Roast Venison with Cameline Sauce
A haunch of venison or roe deer roasted on the spit, served with the famous 'cameline', a cold medieval sauce thickened with toasted bread, flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and sharpened with verjuice. The contrast between the hot, smoky meat and the spicy-sour sauce was the hallmark of great Western tables.
A haunch of venison or roe deer roasted on the spit, served with the famous 'cameline', a cold medieval sauce thickened with toasted bread, flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and sharpened with verjuice. The contrast between the hot, smoky meat and the spicy-sour sauce was the hallmark of great Western tables.
Know, gentle host, that at my table no game is served without the noble cameline sauce. My huntsmen brought me the deer from the forest, and my cook turned it on the spit until the fat sang on the embers. Over it, we poured this brown brew of cinnamon and verjuice, which I hold as most worthy of a man-at-arms. Taste it, and you will know why we knights prefer the bite of spices to the blandness of porridge.
- •Haunch of venison (deer or roe deer) — a fine piece (roasted meat)
- •Larding bacon — a few strips (prevent meat from drying)
- •Cinnamon, ginger, cloves — to taste (spices for the sauce)
- •Toasted breadcrumbs — a crust (thickener for the sauce)
- •Verjuice (green grape juice) — a full cup (acidity)
Roast Venison with Cameline Sauce
A haunch of venison or roe deer roasted on the spit, served with the famous 'cameline', a cold medieval sauce thickened with toasted bread, flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and sharpened with verjuice. The contrast between the hot, smoky meat and the spicy-sour sauce was the hallmark of great Western tables.
Why this dish? Richard was above all a knight and a hunter of the forest: roast game on a spit, coated with a brown cinnamon and verjuice sauce, was the honor dish of the feudal lord holding court between campaigns.
Know, gentle host, that at my table no game is served without the noble cameline sauce. My huntsmen brought me the deer from the forest, and my cook turned it on the spit until the fat sang on the embers. Over it, we poured this brown brew of cinnamon and verjuice, which I hold as most worthy of a man-at-arms. Taste it, and you will know why we knights prefer the bite of spices to the blandness of porridge.
Ingredients (period version)
- Haunch of venison (deer or roe deer) — a fine piece (roasted meat)
- Larding bacon — a few strips (prevent meat from drying)
- Cinnamon, ginger, cloves — to taste (spices for the sauce)
- Toasted breadcrumbs — a crust (thickener for the sauce)
- Verjuice (green grape juice) — a full cup (acidity)
Ingredients
- Roast venison or deer — 1.2 kg (roasted meat)
- Thin bacon strips — 100 g (keep moist)
- Cinnamon — 1 tsp (dominant spice)
- Ground ginger — 1/2 tsp (warmth)
- Ground cloves — 2 pinches (depth)
- Rustic bread, toasted — 2 slices (thickener)
- Verjuice (or cider vinegar diluted with water) — 150 ml (acidity)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Lard the venison roast, salt it, then sear and roast in a hot oven (200°C), basting regularly, until nicely browned and pink (about 35-45 minutes).
- For the cameline: soak the toasted bread in verjuice for a few minutes.
- Blend the soaked bread with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and a little salt until smooth and brown; adjust acidity with a splash of verjuice.
- Let the roast rest for 10 minutes, slice, and coat (or serve alongside) with cold cameline sauce.
How it was made : Cameline sauce, attested in medieval recipe collections (Le Viandier, Forme of Cury), was served cold and thickened not with butter but with bread; verjuice, green grape juice, often replaced lemon for acidity. Game roasted on the spit was the noble meat par excellence for the hunter lord.
The contemporary twist : Serve the cameline in a small pot like a 'medieval ketchup' alongside slices of venison, so each person can dose their own spice.
Sources : Le Viandier de Taillevent (manuscript recension) · The Forme of Cury (English collection, late 14th c.)
Richard the Lionheart · Charactorium
