Roast Venison Haunch with Pepper Sauce
A quarter of venison roasted on the spit, coated with a pungent sauce of pepper, ginger, and verjuice. The centerpiece of a feast intended to honor a distinguished guest.
A quarter of venison roasted on the spit, coated with a pungent sauce of pepper, ginger, and verjuice. The centerpiece of a feast intended to honor a distinguished guest.
When a king or my fellow bishops sit at my table, it befits the archbishopric to appear in its dignity. The venison taken in our forests is then roasted, and my cook coats it with a sauce where pepper and ginger from afar marry with the verjuice of our hillsides. Taste this sharp tang, reader: it awakens the flesh and loosens tongues — and it is often at table that the affairs of the kingdom are settled.
- •Venison haunch — one piece (noble meat)
- •Lard — a few strips (barding lean meat)
- •Pepper — coarsely ground (prestigious spice)
- •Ginger — a little (spice)
- •Cinnamon — a pinch (spice)
- •Verjuice — one cup (acidity)
- •Toasted breadcrumbs — a handful (thicken sauce)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Roast Venison Haunch with Pepper Sauce
A quarter of venison roasted on the spit, coated with a pungent sauce of pepper, ginger, and verjuice. The centerpiece of a feast intended to honor a distinguished guest.
Why this dish? To receive Hugh Capet, the bishops, and the great lords of the kingdom, the archbishop laid on copious banquets. Game from the forests of Champagne — venison and wild boar — took pride of place, a sign of prestige reserved for the powerful.
When a king or my fellow bishops sit at my table, it befits the archbishopric to appear in its dignity. The venison taken in our forests is then roasted, and my cook coats it with a sauce where pepper and ginger from afar marry with the verjuice of our hillsides. Taste this sharp tang, reader: it awakens the flesh and loosens tongues — and it is often at table that the affairs of the kingdom are settled.
Ingredients (period version)
- Venison haunch — one piece (noble meat)
- Lard — a few strips (barding lean meat)
- Pepper — coarsely ground (prestigious spice)
- Ginger — a little (spice)
- Cinnamon — a pinch (spice)
- Verjuice — one cup (acidity)
- Toasted breadcrumbs — a handful (thicken sauce)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Venison roast (haunch or shoulder) — 1.2 kg (meat)
- Thin lard strips / bacon — 100 g (barding)
- Coarsely ground black pepper — 1 tsp (spice)
- Ground ginger — 1/2 tsp (spice)
- Cinnamon — 1 pinch (spice)
- Verjuice (or green grape juice + vinegar) — 150 ml (acidity)
- Game or beef broth — 200 ml (sauce)
- Toasted breadcrumbs — 1 handful (thickener)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Bard the venison roast with thin lard strips and tie with string.
- Sear the meat on all sides in a casserole, season with salt, then roast in the oven at 180 °C (about 18-20 min per 500 g for pink meat).
- Let the meat rest under foil, keep warm.
- Deglaze the casserole with verjuice, add broth, pepper, ginger, and cinnamon; let reduce.
- Stir in the toasted breadcrumbs to thicken the sauce, adjust salt.
- Slice the venison and coat with the boiling pepper sauce.
How it was made : Medieval sauces were thickened not with butter but with breadcrumbs, and got their character from sour (verjuice, vinegar) combined with Oriental spices — luxuries only the great could afford. The meat was roasted on a spit before the hearth.
The contemporary twist : Served as thin slices on a slate board with a ribbon of pepper sauce and a few crushed juniper berries, the dish takes on a refined table d'hôte look.
Adalberon of Reims · Charactorium