Food of Aldervein

Traditional Gingerbread

A common dessert that can be found at the end of any meal. This sweet treat was originally considered a "commoners" dish, but in more modern time confectioners have challenged themselves by creating detailed displays of gingerbread. Now it has become quite popular within wealthy circles to end a hosted dinner with a grand reveal of extraordinary sugary architecture.

INGREDIENTS: 60g Brown Sugar, 225g Flour, ¼ of a Beaten Egg, 225g Butter, 170g Treacle (or Molasses), 2 tsp Cloves, 2 tsp Allspice, 2 tsp Pounded Mace, 2 tsp Ginger, 1 tsp Coriander seeds, 1 tsp Caraway Seeds.

METHOD: In a large bowl, add the treacle, egg, sugar, ginger, allspice, mace, cloves, coriander and caraway seeds. Mix it well together and then add the melted butter. Stir in the flour and mix until you form a soft dough. You can either make the dough into small cookies or biscuits by patting a the dough into a discs on a baking tray. You could also use a mold, or cutters to make all sorts of festive and fun shapes. Cook in a moderate oven (around 180 Celsius, or 350 Fahrenheit) until golden brown.

Rhubarb Soup

A light soup that is enjoyed in the summertime in many of the frontierian settlements; particularly SunderSap.

INGREDIENTS: 6 stalks of rhubarb, 1 litre veal or beef stock, 1 small onion, 2 thin slices of bread, Salt and pepper.

METHOD: Take half a dozen sticks of fine young rhubarb, peel them, and cut them into short lengths.
Throw the rhubarb into a quart of good veal or beef stock and add a moderate sized onion, two thin slices of bread, and a little salt and pepper.
Let the liquor boil, remove the scum as it rises, and simmer the soup until the fruit is quite tender - around 30 minutes.

Pigeon Pie

INGREDIENTS: 12 pigeon breasts, 450g mushrooms, A few truffles, 12 quails' eggs, Salt, Pepper, cloves and mace, Herbs (try parsley, thyme and sage), 1 glass of port, 1 glass of whiskey, Stock, with some melted gelatin.
For the pastry: 700g flour, 3 eggs, 225g salted butter.
For the forcemeat: Veal mince, Cooked ham, Breadcrumbs.

METHOD: To make the pastry, mix the butter, eggs and flour together with enough cold water to make a paste. Set it aside to chill for around 30 mins.
Once ready, don't roll the pastry out - instead, make a rough pyramid shape before pressing into the top with your fingers. Then, place the pastry inside your mold and ease out the sides. Any excess can be cut off and put aside for later to decorate the top.
For the filling, mix the veal, ham and breadcrumbs together, before lining the walls of the pie. Layer up the mushrooms, pigeon breasts, herbs, truffles, quails' eggs and spices as desired. Repeat until the mold is filled, and finish by pouring in the liquids.
Roll out the rest of the pastry to make the lid. Place on top of the mold and cut off the excess. Use a pastry brush to seal the joins with egg yolk, and make an air hole in the top to allow steam to escape when cooking. Use the excess pastry from earlier to decorate the pie.
To cook, place in the oven for around an hour and a half at 180 degrees. Once cooled, pour in stock mixed with gelatine to help solidify the mix. Serve with a garnish, such as a bed of watercress.

Turbot With Lobster Roe

A staple dish to the shanty singing people of SaltMarsh. Served with a side of chowder, this hearty meal can quell any stormy nights at sea.

INGREDIENTS A whole turbot, 1 lemon, Salt, 1 lobster with roe, 50g butter, 250ml velouté sauce or melted butter sauce, Cayenne pepper, Parsley (to garnish).


METHOD Prepare the turbot. If not already done so by the fishmonger, gut and ensure it is washed thoroughly before being wiped dry. Then, trim off the fins with a pair of scissors, rub the fish all over with half of a sliced lemon, and place it in a turbot kettle (or large pan).
To cook the fish, place the pan on the stove before adding fresh water and a handful of salt. Leave on the heat for 25 minutes. Remember that the fish will continue to cook a little longer once you've removed it from the water.
To make the sauce, dice up the lobster and pound the roe. Put these ingredients in a pan, and add the butter, lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne pepper and the velouté sauce (or melted butter). Mix well with a wooden spoon. Once mixed, put the mixture through a sieve until it's smooth. Heat it up just prior to serving.
For best results, once cooked the fish should be served straight away on a hot plate. Parsley can be used as an optional garnish.

Mincemeat

INGREDIENTS 450g Ox Tongue, 900g Raisins, 900g Minced Apples, 900g Suet (you can use shortening as a substitute), 1.1kg Currants, 1.1kg Caster Sugar, 450g Candied Peel, 2 Lemons, Salt, 2 Grated Nutmegs, 1 tbsp Ginger, 1tsp Pounded Mace, 300ml Sherry, 300ml Brandy.


METHOD Combine the ox tongue, suet, raisins, currants, apples, candied peel, the rind and juice of boiled lemons, sugar, two pinches of salt, ginger, mace, nutmeg, sherry and brandy into a large container or bowl. Give it a good mix until all of the ingredients are combined. You can store your mincemeat in sterilized jars, or create some mince pies.