Apr 2013
Posts: 129
Location: Rhondda Valleys....Welshland

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 9:38 pm Post subject:
I went to a couple of medieval banquets (Wales and Spain) many years ago....very much the same menu Any sort of meat on the bone such as chicken and turkey drumsticks, spare ribs etc. baking potatoes... as from what I can remember everything was eaten with your fingers...bones were thrown over your shoulder and you had finger bowls to clean your hands. Mead was the main drink

Nell Merionwen

Joined: 02 Jun 2008
Posts: 16300
Location: Beautiful Derbyshire

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 9:48 pm Post subject:

Spider wrote:

I went to a couple of medieval banquets (Wales and Spain) many years ago....very much the same menu

Any sort of meat on the bone such as chicken and turkey drumsticks, spare ribs etc. baking potatoes... as from what I can remember everything was eaten with your fingers...bones were thrown over your shoulder and you had finger bowls to clean your hands. Mead was the main drink

No potatoes.
Shared dishes with a bread trencher could be a good way to go. A spoon and an eating knife are essential.
Root veg is good, plenty of meat and a bowl of salt for the top table. Pies are good.
This is just off the top of my head.
I could look up some recipes for you.
Pottage is also a good option (for the peasants

) which can be a basic veg soup.

Ooh and cheese...there should always be cheese. This is my rule for life btw not just a banquet.[/b]

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35056
Location: Devon

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 9:53 pm Post subject:
I think it's a fancy dress party rather than re-enactment. Both are fun!

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 10:18 pm Post subject:

Nell Merionwen wrote:

Spider wrote:

) which can be a basic veg soup.

Ooh and cheese...there should always be cheese. This is my rule for life btw not just a banquet.[/b]

Yes please to recipies.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9717
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 10:21 pm Post subject:
our butcher hires out a spit roasting kit, and will supply the pig too - is it worth contacting local butchers for the same?

alison
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 10:27 pm Post subject:

Nicky Colour it green wrote:

our butcher hires out a spit roasting kit, and will supply the pig too - is it worth contacting local butchers for the same?

It is only for 24 people though, so a full spit roast would be too big, I would have thought.

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4591
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 10:44 pm Post subject:
Get them to Youtube the Supersizers? They did Medieval, Elizabethan, possibly Tudor...?

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9717
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 10:47 pm Post subject:

alison wrote:

Nicky Colour it green wrote:

our butcher hires out a spit roasting kit, and will supply the pig too - is it worth contacting local butchers for the same?

It is only for 24 people though, so a full spit roast would be too big, I would have thought.

yes that's true - way too much - .I spose you might be able to hire the kit and roast a few joints instead, or just roast a few joints in the oven plus roast a pigs head for show.

I went to a Medieval party years ago and they had pork and greens and the ol pies with a bean it to name the king and queen of the day. And bread trenchers and mead, and ale.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 14 10:47 pm Post subject:
Aye, you either want a tiny pig, or just a pigs head for effect, and a couple of decent shoulders, I'd say.

Lorrainelovesplants

Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 14 10:10 am Post subject:
suckling pig is surely smaller, but you'd have to order this specifically. We went to a fab medeivel wedding (in costume). Roast chicken which we happy tore apart with hands, lots of bread. individual Rice pud for dessrt (dont know if this was authentic, but it was really goood). Lots of mead & cider & ale.

MornieG

Joined: 17 Jan 2013
Posts: 933
Location: Bromham, Wiltshire

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 14 11:40 am Post subject:
I know where you can get Trenchers, goblets etc for an authentic banquet www.bodrighywood.co.uk LOL Mo.XX

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 14 2:49 pm Post subject:

bear with me, I've just this second got back from a conference.

A fun way to do a basic mostly medieval feast is to do a number of 'removes' (also called 'returns'). Think of each as a three course meal, and you have several of them. A menu that might work well for a small number could include:

first remove: soup/pottage with bread
Ember day tart ( the brie and saffron tart in the recipes here)
Syllabub

then you have a 'subtletie', an edible novelty, could be the boars head, could be a marzipan sculpture, that sort of thing.

Second remove:
Roman mushrooms (mushrooms poached in wine and spices)
Roman chicken (stuffed with grapes, garlic and parsley, one between four, to eat with fingers)
Mead cream

second subtletie

Third Remove:
Stuffed crusts (cut bread buns like crowns, fill with whatever plus cheese, bake till golden)
Beef cooked as bear
Medieval gingerbread

issue: cheese/fruit/nuts

Millions of recipes at 'Gode Cookery', the thing about removes is each course is small, so you get to try lots of thinsg without overloading a domestic oven

MornieG

Joined: 17 Jan 2013
Posts: 933
Location: Bromham, Wiltshire

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 14 2:53 pm Post subject:
Feeling hungry now, thanks Sally. Mo.XX

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