Coronation Roast Game with Juniper
A fine piece of game (venison or deer) roasted, rubbed with crushed juniper and precious spices — pepper, clove, cinnamon — then coated with a sauce of wine and dried fruits. The prestige dish of the North, where luxury was measured by spices from afar.
A fine piece of game (venison or deer) roasted, rubbed with crushed juniper and precious spices — pepper, clove, cinnamon — then coated with a sauce of wine and dried fruits. The prestige dish of the North, where luxury was measured by spices from afar.
On the day of my coronation, my table groaned under the game of my forests, for a queen of Sweden must feed her court as a sovereign. Have the juniper crushed, that sharp berry of our woods, and rub the flesh with it before committing it to the fire; add pepper and clove, which cost me more than gold and which I love for that reason. As for me, I scarcely tasted it — I considered opulence a chore and preferred the company of scholars to that of roasters.
- •Haunch of venison or deer — one piece (base)
- •Juniper berries — a handful (signature, perfume)
- •Pepper, clove, cinnamon — spices to taste (aromatic luxury)
- •Lard — a few strips (fat, tenderness)
- •Red wine — a pitcher (sauce)
- •Raisins and prunes — a handful (sweetness of sauce)
Coronation Roast Game with Juniper
A fine piece of game (venison or deer) roasted, rubbed with crushed juniper and precious spices — pepper, clove, cinnamon — then coated with a sauce of wine and dried fruits. The prestige dish of the North, where luxury was measured by spices from afar.
Why this dish? Crowned in 1650 in a Sweden that had become a great power, Christina presided over lavish banquets where game from the royal forests reigned on the taffel. Juniper, the berry of her northern woods, perfumed these noble meats, enhanced by expensively imported spices.
On the day of my coronation, my table groaned under the game of my forests, for a queen of Sweden must feed her court as a sovereign. Have the juniper crushed, that sharp berry of our woods, and rub the flesh with it before committing it to the fire; add pepper and clove, which cost me more than gold and which I love for that reason. As for me, I scarcely tasted it — I considered opulence a chore and preferred the company of scholars to that of roasters.
Ingredients (period version)
- Haunch of venison or deer — one piece (base)
- Juniper berries — a handful (signature, perfume)
- Pepper, clove, cinnamon — spices to taste (aromatic luxury)
- Lard — a few strips (fat, tenderness)
- Red wine — a pitcher (sauce)
- Raisins and prunes — a handful (sweetness of sauce)
Ingredients
- Roast venison (or deer) — 1.2 kg (base)
- Juniper berries — 1 tbsp (signature)
- Black peppercorns — 1 tsp (spice)
- Cloves — 3 (spice)
- Cinnamon — 1/2 tsp (spice)
- Smoked lard strips — 100 g (tenderness)
- Full-bodied red wine — 250 ml (sauce)
- Pitted prunes — 80 g (sweetness)
- Butter — 30 g (binder)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Crush juniper with pepper, clove, and cinnamon in a mortar; rub the meat with the mixture and salt. Let rest 1 hour.
- Bard the roast with lard, tie it.
- Sear the piece on all sides in a buttered Dutch oven, then roast at 180°C (about 20 min per 500 g for pink meat).
- Remove the meat, let rest under a cloth. Deglaze the pot with red wine, add prunes, reduce by half.
- Mount the sauce with butter, adjust salt. Slice the roast and coat with fruit sauce.
How it was made : At the taffel of Nordic courts, game from the royal forests was the meat for grand occasions. Eastern spices — pepper, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg — cost fortunes and signaled the host's rank; they were often combined with dried fruits and wine for the sweet-and-sour sauces typical of European cuisine at the time. Juniper, however, grew locally and perfumed northern meats and drinks.
The contemporary twist : Serve the slice on a parsnip purée and sprinkle with toasted juniper berries: a 'boreal forest' on the plate.
Sources : Cajsa Warg, Hjelpreda i Hushållningen (1755)
Christina of Sweden · Charactorium