flipSaffron Frumenty with Roast Venison
Saffron Frumenty with Roast Venison
Why this dish? This is the banquet dish at the Grail Castle (Carbonek), when Perceval sees the procession of the lance and the Grail. Frumenty — wheat in saffron almond milk — was THE obligatory companion to venison on noble Anglo-Welsh tables, the dish of honor served to the lord and his knights.
A silky porridge of cracked wheat bound with almond milk and gilded with saffron, served alongside a roasted haunch of venison. The contrast of creamy grain and peppery game meat makes the luxury of this course.
Now listen, friend, and do not mock a knight who speaks of cooking. At the castle where I saw the Grail pass, they seated me at the right hand and brought me this frumenty golden with saffron, most unctuous, with the venison I had myself chased in the forest. My mother once made it humbler, without the saffron that is worth its weight in fine gold; but know that good wheat, long simmered in almond milk and bound with egg yolks, is worth all the gold of a king. Eat it hot, knight — cold, it loses its soul.
- •Cracked wheat (wheat) — two handfuls per diner (base, long-simmered in water)
- •Almond milk — to cover (creamy binder, for both meat and lean days)
- •Saffron — a few threads (golden color and perfume, mark of rank)
- •Egg yolks — two or three (final binder)
- •Haunch of venison (deer) — according to the table (roast of honor)
- •Salt and long pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Saffron Frumenty with Roast Venison
A silky porridge of cracked wheat bound with almond milk and gilded with saffron, served alongside a roasted haunch of venison. The contrast of creamy grain and peppery game meat makes the luxury of this course.
Why this dish? This is the banquet dish at the Grail Castle (Carbonek), when Perceval sees the procession of the lance and the Grail. Frumenty — wheat in saffron almond milk — was THE obligatory companion to venison on noble Anglo-Welsh tables, the dish of honor served to the lord and his knights.
Now listen, friend, and do not mock a knight who speaks of cooking. At the castle where I saw the Grail pass, they seated me at the right hand and brought me this frumenty golden with saffron, most unctuous, with the venison I had myself chased in the forest. My mother once made it humbler, without the saffron that is worth its weight in fine gold; but know that good wheat, long simmered in almond milk and bound with egg yolks, is worth all the gold of a king. Eat it hot, knight — cold, it loses its soul.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cracked wheat (wheat) — two handfuls per diner (base, long-simmered in water)
- Almond milk — to cover (creamy binder, for both meat and lean days)
- Saffron — a few threads (golden color and perfume, mark of rank)
- Egg yolks — two or three (final binder)
- Haunch of venison (deer) — according to the table (roast of honor)
- Salt and long pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Cracked wheat (or pearled spelt) — 200 g (base)
- Unsweetened almond milk — 500 ml (cooking and binding)
- Saffron — 1 generous pinch (approx. 0.1 g) (color and aroma)
- Egg yolks — 3 (binder)
- Haunch of venison or doe — 600 g (roast)
- Butter — 30 g (to sear the meat)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Soak the cracked wheat overnight, then cook it over low heat in salted water until it bursts and becomes tender (45 min to 1 hr).
- Drain, return to low heat and pour in the almond milk in which the saffron has been infused. Let thicken, stirring.
- Off the heat, bind with the beaten egg yolks, without letting it boil. Season with salt. The frumenty should coat a spoon.
- Sear the venison haunch in butter, 3-4 min per side for rosy meat, season with salt and pepper. Let rest.
- Serve a generous spoonful of golden frumenty, top with slices of venison.
How it was made : Frumenty (frumenty, frumentee) appears in Anglo-Norman medieval recipe collections such as the Forme of Cury (14th c.) and traditionally accompanied venison. Almond milk allowed the dish to be served even on lean days; saffron marked the lordly table.
The contemporary twist : Serve the frumenty in a circle on a slate, venison fanned out, a drizzle of hazelnut oil: "the Grail on the plate," golden like the chalice.
Sources : Forme of Cury (English collection, c. 1390) · C. B. Hieatt & S. Butler, Curye on Inglysch
Perceval · Charactorium
