Green Porée with Herbs
A thick green pottage of leeks and chard, bound with bread and enriched with bacon, moistened with broth. Comforting and earthy, it is the quintessential everyday medieval meal.
A thick green pottage of leeks and chard, bound with bread and enriched with bacon, moistened with broth. Comforting and earthy, it is the quintessential everyday medieval meal.
Do not think that a king feeds only on golden peacocks! Porée simmered in my palace as in the house of the humblest of my serfs. We chopped leeks and chard fine, threw them in the pot with a bit of bacon, and the bread bound them until the spoon stood upright. That is the stew that warms a man on cold mornings in Île-de-France, whether he wears a crown or a crook.
- •Leeks — a good bunch (base of pottage)
- •Chard (Swiss chard) — a full basket (greens)
- •Bacon — a piece (fat and flavor)
- •Bread — a few crusts (binder)
- •Meat broth — as needed (liquid)
Green Porée with Herbs
A thick green pottage of leeks and chard, bound with bread and enriched with bacon, moistened with broth. Comforting and earthy, it is the quintessential everyday medieval meal.
Why this dish? Even a king ate porée, this pottage of leeks and chard that simmered in every pot in the royal domain, from cottage to the Palais de la Cité. It was the staple food of Île-de-France, which Philip Augustus traveled and administered.
Do not think that a king feeds only on golden peacocks! Porée simmered in my palace as in the house of the humblest of my serfs. We chopped leeks and chard fine, threw them in the pot with a bit of bacon, and the bread bound them until the spoon stood upright. That is the stew that warms a man on cold mornings in Île-de-France, whether he wears a crown or a crook.
Ingredients (period version)
- Leeks — a good bunch (base of pottage)
- Chard (Swiss chard) — a full basket (greens)
- Bacon — a piece (fat and flavor)
- Bread — a few crusts (binder)
- Meat broth — as needed (liquid)
Ingredients
- Leeks — 3 large (base)
- Chard (or spinach) — 300 g (greens)
- Smoked bacon lardons — 100 g (fat and flavor)
- Stale bread — 1 slice (binder)
- Chicken or beef broth — 1 liter (liquid)
- Ginger + salt — 1 pinch + to taste (subtle seasoning)
Method
- Finely slice leeks and chard (separate green leaves and stalks).
- Fry the bacon lardons in the pot, add leeks and chard stalks, sweat gently.
- Add broth, crumble in the bread, simmer for 25 min.
- Add chard greens at the end, season with salt and a pinch of ginger.
- Partially blend (or not) depending on whether you want a smooth or rustic texture.
How it was made : In the Middle Ages, 'porée' referred to any vegetable pottage (from 'porreau', leek). It came in green (herbs) or white (with almond milk on lean days). It was the daily food of all classes; the king ate it simply better seasoned and enriched with meat.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a bowl with a poached egg on top and a garlic-rubbed crouton: porée becomes a medieval brunch.
Sources : Le Mesnagier de Paris (1393) · Bruno Laurioux, Manger au Moyen Âge (2002)
Philippe Auguste · Charactorium