A shoulder of venison roasted on a spit, glazed with a lively verjuice sauce enhanced with ginger and cinnamon — the medieval balance of acid and spice that made game sing.

Why this dish? William was a passionate hunter — he loved hunting so much that he created the New Forest in England as a reserve. The venison from his Norman forests was the noble meat par excellence of his ducal and later royal table.

Approach, and fear not my table. When I returned from the woods of Normandy, the shoulder of the stag turned on the spit until the fat sang in the fire. We bathed it in verjuice from our green apples and powdered ginger, for a noble flesh needs a sauce that bites. Eat it with your bread, boy, and you will know why a duke fights better with a full belly.

How it was made : At the time, meat turned on a spit in front of a lively fire, basted constantly to prevent drying. Medieval sauces were not thickened with butter or flour but were acidic and heavily spiced — verjuice replaced lemon, still rare in the North.

The contemporary twist : Plate the slice on a slate with a drizzle of verjuice reduction and some fresh lingonberries — a nod to the wild fruits of Norman forests.

William the Conqueror · Charactorium