Yule log Roll (not a medieval recipe)

My son and I made this Yule Log into a camp fire log for his Blue and Gold Cub Scout  Dinner. (which is why if has the fake fire added to it)

The recipe comes from Dorothy Morrison's "YULE A Celebration of Light and Warmth"

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (or a mixture of both)
1 cup flaked coconut
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 box chocolate cake mix (or homemade cake from scratch)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 can ready to spread chocolate frosting (or homemade)

for decorations: green gummy candies (leaf shaped) and red hot cinnamon candies, small Yule candles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil; make sure the foil lines the sides and bottom completely.  Melt the butter in the foil lined plan in the oven, sprinkle evenly with nuts and coconut and drizzle the condensed milk on top.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs at high speed for 4-6 minutes or until thick and lemon colored.  At very low speed, gradually blend in the water.  Add the cake mix and blend for a minute or so until all the dry ingredients are mixed. Pour the batter over the condensed milk and spread it evenly.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Lightly sprinkle a large kitchen towel with powered sugar.  Remove the cake from the oven, cover it with the sugared towel,and immediately turn the cake upside down onto the towel.

Remove foil carefully; try not to disturb the hot filing on top.  Begin with one of the short sides of the cake and gently roll up with the filling inside the roll.  When you have rolled up the entire cake, wrap the towel around it and let it cool completely.

Ice with chocolate frosting, then comb a fork through the frosting to fashion tree bark. Garnish with green gummy leaves (I used green frosting to make leaves) trimmed to look like holly leaves and use the cinnamon candies for holly berries.  add Yule candles if you like.

Lamb (or Pork) Loin with Apple and Ginger Stuffing

I have mad this with both lamb and pork loins and both were amazingly good.

Loin Of Lamb with Apple and Ginger Stuffing

3 lb Loin of lamb, boned 2 Cloves garlic Sea salt and pepper 2 c Cider (preferably hard) 2 Cooking apples Juice of 1 lemon 1 ts Sugar 1 ts Ground ginger   First make the stuffing. Peel and core the apples, slice thinly and put into a saucepan with the lemon juice, sugar and ginger. Cook over a gentle heat until the apples are just soft, then set aside to cool. . Preheat the oven for 400 F. Trim the lamb, remove the skin and score the fat. Lay the joint out on a board, fat side down. Spoon the apple mixture along the center. Roll up and tie with twine. Peel the garlic and cut it into slivers, then pierce the joint all over with the point of a sharp knife and slip the slivers of garlic into the pockets formed. Season with the salt and pepper, put the joint in a roasting pan and cook in the hot oven for 30 minutes, then heat the cider in a small pan and pour it over the lamb. Reduce the heat to moderate (350F) and cook for another 40 minutes, basting frequently. When the lamb is cooked, put it onto a heated serving dish and keep warm. Remove any excess fat from the pan juices, boil up over a high heat until reduced slightly, and serve with the sliced lamb.

Cod Cakes

I tried several different recipes, but I found I liked the ones with the potatoes best.

1 lb of cod fillets

2 medium-sized russett potatoes

1 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Grapeseed oil, or other high smoke point oil such as canola oil, for frying

Boil and mash the potatoes, set them aside.
Boil the codfish until it flakes easkly. Drain and flake the fish with a fork. Be sure to remove all bones.
Mix the flaked fish, the potatoes and the rest of the ingredients together well by hand. If the mixture is too crumbly, add another egg. If too sticky, add some more bread crumbs.
Form the mixture into cakes and fry them on medium high heat in a skillet coated with oil.

Makes about 12 cakes

The Wedding Feast of "Arya" and Ramsey

"The Lord of White Harbor had furnished the food and drink, black stout and yellow beer and wines red and gold and purple, brought up from the warm south on flat bottomed ships and aged in his cellars.  The wedding guests gorged on cod cakes and winter squash, hills of neeps and great rounds of cheese, on smoking slabs of mutton and beef ribs charred almost black, and lastly three great wedding pies, as wide across as wagon wheels, their flaky crusts stuffed to bursting with carrots, onions, turnips, parsnips, mushrooms and chunks of pork swimming in a savory brown gravy."

"'Wash it down with Arbor gold and savor every bite. I know I shall.'"

The best thing about this whole feast is the pies, of course.  A little later while a bit drunk, Lord Mandarly asks for the song about the Rat Cook.  This pretty much gives away that the pies are really "Frey Pies" and filled with the 3 missing Freys.  I, of course, will actually use pork, as there are not any Freys available for me. ;)

Cod Cakes
Winter Squash
Neeps
Lamb and beef ribs
Wedding Pies

Henne Dorre---Golden Cardamon Chicken

1 large roasting chicken, cut into serving size pieces
1/4 cup walnuts, courseley ground
1/4 cup filbrets, coursely ground
4 tablespoons butter, for sauteing
3 tart apples
2/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cuo Currants
1/2 tsp cinnimon
6 egg yokes
1/4 tsp fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp crushed cardamon
1/8 tsp Saffron
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a Dutch oven or shallow covered baking dish, saute the chicken and nuts in butter until the meat is white. Leave in dish and remove from heat.

Cut apples into thin slivers. Mix raisins and currants with apples.

Stir together all spices and salt, and mix with fruits.

Distribute the spiced fruit amongst the chicken and nuts.

Pour on mixed wine and chicken broth. Bake covered in slow oven for :45 to 55 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Remove from oven while preparing golden glaze. Turn oven to 400 degrees F.

Beat the egg yolks, saffron and honey thoroughly. Evenly pour over chicken so as to coat each piece. Or use a pastry brush to 'paint' each portion gold. Return to oven uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes to let endoring set. Serve warm.

From _Fabulous Feasts - Medieval Cookery and Ceremony_ by Madeleine Pelner Cosman George Braziller, Inc. 1976

Dornish Eggs with Hot Peppers

This recipe is adapted from a orth African dish called Ajja

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 pound highly seasoned smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch rounds
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp cummin
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4  tsp ground caraway seeds
2 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup cold water
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea Salt
1 medium-sized green bell pepper, quartered, seeded, deribbed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips
1 medium-sized red bell pepper, quartered, seeded, deribbed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips
6 eggs

Braised Venison with Mushrooms

2 tablespoons bacon drippings

1 1/2 pounds venison, cut into 2 inch cubes

2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

2 medium onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cognac or brandy (optional)

2 cups dry red wine

1 cube beef bouillon

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 1/4 teaspoons dried rosemary

2 bay leaves

1 (8 ounce) package baby carrots

1 tablespoon flour

2 tablespoons water

Melt the bacon drippings in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the venison in two batches until nicely browned and remove. Stir in the shiitake, onions, and garlic; cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the cognac, wine, and bouillon cube, simmer for 30 seconds to remove the alcohol flavor and dissolve the bouillon.
Stir in the venison, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the venison is tender, about two hours or more; adding water as needed.
If using baby carrots, add them during the last half hour of cooking. When the venison is tender, you may wish to thicken the sauce by dissolving the flour in 2 tablespoons of water and stirring it into the sauce.