A medieval pottage for wintery nights!

[sister_raphael]

The perfect pottage for a wintery night is fennel and black pepper pottage. Sometimes I add onion to this, but it really is quite delicious on it's own. Medieval recipes include almond milk, but it's delicious just made with water.

Here's how I make it.

1. Get a fennel with the bulb, stems and fronds and cut into small pieces. It doesn't need to be too small. Chunks are good.

2. Put the entire thing, bulb, stems and fronds into a pout of water and add the black pepper. I use cracked pepper.

3. Bring to the boil, then simmer for an hour or two.

4. When the fennel is soft, mash it in the saucepan and then simmer a tiny bit more.

5. That's it. Serve and enjoy!
 

I don't think any recipe could be easier and it's wonderful for re-enactment events as the fennel doesn't need to be refrigerated prior or kept cold and all else that's needed is a pot and water and fire.  The extra nice thing about this is even when eaten cold, it's a warming pottage with the pepper. It's always much nicer hot though!

Comments

[siglinde999]

I hope I can remember this for the next time I get a fennel bulb. The farmer I buy my veggies from adds them into my basket periodically. Have you tried adding the almond milk? How was that?

[sister_raphael]

I haven't. A few reasons. I don't know if I like almond milk. The recipe says the pulp should be thrown away and the milk added (from memory) so it would be a sort of almond-fennel soup and I really like the chunky pottage. I am planning of doing it one day, but I get suckered into eating it every time first!

[siglinde999]

Almond milk isn’t bad, but I confess I am lazy. I once came across powdered unsweetened almond milk and used that to test recipes. I hated the idea of wasting almonds to make milk.The almond milk would elevate it to a luxury dish for fancy ladies like you. The downscale almond-free version for people like me sounds really good too.

[sister_raphael]

I guess the only thing to do is try it and see! It may be a whole other level of delicious!