The World That Was

Hello and Welcome to The World That Was! Today, I'll be making a simple cherry pudding recorded in the 14th century AD - from the region of the Holy Roman Empire! Cherries were (and still are) a very popular fruit to eat, given the extensive range at which they can be grown. The original recipe is recorded in The Forme of Cury - a 14th century English manuscript - but the origin of this recipe likely comes from a central European source, given the variety of recipes recorded here. In any case, let's now take a look at The World That Was! Follow along with my YouTube video, above. Consider supporting me on Patreon if you like my recipes! Ingredients 500g fresh ripe red cherries 200ml red wine 100g white sugar 1 tbsp unsalted butter 100g soft white breadcrumbs salt Edible flowers (e.g. clover, lavender, etc) Method 1 - Prepare the Cherries To begin with, we need to wash, de-stem, and stone the cherries. Do this by cutting into them carefully with a knife, before using your thumb ...

Hello and Welcome to The World That Was! Today, I'll be taking a look at another recipe from 13th century Syria - and the anonymously written Scents and Flavours Arabic cookbook - the creamy chicken Jurjaniyyah! The name Jurjaniyyah is derived from an Iranian region - Gorgan - which suggests that this was an imported culinary style, rather than a local recipe! Either way, it's a fairly simple and tasty dish! In any case, lets now take a look at The World That Was! Follow along with my YouTube video, above! Ingredients (Serves 4) 500g yoghurt 1/2 tablespoon flour dissolved in 1 tablespoon water 1/2 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons mustard seeds ground cumin 250g chicken thighs (or cut of your choice) Method 1 - Bake the Chicken To begin with, we need to cook our chicken. To do this, season a few thighs of chicken with salt, pepper, and freshly-ground cumin. I'm cooking the meat separately to the sauce, which is unusual for meat-based recipes in this time period - but this is s...

Hello and Welcome to The World That Was! It's been a whole year since I started this channel, and seeing it grow to the size it is today is amazing - I never figured it'd get this popular! So to celebrate, I decided to take a look at some roast duck - based on some Sumerian cuneiform fragments. In any case, let's now take a look at The World That Was! Follow along with my YouTube video, above! Ingredients 2kg duck ground cumin ground coriander salt pepper 1 leek, chopped 1 onion, minced 2 cloves garlic 750ml water (or stock) butter Method 1 - Prepare the Duck To begin making this roast duck, we need to prepare our duck. I'm using a whole bird here, but you could just as easily cook this in pieces - it's up to you! Start by scoring the breast with a knife a few times, to increase the seasoning surface area. The original fragment claims to be dealing with an unnamed bird, so I opted for duck - as wildfowl would have been a staple for Mesopotamia. But chicken or squab ...

Hello and Welcome to The World That Was! Today, I'll be making a sweet dessert recorded by Apicius - the simple pear patina, which is kind of like a baked sponge in terms of texture. The original recipe requires some ingredients that are difficult to get a hold of today, so I've substituted some close modern approximations - which work just as well! In any case, let's now take a look at The World That Was! Follow along with my YouTube video, above! Ingredients 5 pears white wine (to cook the pears) 2 tbsp honey pepper cumin 1/2 cup sweet wine 4 eggs 1 tbsp olive oil Method 1 - Poach pears To begin with, we need to prepare our pears. Do this by pouring most of a bottle of wine into a pot large enough to accommodate your pears. You can also use water, if you're not keen on using alcohol! Place this over a high heat, and bring it to a simmer. When it's simmering steadily, carefully place your pears into the liquid, before pouring a couple tablespoons of honey over this...

Hello and Welcome to The World That Was! Today, I'll be making a quick and easy sesame snack from the Cretan Iron Age! A treat so sweet that it's still popular today (with a few adaptations of course) - the koptoplakous as it's known in antiquity - or the Pasteli as it's known today! In any case, let's now take a look at The World That Was! Follow along with my YouTube video above! Ingredients 200g sesame seeds 200g honey sea salt (to taste) Method 1 - Toast the Sesame Seeds To begin with, we need to lightly brown and toast 200g of sesame seeds. Do this by tossing them into a hot pan, and letting them cook over a high heat for a couple of minutes. Don't let these sit still, keep them moving around the pan so they toast evenly! Do this for about 5 minutes, or until your seeds are nutty and fragrant. Take these off the heat, but keep them warm while you deal with the honey. 2 - Boil Honey Next, place a pot onto a high heat. Into this, scoop about 200g of honey an...