Knowing my interest in the history of cooking, someone gave me the British Museum Cookbook for Christmas. This one caught my eye, but I haven't tried it yet.... ----------------------- Anglo-Saxon Steamed Carrot and Barley Pudding Sugar was unknown in seventh-century England so Anglo-Saxon cooks had to use honey, wild fruit and sweet vegetables like carrots for dessert dishes. To steam a pudding you could sink a pottery or metal bowl in a cauldron of soup or stew, thus maximising the heat of the log fire. Barley was the main cereal crop in East Anglia so it appeared in most dishes, sweet and savoury. * 100gms/4oz of pot barley (you can get this in most health stores) * 5gms/2oz carrots, scrubbed and chopped roughly * 1 Tablespoon honey * 225gms/8oz peeled and chopped cooking apple * 450ml/15 fl oz water * 2 sprigs crushed mint, chopped OR 1 teaspoon dried mint * 2 large eggs * 4/6 Tablespoons warmed apple or redcurrent jelly * 150 ml/5 fl oz double cream or plain yoghourt to serve Put the barley, carrots, honey and apple in a pan with water, bring it to the boil and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until the barley has absorbed most of the water and is soft without being mushy. Puree the mixture in a food processor (an Anglo-Saxon would have used a pestle and mortar) with the mint. Beat the eggs and mix into the pudding. Butter a pudding basin just large enough to hold the mixture with about 2cms/1inch to spare at the top and pour in the mixture. Cover the bowl with grease-proof paper and tie it firmly around the lip. Steam in a saucepan with water about 2/3rds of the way up the bowl for about 45/50 minutes; the pudding should be risen and firm to the touch. Alternatively, cover the basin with clingfilm and cook in a microwave for 4 minutes. Unmold the pudding onto a warm plate and serve at once with the warm jelly and the cream or yoghourt. ====================================== Tom Holloway - (+44) (0) 1926 888333 Home: 01926 771772 Fax: 01926 771707 Internet: t.holloway@warwick.ac.uk http://www.rmplc.co.uk/eduweb/sites/chatback/
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