Crusaders in the Holy Land
Whether most of the men and women
who joined the Crusades were
motivated by Christian zeal or
the prospects of loot and adventure
will never be fully understood but
it is known that during the thirty
years following the first Crusade
in 1097 fully half of the knights
of France set of for the Holy Land.
Small port towns like Caesaria and
Atlit became such crowded way stations
for Crusaders that they soon became
thriving metropolitan areas. So many
people accompanied these knights that
Anna Comena, the daughter of the emperor
of Byzantium wrote that "the whole of
the west and all the barbarians who
lived between the Adriatic and Straits
of Gibraltar migrated in a body,
marching across Europe country by country
with all their household goods. ... Full
of enthusiasm and ardor they thronged every
highway and they outnumbered the sands of
the seashore or the stars of heaven".
When the Crusaders first landed in the Holy
Land they found the ingredients of the
region so alien to their palates that huge
industries developed, especially in Italy,
all with the purpose of dispatching food to
the hungry armies and the rabble that had
followed them. For more than a century,
hundreds of ships departed weekly from Genoa,
Pisa and Venice, each bearing huge amounts of
arms and food.
The Crusaders finally developed a taste for
the new foods they discovered. They had a
special fondness for local herbs such as
coriander, parsley, basil and rosemary, all
of which existed in their own nations but
were virtually unknown in European cookery.
Many found, for example, that the use of
pulverized almonds in cooking added a delicate
touch to dishes with which they were already
familiar. More than anything, however, the
Europeans fell in love with the Arabic system
of cooking that allowed cooks to hang a large
cauldron permanently over a low burning fire
and to daily add to the pot whatever happened
to be at hand. In every Crusader castle and
camp, these cauldrons became a permanent part
of the scenery and from them came thick soups,
stews and dumplings made of rye flour.
The Crusaders even learned that they could
make puddings in these pots if the ingredients
were first tied in a flaxen cloth before
suspending in the pot from a hook.
Most households and camps also had at least a few
pans for making special dishes. Leftover meats
were often chopped and mixed together with
vegetables and then made into pan-fried croquettes.
Fresh fish, which were readily available along the
entire coastal region were popular but the most
popular dish was frumenty, a milky pudding made by
soaking husked wheat in hot water. The dish was
especially adored when eaten cold with milk and honey.
Several after the Pilgrim's Castle was built
in Atlit in 1220, an entire village had developed,
the purpose of which was to greet Christian
pilgrims who docked their small boats at the local
port. The master of the castle, Count Gaston Phoebus
de Foix, was known as a "prudent knight and much
beloved by all who surrounded him." According to
one of his servants, the count "adored dogs, hunting
his wife and eating and dined four times daily, the
main repast being held each night at midnight when
the count would come from his chambers to the dining
hall. Twelve servants each bore a lighted torch before
him as he made his way to the table, and the hall was
always full of knights, squires and dozens of scoundrels
who came and chose to stay to dinner". The count had
a good appetite and was especially fond of poultry,
eating only the wings and thighs. He also took special
pleasure when fanciful or inventive dishes were offered
to him and, even though he rarely partook of these,
once he had seen them he immediately dispatched them
to the tables of his guests.
Because Crusader food was often too highly spiced
(in order to hide the fact that the meat had gone
rancid), many of the dishes of that time are no
longer considered palatable. Despite this, many
dishes of that time have come to us intact, and
even though each of the following recipes is nearly
900 years old, these will please the fussiest of
modern palates.
Artichoke Soup with Mustard and Yoghurt
1/4 cup butter
2 1/4 lb. (1 kilo) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and sliced (if Jerusalem
artichokes are not available, use the hearts of regular artichokes)
2 large onions, sliced thinly
1 1/2 Tbsp. powdered mustard
6 cups chicken stock
1 bouquet garni made by tying together 2 sprigs each of parsley and thyme and 1
bay leaf
3/4 cup yogurt
2 tsp. parsley, chopped finely
In a saucepan melt the butter over a low flame.
Add the artichokes, onion and mustard, cover and
cook gently for about 10 minutes.
Pour over the stock, stir well, and bring the
mixture to a boil.
