Research and preparation of medieval recipes are the norm for our cooking guild.
Everyone is welcome! Each person interested in cooking is encouraged to research a period food you like and prepare an educational article for the newsletter; however, published research is not a requirement to participate.
Location: Home of Countess Tessa (contact for directions). Cooking Guild meets customarily for event food preparations or for special occasions at the kitchen of Countess Tessa’s home or various other kitchens including m’lady Catherine Rose.
Time: Currently, Cooks meet the 1st Saturday of a month together with the Sawdust & Steele and the Herbal and Apothecary Guild at The Art Studio. For event preps, schedules are flexible.
Cooking Guild: Countess Tessa of the Gardens, OSTB and HE Isabella della Rosa, OSTB – Principal Cooks
Welsh Lamb Stew –
Personal notes from Tessa: While this particular stew was not part of our Bordermarch Autumn Melees -BAM- November 2012 camp cooking, due to the theme, “War of the Rams #1,” it “might have been.” It yet “could be prepared” to serve at BAM War of the Rams #2 coming up in Nov 2013, with no offense to anyone who loves soft fluffy little lambs, i.e. Lady Karin…
Over decades, our friend Lord Rhys has enjoyed various travels and very interesting book gathering. He had been kind enough to let me borrow some of his Welsh cookbooks. A particular one, Traditional Welsh Fare / Bwyd Traddodiadol o Gymru, teaches how to prepare “Stiw Mynwy” (Monmouth Stew)-lamb, leeks, and barley, edited here for contemporary kitchens into modern English (and with my redaction ideas.)
The cook needs:
Pan for frying Casserole dish for baking in oven Small pot for boiling root vegetables The recipe suggests an alternative If desired: the lamb stew could be cooked gently, covered, on top of the stove rather than in the oven.
Gather the Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. stewing lamb meat, cubed; or 8 lamb chops, trimmed 1 oz. seasoned flour 1 oz. butter or oil 4 to 5 leeks, washed, trimmed ((sliced into one-inch rings)) 2 oz. pearl barley 4 sprigs of parsley ((with 1 sprig of thyme and 1 bay leaf tied together by a piece of string)) salt and black pepper 1/4 pint lamb stock 6 to 8 carrots ((or parsnips roots)) to boil in a separate pot