Medieval France

06.04.14 / News / Author: Martin

The daily food of the common man during the Middle Ages was repetitive, subsistence and totally dependent on the materials available in the immediate environment. It is only during the banquets served to the aristocracy that seeks to develop more elaborate dishes, the basis of medieval cuisine. At this feast, the dishes were served all at once (service en confusion) and were eaten with the hands. Prevailed meats, accompanied by heavy sauces and mustards and cakes, which served more to practical considerations and management to culinary (until the late Middle Ages is not the pastry). Another common way to prepare food was crushed to reduce them to purees or pastes based on the widespread belief that facilitated the assimilation of nutrients . The banquet ended with an issue de table that eventually evolved into the current concept of dessert. Typically could be treated by crows or almonds, cheese or spicy wines like Hypocras .The ingredients vary with the flow of the seasons (and restrictions on the church calendar) rudimentary methods exist for the preservation of food. Livestock was killed early winter and their meat smoked or salted, while fruits, seeds or roots boiled in honey. To keep live carp, eel, tench or bream were created artificial ponds. In addition to the existing fish meat of mammals such as whales, dolphins and porpoises are considered fish was consumed during Lent . Poultry (including doves and pigeons) was reserved for the elite while the game (hares, rabbits, boars, birds or deer) was prized but elusive. Ave roasting on a spit. Under the same is a Basij to collect and reuse juices for dipping. Illustration of the Decameron, Flanders, 1432. Spices like pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg were used even though its value was very high and were kept as genuine treasures.In addition, given the use of other more rare today as hyssop, pennyroyal, rue and tansy and some completely disappeared from the modern kitchen as Cubeb, grains of paradise or long pepper. On the other hand was used to flavor vinegar or VERJUS combined with sugar or honey. A sign of refinement much appreciated was the use of bright colors. This was encouraged by example with preparations of spinach juice for green and leek, saffron and egg yolk yellow, sunflower verrucaria for red or purple. Were used in the decoration of gold and silver plates which allowed very colorful buildings. One of the star dishes to this was the swan or turkey varieties and roast uncovered and decorated with feathers inlaid with gold beak and legs (usually filled with meat tastier other birds like goose or chicken) .The most important chef in this period was Guillaume Tirel (also known as Taillevent) who serve in various royal kitchens during the fourteenth century and attained the title of Master of kitchen fittings under the reign of King Charles VI of France. His work includes the knowledge I Viandier gastronomic Medieval France and is the first cookbook that departs from the De re coquinaria of Roman cuisine. Catherine de Medici holds the record of 66 turkeys (incorporated European kitchens after the discovery) served at a dinner