So this morning, I was wondering what I actually would write about, the garden gave the answer, fresh fennel, fresh raspberries, fresh parsley and freshly laid eggs and breakfast.
First experiment making a green or verte sauce,
Verjuice juice is made from crab apples, sometime sloes or a subistuite apple cider vinegar
In Ireland Verjuice is different as you can see, so crab apple season is here.
Washing parsley, cut and chop having removed stems, a little apple cider vinegar as substitute, had white wine vinegar so half and half, white bread ,coarse salt and pestle.
Two Anglo Norman Cullinary collections by Constance B Hieatt and Robin F Jones, another recommendation made by Christine Hildebrand gives me the style of cooking I need to endeavour using my lists of ingredients.
Almond milk is not normally used in cooking in Ireland, however there is a mention of almonds and rice in Trinity Priory roll mid 14 th century so using ordinary milk will have to do
Crab apple verjuice instead of wine verjuice
Honey instead of sugar
Make substitute based on what was available at that time.
Oil not commonly used in Ireland, so butter, lard, dripping
So next experiment is fritters/ pancakes
White pancakes, herb pancakes
So separate egg white and yolk, mix yolk with flour and milk
Mix white of egg , flour and salt
Mix white of egg, flour and wilted fennel,herb of choice, spinach etc in butter, water and salt
As you can see the green sauce is quite green, so make good to serve with fish, as a dipping sauce, without the bread a good salad accompaniment
So verdict as follows
White fritter cooked in butter, takes on the taste of butter, dip in honey mmm
Remember in cooking in Ireland through the ages salt and honeycomb were often served on the table as a Analann
White fritter,pancake cooked in oil insipid
Golden fritter Cooke in butter the winner hands down, rich in taste, while absorbing the taste of the butter
Perfect side dish for feast to use up egg yolks, up to now I usually made saffron custard, but golden fritters are perfect accompaniment to snowe and berries
I like the fennel and I have made both types, so one with almond milk and one with ordinary milk, I have to say I do like almond milk version
So in the name of science this morning , this is what left
So will finish with the link that started a renewed interest in cooking all Types of food in this case Anglo Norman,
Athlone castle video link, is for everyone but especially the beginner, Athlone castle heritage week, and heritage walled towns not only supported my interests but had me look at the different cultural cooking within the ages of Ireland, many rabbit holes to make a Warren, how beautiful that picture looks.
Video link
Another book definitely worth a purchase , thanks to Christine especially chapter about lodgings.
Yesterday I did a class forBards and Cooks known world, which allowed me to talk with passion about Food and Anglo Norman food and of course Ireland and places to visit, another day another story