Add the bouquet garni, reduce the flame, cover
and simmer gently for 1/2 hour.
Puree the still solid portions of the soup, add
the yogurt and parsley and, over a low flame
heat through, stirring constantly without allowing
to boil.
Serve hot.
(Serves 6 - 8).
Mutton with String Beans and Pears
1 leg of mutton, about 6 1/2 lb. (3 kilos)
12 cloves garlic, halved
12 whole cloves
6 firm pears, peeled, cored and halved
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup butter, melted
2 lb. (900 gr.) string beans
2 cups bacon or salt pork, cut in small cubes about
2 cups light cream
Remove the outer covering from the
meat and rub well with the cut garlic
cloves.
With a sharp knife pierce the meat in
24 places and in each insertion place
a halved garlic clove.
Stud the meat with the whole cloves and
then transfer, fat side up, to a rack in
an oven pan.
Place in an oven that has been preheated
to very hot.
Immediately reduce the oven temperature
to medium and roast until the meat is done,
allowing about 25 minutes per pound (55
minutes per kilo).
Do not baste during cooking.
While the meat is cooking place the pears
in a baking dish with 3 Tbsp. of water and
pour over the corn syrup.
Cover and bake in the medium oven for 1 1/2
hours, basting during the cooking with the
melted butter.
Trim off the ends of the green beans and,
if they are particularly long halve them
on the bias.
Drop the beans into a large amount of rapidly
boiling salted water together with the bacon
or salt pork.
Immediately reduce to a low flame, cover tightly
and cook just until the beans are tender
(15 - 20 minutes).
Drain the beans well.
When the meat has finished cooking remove
it from the pan and set aside to keep warm.
Prepare a pan gravy by pouring off all but
about 6 Tbsp. of the drippings.
Into this blend 4 Tbsp. of flour and stir with
a wire whisk over a low flame until the mixture
is well blended and somewhat thickened.
Continue cooking over a very low flame, stirring
constantly, while adding enough light cream
to make a total of three cups.
Distribute the beans on a large serving platter
together with the salt pork or bacon and on these
set the mutton.
Distribute the pear halves around the edges of
the platter.
Pour over about 1/2 cup of the gravy and serve
the remaining gravy separately.
(Serves 6 - 8).
Stewed Celery
4 large bunches celery
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. each mace and salt
peel of 1 lemon, grated
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. nutmeg, grated
1 cup light cream
Remove the coarse outer leaves and green ends
of the celery.
Place the celery in a saucepan and add the
chicken stock.
Add additional stock or water if necessary
to cover the heads completely.
Bring to a boil and boil just until tender,
adding more stock or water if necessary to
keep the celery covered.
Remove the celery from the saucepan and set aside.
To the liquids add the salt, mace and lemon peel.
Roll the butter in the flour until the flour
is absorbed and add this to the saucepan.
Again bring to the boil, stirring constantly until
the butter and flour are well absorbed.
In a bowl beat the egg yolks and to these add the
nutmeg.
Mix To well and then add the sweet cream and several
tablespoons of the liquids in which the celery was
cooked.
Pour the mixture slowly into the saucepan, mixing
constantly, and cook over a very low flame until
the sauce is thickened.
Do not allow the mixture to boil.
Return the celery to the sauce and heat through
but do not boil.
(Serves 8- 10).
Orange Triffle
6 Tbsp. brandy
juice of 1 small orange
12 large macaroon cookies
2 large seedless oranges, peeled, with pith
removed and broken into segments
3 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks, well beaten
Place the brandy and orange juice
in a mixing bowl and in this soak
the macaroon cookies, whole, for
about 1 hour.
In a shallow serving dish arrange the
macaroons and the orange segments in circles.
In a saucepan combine half the cream, 6 Tbsp.
of the sugar and the beaten egg yolks.
Heat over a low flame, stirring constantly
until the mixture thickens.
Pour this custard over the oranges and macaroons,
let cool, cover and refrigerate.
Shortly before serving combine the remaining
cream and sugar and beat until well thickened.
Distribute the whipped cream over the custard
and serve well chilled.
(Serves 6).
© Daniel Rogov
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