Rolling a Kitchen in Pre-expansion Scandinavia
Armin Elfsten
1.Definition: The process of
running a long term community kitchen by prepping for the future while
preparing for the day. This process tends to be cyclical and is common in all
of the cultures I have studied. For this class we are going to go over how rolling
can be used to piece together a possible daily cuisine of pre-expansion
(pre-793) Scandinavia. It is important to remember that none of this is historically
accurate but it is a method to find the closest to historically accurate actions
based on the information available.
The origins of a regional cuisine are a fascinating study.
For this project I take a fairly broad brush across a large region and find the
commonalities that tie them together. There are many threads that weave the
tapestry of a cuisine and I use as many threads as I have been able to find and
use their intersections to create the closest approximation I can.
Current and first documented tastes of the area: Sour and
sweet and salty are important flavors.
Eddasmentions
boiling as the best way to cook meat. Porridge and fish are also mentioned. I
modeled a recipe for barley cakes off of the regional pancakes or lefse.
Skyrr is from a currently available culture.
Meats and fruit are common mixed themes.
Society: Hospitality was very important and facilitated trade
and social structures. Feasting was as much or more for creation of social
capital as for sustenance. What was eaten from day to day was different from
what was eaten on feast days. Much of the historical evidence comes from graves
which likely best serve as examples of feast-day sustenance. Pre-expansion
there were only 3 known permanent trade hubs. People lived in groups.
What is local: Local specifics would vary but overall themes
tend to stay constant. Barleycakes would have regional shifts but still be
recognizable. Spicing and berries would shift. The ocean and waterways were very
important, and remain so. For the purpose of this course local is defined as
where you can be tomorrow and there will be ripples of variance beyond that
point.
Technology: Iron kettles and pans were common. Soapstone pots
were also very common. Clay pots were of less than ideal quality. Bog iron was
plentiful.
Forensic archaeology: Getting more of this but one study
showed 60% of an individual's diet was fish based, while pot shards are thought
to be less than1/3 used for fish. Fun question is why? Was it because cod leaves
very little fat? Was fish stored in wooden casks? Was fish eaten grilled? Were
some pots only used for fish so your cherry pudding did not taste of herring? As
we discover more data, we discover more questions.
Things that are missing from a modern point of view: No forks
except big serving style pokers. No large salt works. Very few ovens.
Agriculture: Poor quality land for grain but excellent
grazing in the summer. There is evidence that animal husbandry was king after
fisheries.
Starting point for rolling the kitchen
I chose to start with what you have every day. Milking the
cows. Modernly cows product about 7 gallons per day in the area. I am assuming
period production in the area was around ¼ of that or a little under 2 gallons
per day per cow.
Per cow simplified: 1/2lb butter, 2c Buttermilk, 2qts Skyrr,
1G Whey
There is very very strong evidence that butter, especially
sour butter, was used as money. We are setting it aside for tax day and feasts.
Left over from the butter is buttermilk. Buttermilk makes
poor skyrr, save yourself from that pain. If combined with eggs and barley
flour it makes a superior barleycake pancake style. Roll some skyrr in them and
serve sweet with berries and honey or put an egg on it.
Skim milk makes a fantastic skyrr that ishigh in protein and
deliciously sour. Sour seems to be a key flavor for the cuisine. We put that
aside for eating.
Left over from the skyrr we have whey. A lot of whey...every
day. We know that boiling is very popular. We also know that porridge was
common from the Eddas and from the porridge spoons. Whey makes a superior porridge by far than stock
or water. Put a dollop of skyrr in it. For day to day make the mix 50/50 with
fish. The fish and the sour tastes fantastic and you have an endless supply of
fish.
Now we have left over porridge because Sven was out hunting and
the cows make the same amount of milk regardless of Svens presence. Mix in some
additional flour to thicken and stick on the bake stoned overnight to make a
portable barleycake. Put some skyrr on it (put some skyrr on every thing).
In the summer when people are traveling the cows will be
giving milk to calves and any leftover whey you get from the depleted community
makes a great preservative for fermenting.
Feast time! Lets boil some meat. I have been working with
meat preserved by soaking it in a brine of double strength sea water and then
replicating hanging it is the rafters of the longhouse. It is dry, salty,
smoked to hell. Boiling it in whey for most of a day makes it delicious and
tender enough to eat with a spoon...which is very important given the lack of
forks. Served with leek or onion butter it is fantastic. Or make it sweet with
lingonberries and honey. Cherries or apples also work well. Put some on
barleycakes and it is very good.
