flipBarley and Herb Pottage of Sherwood
Barley and Herb Pottage of Sherwood
Why this dish? Pottage was THE daily dish of the common medieval English people, what Robin's companions would have eaten every day: a barley and vegetable porridge simmering endlessly over the fire, to which they added whatever the hunt and foraging brought.
A thick soup-porridge of barley and oats, swollen with leeks, cabbage, and dried peas, perfumed with herbs gathered under the oaks. The outlaw's belly, comforting and inexhaustible.
Come close to the fire, friend, and hold out your bowl! Here's what keeps our bellies warm when the sheriff thinks us starving. My barley has been simmering since dawn, and I toss in what Sherwood gives me — a leek, a handful of peas, the thyme that Marianne picks. Eat your fill: at my table, the poor are as well treated as the rich are relieved!
- •Hulled barley — two large handfuls (nourishing base)
- •Oats — a handful (thickener)
- •Dried peas — a soaked handful (poor man's protein)
- •Leeks and cabbage — as much as you like (base vegetables)
- •Wild garlic and wild thyme — a good pinch (forest aroma)
- •Salt, smoked bacon (if confiscated) — as fortune allows (seasoning)
Barley and Herb Pottage of Sherwood
A thick soup-porridge of barley and oats, swollen with leeks, cabbage, and dried peas, perfumed with herbs gathered under the oaks. The outlaw's belly, comforting and inexhaustible.
Why this dish? Pottage was THE daily dish of the common medieval English people, what Robin's companions would have eaten every day: a barley and vegetable porridge simmering endlessly over the fire, to which they added whatever the hunt and foraging brought.
Come close to the fire, friend, and hold out your bowl! Here's what keeps our bellies warm when the sheriff thinks us starving. My barley has been simmering since dawn, and I toss in what Sherwood gives me — a leek, a handful of peas, the thyme that Marianne picks. Eat your fill: at my table, the poor are as well treated as the rich are relieved!
Ingredients (period version)
- Hulled barley — two large handfuls (nourishing base)
- Oats — a handful (thickener)
- Dried peas — a soaked handful (poor man's protein)
- Leeks and cabbage — as much as you like (base vegetables)
- Wild garlic and wild thyme — a good pinch (forest aroma)
- Salt, smoked bacon (if confiscated) — as fortune allows (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Pearl barley — 150 g (base)
- Rolled oats — 40 g (thickener)
- Split peas — 100 g (protein)
- Leeks — 2 (vegetable)
- Green cabbage — 1/4 (vegetable)
- Smoked bacon lardons — 100 g (optional) (umami)
- Thyme, garlic, salt — to taste (seasoning)
- Broth or water — 1.5 L (liquid)
Method
- Soak split peas and barley for a few hours (or use pearl barley directly).
- Sauté the lardons (if using) then the sliced leeks in the pot.
- Add barley, split peas, and broth; simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- Stir in shredded cabbage and oats; cook another 15 minutes until thickened.
- Season with crushed garlic and thyme, add salt to taste, serve piping hot in bowls with bread.
How it was made : Pottage was the staple of medieval English diet, from peasant to monk. The pot remained on the fire constantly and was replenished without ever being emptied (the 'perpetual stew'). Peas, beans, barley, and oats dominated; meat was rare and precious.
The contemporary twist : Served in a hollowed-out bread loaf (bread bowl), a nod to the medieval trencher that was eaten at the end.
Sources : C. Anne Wilson, Food and Drink in Britain · Maggie Black, The Medieval Cookbook
Robin Hood · Charactorium
