Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the most influential and powerful women of Middle Age Europe. She was actually a queen two separate times, of two countries, having first married Louis VII of France and after divorcing him she married Henry II of England. She was famous for throwing lavish banquets where the best of gourmet specialties of that time were served. In the book that I am reading right now, Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman, there are a number of detailed descriptions of the Medieval dishes that would have been served at one of Queen Eleanor's parties.
One dish that caught my attention was a spiced salmon pie with dates, figs, and raisins, especially because my daughter and I just received a variety of dried fruit samples from Marx Foods. I didn't have figs available, so I used dried plums instead. I knew from my research of Medieval-style cuisine that some of the most popular spices used included: ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This was the combination of spices I chose to feature in this salmon pie. My recipe also included almond milk, which was used in nearly every Medieval style banquet dish.
The warm aromatic spices and sweet dried fruits paired together with salmon proved an interesting combination. It is certainly not a subtle dish, with spices dominating the flavors, and the course is probably too sweet for a fish pie, according to modern standards. This flavor profile is however very typical of Medieval cuisine, and it is definitely worth trying at least once, to get a good idea of “fine dining” in Middle Age Europe.
Ingredients:
crust
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
2/3 stick butter (or butter substitute)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup iced water
filling
0.6 oz salmon fillet, sliced in small chunks
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 dates, chopped (approx. 1/2 cup)
6 dried plums, chopped (approx. 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup almonds
Directions:
Add flour, salt, butter, and vegetable oil in a food processor and pulse until the texture resembles a resembles coarse meal. Add the ice water by spoonfuls, continuing to pulse, until the dough holds together. Take the dough out of the processor and knead by hand to form a disc. Cover in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured into a 10-inch round. Place over a 9-inch pie dish (lightly greased with nonstick cooking spray) and trim the extra dough.
In a bowl, mix dates, dried plums, raisins, salmon, and spices together. Pour almond milk over and mix gently until the milk is completely soaked in. Arrange the filling in the pie crust, with the dried fruits toward the bottom and salmon chunks toward the top. Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake the spiced salmon pie for about 30 minutes on 375°F or until the crust is golden brown.
I am away on a spring break vacation this week and will respond to comments when I return. Thank you all for your feedback!