Left over from the
boiling in the best whey stock ever - Make porridge out of it and add some skyrr.
Then make it into the travel cakes.
Skyr
Skyr is very simple to make and does not take too much time
out of your day. It is very high in protein and can be made in a texture that
you enjoy.
Ingredients:
1 gallon milk, skim is best
1 container Siggi Skyr or 1/2c left over skyr from the last
batch
1/16-1/4 tablet rennet
Put milk in a large pot over medium heat.
Bring the milk up to 180-190 degrees...do not boil, stir
religiously to not burn the milk.
Let the milk cool to 110 degrees or less. Takes about 2 hours
depending on ambient air temp.
Mix the rennet with ½ c of warm water. For skyr like the
Siggis skyr, use 1/16 tablet of rennet. For more firm skyr like like paneer,
use ¼ tablet of rennet.
Add the siggi skyr or left over skyr to some of the warm
milk. Mix until smooth. Use warm water and dissolved rennet and then stir into
the milk.
Cover the milk with a dish towel or paper towels or use some
method to keep bug and dirt out. Put it in a warmish area overnight. Ovens are
good.
Next morning pour the mixture into a cheese cloth or tea
towel lined colander over a pot.
Let drain for 8 -24 hours.
The skyr will be in the cloth, whey in the
pot.
Side notes:
If you burn the milk to the bottom of the pan, do not scrape
it until after the skyr is draining. Then just add 2c vinegar and 2c water.
Bring to boil for 5 mins, let sit, the burned milk will float off the bottom.
Use the whey in place of stock for soups or porridge.
Rennet can be bought at brewing stores or PCC or many upscale
grocers. Veg or regular work the same.
Use it as a sour cream replacement, anywhere you would use
yogurt, or just with a little honey.
Porridge Recipe
A good quality porridge is all about the ratio. The rest is
customization.
1 part whole grain
4 parts liquid
Bring to boil and then simmer until 90% of liquid is
absorbed. Stir occasionally so it does not stick.
Crock pot works well.
Hay box technique works awesome. (Bring to a boil for 10 min
and then insulate well with hay or blankets)
Cod Porridge (4 servings)
1 cup Barley, whole or pearled
4 cups whey from skyrr
1 large onion diced
1t salt (or sub 1c sea water for 1c whey)
1/2lb greens (any greens work)
1lb cod cut into bite size cubes (fresh or soaked salt cod)
Add liquid, onions, salt, and barley to pot and bring to
boil. If the greens are tough, Kale, chard, fat dandelions, add them too.
Simmer until liquid 90% absorbed. Stir in tender greens and
cod. Take off heat, cover, wait 10 mins and serve with skyrr to stir in.
Smoke Meat Porridge (serves 4)
1 cup Barley, whole or pearled
4 cups whey left over from boiling salt meat
2 large onion diced
1/2lb greens or other veg
Any leftover boiled meat
Serve with skyrr to stir in.
Vegetarian Porridge (serves 4)
1 cup Barley, whole or pearled
¼ cup field peas, soaked
4 cups whey from skyrr
2 large onion diced
1t salt (or sub 1c sea water for 1c whey)
1 lb greens or other veg
Coriander to taste, I like about 3/4t
When hot put in a bowl, make a well, and drop an egg in.
Cover the bowl for 5 mins until egg coddles or just stir it in. Serve with skyrr.
Sweet Cherry Porridge (serves 4)
1 cup Barley, whole or pearled
4 cups whey from skyrr
1lb sweet cherries, pitted
2T butter
1/4t salt
Serve with skyrr and honey
Sour fruit porridge (serves 4)
1 cup Barley, whole or pearled
4 cups whey from skyrr
1lb sour fruit…cherries, apples, lingonberries
1/4t salt
1/4c honey
2T butter
Barley Cakes
4 eggs
3T sea water or 1/4t
of salt
1½ cups barley flour
2 cups buttermilk or whey
Put ingredients in a mixer bowl in order, using only half the
buttermilk at first. Mix slowly to start, then pick up speed. Add remaining
buttermilk and mix together. Leave batter overnight. Very important to let it
sit and combine.
Add fat (butter or lard) to the pan so it will not stick and
about 1/4c of batter to make an 8” crepe like pancake. You can flip it if you
like or when it appears done add some skyrr and roll.
Top with an egg or honey or berries.
