12th April 2013
Summer 2008: Celebrating beef
Rediscovering ingredients, cooking methods and presentation of 15th century cuisine was the focus of a special St George's day feast that centred around beef
St George's day on April 23 is a celebration England is beginning to appreciate again and there was nothing more enlightening than the feast the English Beef & Lamb Executive (EBLEX) hosted at the Butcher's Hall in London in association with Devon based catering butcher Artisan.
A menu based on original 15th century beef recipes was prepared by the chefs at the Butcher's Hall, who carefully followed these old English dishes but added their own expertise to the mix, while food historian Richard Fitch, project co-ordinator for the historic kitchens at Hampton Court Palace, was on hand to explain each course to the guests.
Beef supplied by Artisan featured in every dish: Chawettys (minced veal and dried fruit pie); Beef y-stywyd and Ryse of Genoa (spiced beef stew served with rice cooked in beef stock with saffron); Stekys of bef and Perre (beef steaks in a spiced wine sauce served with a pea purée); and even dessert Applade Ryalle (spiced apple purée with beef stock).
Fitch said these recipes were not designed with future chefs in mind. There were no timings, no weights and measures, and even the equipment had to be taken into account – part of the job that was down to him. He said it had been a case of taking the old version and making it through trial and error. “For example, they minced meat with a knife, not a grinder, and meat was packed loosely rather than tied.”
In his role at Hampton Court, he demonstrates historic cooking to the public: “If I was given a 15th century meal to cook I would build a kitchen of that century and include equipment such as tables, knives, etc, and everything would be done live, except the deciphering of the recipe.
“Nowadays we don't roast, we bake; and we don't tend to broil nowadays. People then didn't grill but they had a salamander; they would boil.
” The trend in those days was for sweeter food, and it was fairly easy to get spices by just going to a spice merchant. This menu was one course spread over four courses – a mixture of sweet and savoury – each dish being seasoned with products that would have been available in those times.
Wonderful spices that enhanced the flavour included grains of paradise from the Guinea coast that was hot on the tip of the tongue, while cubebs from Indonesia that looked like pink peppercorns produced heat at the back of the throat and made a well rounded beef stew.
Cinnamon and ginger were not usually associated with vegetables but they were used extensively in the 15th century. Also verjuice, a sour grape juice that has made a bit of a comeback recently. The apple purée with beef stock was a recipe that could have been made with honey and wine for non meat days but for the feast was kept traditional.
Before the lunch, guests watched Artisan master butcher Steve Turton carry out a butchery masterclass. He explained that with increases in food prices chefs would do well to think about using alternative, value added cuts that would work just as well as the more expensive alternatives.
While the main focus was on beef, he also demonstrated lamb, in particular older meat such as hogget which he believed was tastier. Lamb shanks too used to be classed as a “cheap” dish although were very much in vogue now.
A good, inexpensive alternative however were lamb Henry's, which were similar to lamb shanks but were from the shoulder rather than the leg, and needed to be cooked long and slow.
“You only get two lamb shanks but you can get up to five lamb Henry's from the shoulder,” says Turton.
But the celebration was about beef and grass fed beef matured 21-28 days – unless it was for Heston Blumenthal – offers a much sweeter taste, according to Turton. He said fillet steak was twice the price of entrecôte but that the latter would serve just as well.
EBLEX foodservice project manager Hugh Judd says: “We wanted to do something a little different to commemorate St George's day this year – and we certainly achieved that. Richard's knowledge of food through the ages was fascinating and we had a fantastic turn out. What better way to celebrate England's patron saint's day with four Quality Standard beef based dishes on the menu.”
A menu based on original 15th century beef recipes was prepared by the chefs at the Butcher's Hall, who carefully followed these old English dishes but added their own expertise to the mix, while food historian Richard Fitch, project co-ordinator for the historic kitchens at Hampton Court Palace, was on hand to explain each course to the guests.
Beef supplied by Artisan featured in every dish: Chawettys (minced veal and dried fruit pie); Beef y-stywyd and Ryse of Genoa (spiced beef stew served with rice cooked in beef stock with saffron); Stekys of bef and Perre (beef steaks in a spiced wine sauce served with a pea purée); and even dessert Applade Ryalle (spiced apple purée with beef stock).
Fitch said these recipes were not designed with future chefs in mind. There were no timings, no weights and measures, and even the equipment had to be taken into account – part of the job that was down to him. He said it had been a case of taking the old version and making it through trial and error. “For example, they minced meat with a knife, not a grinder, and meat was packed loosely rather than tied.”
In his role at Hampton Court, he demonstrates historic cooking to the public: “If I was given a 15th century meal to cook I would build a kitchen of that century and include equipment such as tables, knives, etc, and everything would be done live, except the deciphering of the recipe.
“Nowadays we don't roast, we bake; and we don't tend to broil nowadays. People then didn't grill but they had a salamander; they would boil.
” The trend in those days was for sweeter food, and it was fairly easy to get spices by just going to a spice merchant. This menu was one course spread over four courses – a mixture of sweet and savoury – each dish being seasoned with products that would have been available in those times.
Wonderful spices that enhanced the flavour included grains of paradise from the Guinea coast that was hot on the tip of the tongue, while cubebs from Indonesia that looked like pink peppercorns produced heat at the back of the throat and made a well rounded beef stew.
Cinnamon and ginger were not usually associated with vegetables but they were used extensively in the 15th century. Also verjuice, a sour grape juice that has made a bit of a comeback recently. The apple purée with beef stock was a recipe that could have been made with honey and wine for non meat days but for the feast was kept traditional.
Before the lunch, guests watched Artisan master butcher Steve Turton carry out a butchery masterclass. He explained that with increases in food prices chefs would do well to think about using alternative, value added cuts that would work just as well as the more expensive alternatives.
While the main focus was on beef, he also demonstrated lamb, in particular older meat such as hogget which he believed was tastier. Lamb shanks too used to be classed as a “cheap” dish although were very much in vogue now.
A good, inexpensive alternative however were lamb Henry's, which were similar to lamb shanks but were from the shoulder rather than the leg, and needed to be cooked long and slow.
“You only get two lamb shanks but you can get up to five lamb Henry's from the shoulder,” says Turton.
But the celebration was about beef and grass fed beef matured 21-28 days – unless it was for Heston Blumenthal – offers a much sweeter taste, according to Turton. He said fillet steak was twice the price of entrecôte but that the latter would serve just as well.
EBLEX foodservice project manager Hugh Judd says: “We wanted to do something a little different to commemorate St George's day this year – and we certainly achieved that. Richard's knowledge of food through the ages was fascinating and we had a fantastic turn out. What better way to celebrate England's patron saint's day with four Quality Standard beef based dishes on the menu.”