First Feast.....
So this last Saturday, Jan. 23rd, was the day of Sagas of the Stone. A small event that I was in charge of for my local Canton. It was a viking event. I was also the Kitchen Steward/Feast Steward/Feastocrat what ever you want to call it. This was my very first real "feast". Results - I went great! Everyone ate & nobody died!
As a few of you know I love cooking, especially SCA period cooking, and researching SCA period cooking. I have done some hospitally tables, some Queen's/Baroness's Luncheons, and even did an all weekend hospitality suite at Atlantian 12th Night a few years back. But this was the very first real, sit down, multicourse feast. Yes it was a very small feast, 46 people total, but still....
So I started doing research and testing different things in October. And quickly found out two things about Viking/Norse food...
1. They didn't have cookbooks! Recipes and the like are right out!
2. The food stuffs found at dig sites are... well limited. Compared to the average place/period that is.
So my first feast was I bit less period then I would have liked but, I did stick to ingredients that they had available, and to cooking methods that would/could have used. I will be posting recipes/instructions for the dishes..... soon (ha ha Gise, you're just gonna have to wait!) But for those that weren't there this is what was served:
First Course
Smoked Salmon
Savory Skyr
Rye Flat Bread
Pickled Vegetables (on the tables)
Second Course
Pork Loin stuffed with Dried Plums & Spices
Savory Barley Pottage
Third Course
Homemade Sausages
Honeyed Root Vegetables
Dessert
Oat Cakes with Sweet Skyr & Stewed Mixed Berries
As a few of you know I love cooking, especially SCA period cooking, and researching SCA period cooking. I have done some hospitally tables, some Queen's/Baroness's Luncheons, and even did an all weekend hospitality suite at Atlantian 12th Night a few years back. But this was the very first real, sit down, multicourse feast. Yes it was a very small feast, 46 people total, but still....
So I started doing research and testing different things in October. And quickly found out two things about Viking/Norse food...
1. They didn't have cookbooks! Recipes and the like are right out!
2. The food stuffs found at dig sites are... well limited. Compared to the average place/period that is.
So my first feast was I bit less period then I would have liked but, I did stick to ingredients that they had available, and to cooking methods that would/could have used. I will be posting recipes/instructions for the dishes..... soon (ha ha Gise, you're just gonna have to wait!) But for those that weren't there this is what was served:
First Course
Smoked Salmon
Savory Skyr
Rye Flat Bread
Pickled Vegetables (on the tables)
Second Course
Pork Loin stuffed with Dried Plums & Spices
Savory Barley Pottage
Third Course
Homemade Sausages
Honeyed Root Vegetables
Dessert
Oat Cakes with Sweet Skyr & Stewed Mixed Berries