Knight's Twice-Baked Dark Galette and Salted Bacon
A spelt galette baked twice to last on the road, accompanied by salted bacon and hard cheese. The warrior's ration on the march toward the Pyrenees, made to withstand long journeys.
A spelt galette baked twice to last on the road, accompanied by salted bacon and hard cheese. The warrior's ration on the march toward the Pyrenees, made to withstand long journeys.
Before Roncevaux, before my olifant sounded in the mountains, we had to ride for days and days. Learn then, young squire, what a knight puts in his satchel: the dark galette baked twice, hard as wood but never moldy; the well-salted bacon that keeps in heat and cold; the hard cheese. Dip the galette in a little wine if your teeth balk. These are rough rations, but they carried me to the passes of Spain without faltering.
- •Spelt or rye flour — as needed (galette base)
- •Water and salt — for the dough (binder)
- •Salted bacon — a good piece (preserved meat)
- •Hard cheese — a quarter (strength and flavor)
Knight's Twice-Baked Dark Galette and Salted Bacon
A spelt galette baked twice to last on the road, accompanied by salted bacon and hard cheese. The warrior's ration on the march toward the Pyrenees, made to withstand long journeys.
Why this dish? Roland dies at Roncevaux, the rearguard of the Frankish army crushed on the return from Spain. Before the battles, a knight on campaign eats provisions that keep: twice-baked galette, salted bacon, and hard cheese, slipped into the satchel near the olifant.
Before Roncevaux, before my olifant sounded in the mountains, we had to ride for days and days. Learn then, young squire, what a knight puts in his satchel: the dark galette baked twice, hard as wood but never moldy; the well-salted bacon that keeps in heat and cold; the hard cheese. Dip the galette in a little wine if your teeth balk. These are rough rations, but they carried me to the passes of Spain without faltering.
Ingredients (period version)
- Spelt or rye flour — as needed (galette base)
- Water and salt — for the dough (binder)
- Salted bacon — a good piece (preserved meat)
- Hard cheese — a quarter (strength and flavor)
Ingredients
- Spelt flour (or rye) — 250 g (galette base)
- Water — 120 ml (binder)
- Salt — 1 tsp (seasoning and preservation)
- Salted bacon (or salt pork belly) — 150 g (preserved meat)
- Aged hard cheese — 100 g (strength and flavor)
Method
- Mix the flour, salt, and water to form a firm dough; knead briefly.
- Roll out into thin galettes and cook them once on a hot griddle.
- Return the galettes to a low oven (120°C) for 30–40 minutes to dry them out; they will keep for a long time.
- Fry the slices of salted bacon in a pan until golden.
- Serve the galette with the bacon and shards of hard cheese; it can be dipped in a little wine or broth to soften it.
How it was made : Medieval armies lived on provisions that kept: bread or galette *biscuit* (twice-baked, ancestor of the biscuit), salted and smoked meats, aged cheeses. Salt was the master weapon of preservation before refrigeration. These unappetizing but reliable rations sustained entire campaigns, such as the one in Spain where the rearguard perished at Roncevaux.
The contemporary twist : Presented on a medieval hiking board: broken galette, crispy thin bacon slices, and shavings of old cheese, like a walking snack from times past.
Sources : Bruno Laurioux, *Manger au Moyen Âge* · *The Song of Roland* (Oxford manuscript, 12th century)
Roland · Charactorium
