Nedder Cuisine and Stews

The Fleece and Nedder Cuisine

In the north of Alven, on The Lost Coast, the most northern human settlement can be found in the sheltered bay of The Fleece.
Populated by the clanless and outcasts of Alven, the bay is the centre of The Hawkyves' smuggling operations.

Under the Hawkyves' benign rule, the Fleece has grown in population and influence in the region. The former isolated and poor communities around the bay are starting to live in relative affluence.

A burgeoning cuisine, using the excellent local produce, is developing in the Fleece cultural centres: namely the two inns in Nedderhyve and Lowrhyve.
The Smug Swan and the The Fleece Bounty have been competing for decades for the best dishes and stews.

In the Smug Swan, Bartis Bregan is the newcomer. He founded the inn twenty years ago in Lowerhyve and soon established the inn as a place of cheap booze, live entertainment, and most of all exquisite fish stews.

In Nedderhyve, Pally Trebol, inherited the business from her Da, Hops Trebol.
The Fleece Bounty is the oldest inn in the bay, and the Trebols have cooked the best game pies in the Fleece for three generations now. The Trebols' inn is also known for its fine Pearl Root alcohol (Pershine), all homebrewed on the premises. Visitors can also rent the most lavish rooms in the bay for a modest fee.

Contest: The Best Stew In the Bay

Twice a year, the Fleece holds a cooking competition to decide who can cook the best stew. The contests happen during the two most important fayres of the year: the Nedder Sommer Fayre which, as its name suggests, happens at Midsommer, and the Beltfayre Shindig, which coincides with Beltane.

Both fayres are held in Nedderhyve in the only square of the town: the Trough.
Every year, the event is hotly disputed. Anyone can enter but the first two prizes are always won by either Bartis Bregan or Pally Trebol. Everyone else is happy to get third and fourth place.

The winner can take home the Stewstar. The object is a coveted trophy. Thought to be an ancient relic found in the forest two centuries ago, it is said to have magic properties.
The polished whitestone star can fit easily in one's pocket and is meant to enable the wearer to find mushroom circles at all times of the year. No one has confirmed the hearsays but it is true that both Bartis and Pally can always add many tasty mushrooms to their stews.

The Nedder Stews

Traditional Stews

Stews have traditionally been the staple food of the Fleece. When the clanless started to settle around the bay three hundred years ago, they survived the harsh climate of the Lost Coast by hunting and foraging in the coastal forests.
Game and mushrooms were abundant as were the fish from the bay. These three food items became the main ingredients of Nedder Cuisine and what it is famous for.

Slowly, the rough and ready stews became more sophisticated. The meat is still the same and of the same quality - mainly deer and boar. Nowadays, sheep and goats are also often on the menu.

Mushrooms are one of the signature ingredients of the Nedder stews. At present, people from the bay gather up to 10 or so different species of fungi, all with different tastes and textures.
The variety of mushrooms - some not found anywhere else in Alven - make the Nedder stew a special and distinctive dish with its own reputation on the Lost Coast.

Over the years, other ingredients have been experimented with and added to the mix. A few vegetables are now cooked with the stew and added a lighter texture to the traditional heavy dish.

New Additions

Pearl roots are an obvious choice to cook with the traditional stew. Their sweet creamy, pearl-grey texture matches well the strong meaty flavour of the sauce.
A favourite with everyone, it can be added whole into the dish or can be put at the end of a skewer and roasted above the embers.

The last method has become very popular around the bay within the last 10 years. You can even find a Roast Pearl Hut on Nedderhyve Keyes, called the Great Pearl. The Hut is very popular with the many sailors that come and go from the port.
For a few copper coins, one can tuck into a bucket of the roasted wonders, a cheap and tasty way to fill your belly.

The other vegetable that is widely available during the good season is the Weeping Leaves. The wilted and textured leaves of the green vegetable are excellent with some butter as an accompaniment.

Lately, the more adventurous cooks of the bay have been experimenting with other ingredients - spices. They come from the south and have made an appearance on the docks, sailed to Nedderhyve by The Kin ships, very likely a contraband item, but who cares?

The more knowledgeable will also ramble in the nearby deciduous forests to find some of the rare traditional produce of the local area. For example, a little-known plant known as the Blue Wort, used locally in some medicinal concoctions, has an excellent peppery, garlicky flavour and works well with salads and roasted Pearl Roots.

Family Recipes

Stew recipes are often a jealously guarded family secret. All the old families of the Fleece have their own and they are religiously passed down the generations. No one Fleece stew is the same.
Bartis Bregan has made the Smug Swan's reputation by expanding the traditional recipe and experimenting with the new ingredients coming weekly from the boats. While Pally Trebol's signature stew is a traditional recipe that has been handed down from Trebol to Trebol for at least four generations.

A Recipe for a Traditional Nedder Stew

'A Taste of the North' by Galivan Narcil, Cook to the Thane

Here is a recipe you can try at home. If you cannot find the mushrooms mentioned below, you can replace them with what is familiar to you. Boar meat is an excellent substitute for venison.

- First, crush the leaves and stalks of the Blue Wort you have freshly collected and let itmacerate in a few drops of walnut oil for at least one hour. The mixture will add a pungent peppery, garlicky flavour to the dish.

- Then, add two spoonfuls of the Blue Wort mixture to a hot cauldron - no more than two spoonfuls or the taste of the Wort will overpower the rest of the stew.

Next, add some various deer meat at the bottom of the cauldron, cut into large cubes or morsels.

Fillets and steaks are the most tender cuts of course but to give the stew its flavour, you should add some bone meat (legs, shanks, etc.)

- Put the cauldron over the fire and make sure the venison is seared on all sides. Add some rock or sea salt if needed.

- Once seared, remove the meat from the cauldron, put it on a separate dish and cover it with a cloth.

- Go back to the cauldron and add the finely-cut mushrooms. Remember that mushrooms reduce in size when cooked.

* 6 or 7 Blue Wheels (depending on the size of your cauldron)

* 20 small Bald Caps

Let the mushroom cook and turn golden, then add your broth and any other herbs and condiments of your choice.

Note: I recommend a pinch of Yellow Sagal. The lemony, peppery taste of the spice balances the earthy tones of the Blue Wheel.

- At this stage, let the mushroom mixture on the heat until the broth has reduced by half. Then, remove the cauldron from the fire, add the meat back to the stew, cover the caudron with a heavy lid, and sit it beside the fire. Let the stew simmer for at least 6 hours, stirring and adding water if necessary.

- Finally, halfway through the cooking time, add your third and final mushroom. Cut two large Big Buggles into thin strips and add them to the simmeringpot.

- When you are reheating the stew (always tastes better reheated the next day), throw in some Pear Roots tubers. Serve when the tubers are tender and nearly crumbling in the sauce. Wilted Weeping Leaves or any other green vegetables can be served on the side.

Enjoy a taste of the Wild North!




Notes: some recipe asks that you add a cup or two of Pershine into the mixture. Personally, I am not a great fan of Pershine. I find that it is a potent alcohol and usually, quite rough on the tongue. If you would like to add any beverage to your stew, I would suggest you try a stout ale instead.

Local Mushrooms

The Blue Wheel

The Bald Cap

The Big Buggle

Ai Images

Fleece Bay

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