So, this happened, my friend Zak, in the SCA Ozurr the Bootgiver, won crown tournament which we all know makes you King of the East. With that comes a wonderful day of coronation where everyone dresses up in their finest garb and travel to the farthest reaches the kingdom. Along with this is usually a feast of some kind cooked by a handful of very crazy people who like nothing better than a good root canal or a monday morning standing on line at the DMV.
But I digress.
Ozurr, being a descendant of the mighty Norse like myself, I made the assumption that feast would be of a Norse / Scandanavian flavor which I am quite accomplished in the making and eating of. So when I was asked by my Viceraine the formidable Il-Khatun Lada Monguligin - Dread Viceraine of the Crown Province of Ostgardr if I would be Feast Steward for the coronation bid Ostgardr was putting in I said sure.
Being unaware of the machinations and behind the scenes workings, or really, who was in charge, my
epic Viking feast turned into a Venetian feast out of my worst nightmares.
One of the larger issues which arose fairly early was the lack of kitchen facility. An under powered domestic four burner stove/oven (which we came to find out on the day only three burners worked) made cooking the feast indoors almost impossible so we came up with a menu that we could do mostly outside and in advance.
First Course
Being unaware of the machinations and behind the scenes workings, or really, who was in charge, my
epic Viking feast turned into a Venetian feast out of my worst nightmares.
One of the larger issues which arose fairly early was the lack of kitchen facility. An under powered domestic four burner stove/oven (which we came to find out on the day only three burners worked) made cooking the feast indoors almost impossible so we came up with a menu that we could do mostly outside and in advance.
First Course
Baccala' Mantecato'– a Classic Venetian dish served at feasts and at Yule time
Bigoli in Salsa– Wheat Pasta in Anchovie Sauce. Usually served as a side to a fish dish.
Meat Turnips - I do not now why they are called meat turnisp as there is no meat in them.
Second Course
Grilled Game hens w/ Fennel Sauce–Classic dish with a typical Venetian sauce
Risi e Bisi– Classic Venetian dish (on every table ) Risoto w/ Peas
Insalate - Herb Salad
Third Course
Roasted Whole Hog - With Green sauce - Classic Venetian Sauce
Cooked Gourds - With Almond milk and Raisins
I found these recipes from various sources on the web. One was an SCA source, the others were from scholarly works on venetian cooking.
http://aneala.lochac.sca.org/arts/food-and-drink/food-in-16th-century-venice/
http://helewyse.medievalcookery.com/libro.html?fbclid=IwAR3ituwokjfO06s69KyhS7914TuJ-u1eHYulwH28tnzi6aJwy1fQHAdtGPI
Venice has some very traditional food that is still on the venetian holiday table today. The Baccala Montecato and the Rise e Bisi are classic dishes for holidays. The Bigoli in Salsa is literally the only venetian pasta dish that comes up in any search.
We taste tested all the dishes. Everyone liked them. I was a little concerned about the Anchovy sauce for the pasta. I am a big fan of Anchovies but not everyone is. Once it was poured over the pasta, it seemed to be a big hit and everyone ate it.
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