William the Conqueror at the table

Before the great conquest and later courtly refinement, the Normans ate heartily: a meal of warriors and lords where roasted meat dominates, accompanied by large wheat bread used as a plate (the trencher), thick pottages, and cheeses. Dishes are not served in successive courses as today: everything arrives together on the trestle table, you eat with your knife and fingers, and share the same bowl in pairs. Drinking ale or watered wine sets the rhythm of the feast.

Ducal Normandy thrived on its game-filled forests and apple trees. To season meats, lemon was not yet available: they used verjuice, the acidic juice of green apples or grapes, which gave that characteristic sharpness to the sauces of the medieval North.