flipRoast Venison with Sage and Cumin
Roast Venison with Sage and Cumin
Why this dish? Einhard, his biographer, writes that Charles loved above all the roast that his hunters brought him on the spit, and that he could not bear to be deprived of it. Hunting was his favorite pastime: this roast game is the dish that best depicts him.
A shoulder or haunch of venison slowly roasted, rubbed with herbs from the imperial garden and cumin brought by trade routes, served on thick slices of dark bread that soak up the juices.
Approach, and fear not the table of your king. This deer was roused at dawn in the forest of Aachen by my huntsmen, and I myself held the spear. It is rubbed with sage from my garden, cumin, and salt, then turned on the spit until the skin sings in the flame. My physicians preach boiled dishes and fasts; I answer them that nothing rejoices a man like meat taken from the fire and flesh won by the arm. Eat, and may God keep you in health.
- •Venison haunch — one large piece (game meat, heart of the feast)
- •Fresh sage — a handful (Capitulary herb, fragrance)
- •Cumin seeds — a generous pinch (trade spice, signature)
- •Salt — to hand (seasoning)
- •Lard — a few slices (fat for basting the spit)
- •Dark bread — large slices (trencher and juice base)
Roast Venison with Sage and Cumin
A shoulder or haunch of venison slowly roasted, rubbed with herbs from the imperial garden and cumin brought by trade routes, served on thick slices of dark bread that soak up the juices.
Why this dish? Einhard, his biographer, writes that Charles loved above all the roast that his hunters brought him on the spit, and that he could not bear to be deprived of it. Hunting was his favorite pastime: this roast game is the dish that best depicts him.
Approach, and fear not the table of your king. This deer was roused at dawn in the forest of Aachen by my huntsmen, and I myself held the spear. It is rubbed with sage from my garden, cumin, and salt, then turned on the spit until the skin sings in the flame. My physicians preach boiled dishes and fasts; I answer them that nothing rejoices a man like meat taken from the fire and flesh won by the arm. Eat, and may God keep you in health.
Ingredients (period version)
- Venison haunch — one large piece (game meat, heart of the feast)
- Fresh sage — a handful (Capitulary herb, fragrance)
- Cumin seeds — a generous pinch (trade spice, signature)
- Salt — to hand (seasoning)
- Lard — a few slices (fat for basting the spit)
- Dark bread — large slices (trencher and juice base)
Ingredients
- Venison haunch or shoulder (or other game) — 1.2 kg (main meat)
- Fresh sage — 10 leaves, chopped (aromatic herb)
- Cumin seeds — 2 tsp, crushed (signature spice)
- Smoked bacon — 6 thin slices (barding, basting)
- Salt and a little honey — 1 tsp honey (light glaze)
- Sourdough country bread — 6 thick slices (traditional support)
Method
- Take the meat out 1 hour ahead: it should be at room temperature. Rub with salt, crushed cumin, and chopped sage.
- Bard the haunch with bacon, tie it, and place on a rack over a dish to catch the juices.
- Roast in the oven at 220°C for 15 minutes, then lower to 160°C and cook for about 20 minutes per 500g for pink meat, basting with the rendered fat.
- Halfway through, brush with a thin layer of honey for an amber crust.
- Let rest for 15 minutes under a cloth. Slice and arrange on the dark bread slices, drizzle with the juice.
- Serve in the center of the table, to share.
How it was made : There were no thermostatic ovens or individual plates: the piece turned for hours on a spit before the hearth, a servant basting it with fat. The hard bread, the trencher, served as a plate; soaked with juice, it was eaten at the end or given to the poor.
The contemporary twist : Serve the roast on a raw wooden board with grilled trencher bread, and stick a small knife into it: everyone helps themselves as at the mensa, without plates.
Sources : Einhard, Vita Karoli Magni, chaps. 22-24 (dining habits and taste for roast) · Capitulare de villis (c. 795), list of herbs on imperial estates
Charlemagne · Charactorium
