November of last year we (i.e. the Mechelen Archaeology Department) organised a medieval banquet, held at the 13th century Brusselpoort (city gate). The menu was inspired by the results we got from recent archaeological research on 13-14th century cesspit fillings. Sounds tasty, not? In it we found large quantities of leftovers: all kinds of animal and fish bones, stones and pips from fruit, grains of corn… even the tiniest of vegetable pollen. Along with it we dug up lots of (mostly fragmented) kitchenware: jars, ceramic pots and pans, wooden bowls, etc. These remains gave us very detailed information on the citizens’ eating habits.
The banquet was a huge success. The event was sold out more than two weeks in advance. Our cook had the almost impossible task of catering for up to 350 hungry souls in just five shifts. But he got the job done. To give you an idea of what was on the menu, here’s the recipe of one of the dishes:
Grey mullet with onions and lentils (*)
Ingredients: lentils, water, lard and butter, grey mullet, onions, chervil, salt
Allow a handful of lentils to soak in a large pan of water for several hours. Then cook the lentils until al dente and drain. Cut an onion into rings and cook in butter or lard over a very gentle heat for about 30 minutes.
Fry the grey mullet on both sides in a pan with some fat until brown. Add the onions and the lentils and allow to simmer over a gentle heat for about ten minutes. Add salt and chervil to taste.
I guess you could pimp this rather simple dish by adding some exotic flavours, taking into account that in late medieval Mechelen some spices like pepper, cloves, saffron and nutmeg were already available at the grocer’s.
Fish bones from the 13-14th century cesspits
Because of its success last year, we’re now planning a second edition of our banquet on the 14th, 15th and 16th of November 2008. So if you wanna test your taste buds and find out more about the tantalizing flavours of late medieval cuisine, you should really give it a try. When visiting Mechelen as a group, special arrangements can be made for you to be part of this special event, even on other occasions than the ones mentioned above, but only when booked well in advance. Hope to meet you there!
(*) Mechelen Archaeology Department, 2007. More than Bread and Water. A Culinary Journey through the Middle Ages, Mechelen: Stad Mechelen.
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July 14, 2008 at 9:56 pm
The Loretten Dig - Part I « ARCHEDUCT
[...] are now progressing much slower. Up until now they have uncovered at least four cesspits (see also Medieval Delights), the remains of a fireplace and two red ceramic tile floors, the one on top of the other. [...]