Viking Food

Vikingarnas Gästabud
(A Viking Feast)

None of the following recipes can really be considered authentic "Viking food," because there's no record of the Vikings' recipes.  These recipes are based on what is known about cooking traditions of the Scandinavian countries of the time (and later times), and on ingredients known to have been available during the Viking age.

Leg of Lamb with Mint and Garlic Butter

1 leg of lamb, 3-4 lbs
2 oz butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 wild garlic, or a couple of garlic cloves
half an onion, chopped finely
1 tsp dried mint, or 1 tbsp fresh
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Place leg of lamb in a roasting pan. Mix the other ingredients and spread over the meat. Place in an oven, preheated to 175 C (360 F) and roast for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Let rest for around 10 minutes, then serve.

Apple Bacon

400 g (1 lb) bacon, fresh or cured
1 tbsp lard or butter, if needed
2 onions, sliced
2-3 apples, cored and sliced
pepper
a few whole cloves

Cut the bacon into slices and fry them in a large fryin pan at medium heat. Turn them over a couple of times and fry until crisp. Remove from pan, add lard or butter if needed and fry onion rings and apple slices with the spices at low heat until they are soft and beginning to color. Return the bacon to the pan, stir and let warm through. Serve with freshly baked bread.

Honey-Roasted Chicken

1 chicken, around 1,5 kg (3 lbs)
1 tsp salt
a good pinch of pepper
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tbps melted butter
1 tbsp honey

Rub the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in a roasting pan. Mix honey and butter and brush the chicken with the mixture. Place in an oven preheated to 175 C (360 F) and roast until the chicken is tender and juices run clear (1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours). Serve with broad beans.

Broad Beans

1 1/2 kg (3 lbs) fresh broad beans (fava beans)
2 carrots, sliced
water
1 tsp salt for each liter (quart) of water
2 1/2 tbsp flour
1 3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp butter
vegetable stock if needed
pepper, salt

Soak and skin the beans. Boil them in salted water until tender, around 30 minutes. Add carrots after 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the flour and a little milk in a saucepan. Gradually add rest of milk and the butter. Bring to boil and thin the sauce with vegetable stock if needed. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Drain beans and carrots, add to sauce and cook for a few additional minutes.

I Lære Som Viking
by Trine Theut

Porridge

The basic recipe is, per person one cup of kernels and two cups of liquid (water and/or milk). One must count on having to add more liquid because of evaporation when the porridge cooks over an open fire without a cover. Any pressed and crushed kernels can be used, the most coarse should soak overnight otherwise they will have to be cooked too long.

10-15 cups of water
Two cups of chopped wheat kernels. Let them soak over night so they won't be so hard to chew.
Two cups pearl barley
A handful whole grain wheat flour
A handful crushed kernels of nuts
3-4 tablespoons of honey
A healthy portion of apple bits, hippells, pears or....

Put the chopped wheat kernels, wheat flour, pearl barley and crushed nuts in the kettle. Pour 10 cups of water in the kettle and place on the fire.  Stir the porridge evenly and turn the kettle to spread the heat. If the porridge starts to get too thick, pour more water in it. After about ½ hour add the honey, nuts and fruit. The porridge should now cook until the fruit is wet and the porridge has the desired consistency. It should take 15-30 minutes. It should be served warm, possibly with some cold cream.

Soups of Meat and Fish

It is, of course, not intended for all of the previously mentioned vegetables to be included in the same soup. Be inspired by the many available books on edible plants and use whatever you find in the vicinity. Always be certain that you know the plants and put only edible plants in your basket.

Meat Soups

(4-6 servings)

Measurements are given in cups. One cup=1 ½ dl or about 90 g flour.

8-12 cups of water
½ kg meat (pork, beef, lamb, chicken, hen etc)
Salt
3-5 cups of herb such as the top shoots of stinging nettles, young dandelion leaves,
   wild chervil, cress, wild marjorum, dill, plantain, angelica, wild onions, caraway greenery,
   thyme, or whatever the season has to offer.

Remember: You must always be sure that the plants are edible!

Put the meat in the kettle. Pour water over the meat so it is covered and put the kettle on the fire. In order that the heat is spread evenly the kettle must be turned about every 5-10 minutes. When the water boils it should cook for about one hour. It may be necessary to add more water so the meat is always covered with water.

While the meat is cooking wash and chop the herbs. They will go in the soup when it is ready.  When the meat is tender take it out and slice it to a size fit for a spoon and return it to the soup. Add salt as desired, then it is ready to be served. It can be served with flatbread.

If you want a more filling soup you can add soaked wheat kernels, thick flour... or the soup can be smoothed out with pea flour (yellow peas grinded on a stone).

Fish Soup

(4 - 6 servings)

Measurements are given in cups. One cup=1 ½ dl or about 90 g flour.

½ kg of trout, salmon, cod or another fish.
10-12 cups of water
Salt
One cup of whipped cream

3-5 cups of herb such as the top shoots of stinging nettles, young dandelion leaves, ashweed,
   wild chervil, cress, wild marjorum, dill, plantain, angelica, wild onions, caraway greenery,
   parsley, thyme, or whatever the season has to offer.

Remember: You must always be sure that the plants are edible!

Clean the fish, wash and cut into small pieces. The slices of fish must be cooked until they are tender. This takes 20-30 minutes. Put the cooked fish slices on a dish and bone them. Put the fish back in the soup. Add the whipped cream and chopped herbs. The soup should now cook for about 20-30 minutes adding salt as desired. Then it is ready to be served. Fish soup can be served with flatbread.  (A little dab of butter in the soup tastes good!)

Flatbread/Shardbread (Shortbread)

If you have butchered a hen you can use the yolks in the dough. The bread is called shard bread because it is baked on a shard of pottery; but if one has a large household it can also be baked on an iron skillet about 10-15 cm over the coals.

7 cups of gruttet flour or thick wheat flour
3 cups of liquid. Use whey or butter milk
1 Egg
A dash of salt (if desired)

Flour, liquid, egg and salt must be kneaded long and thoroughly. If needed add more flour or liquid so the dough is just right. The dough should be shaped into small balls and then pressed flat and thin. The bread is baked over a glowing fire on shards of pottery or pans, about 2-3 minutes on each side. The bread should be light brown and sound hollow when you knock on it lightly with a fingernail. For the pottery you can use the shards from an average red burned herbal pot...

* Sweeter bread/cakes can be obtained by sweetening the dough with honey.
* Toasted stinging nettles give a good spicy taste.
* Chopped nuts and cooked acorns in the dough are also good.

Hot, nutritious drinks

A Delicious Apple Drink

Water
Apple bits
Apple leaves
Honey

Fill a jar with water, small pieces of apple (with peel) and apple leaves. The drink should simmer on the fire; when it reaches the boiling point sweeten it with honey. Serve hot.

The apples can be replaced with pears. Berries are also quite delicious in this drink - try different mixes of fruits as desired.

Herbal Drink

Herbal drinks can be made with many different plants. The drink is prepared by putting the leaf or flower in boiling water and letting it cook for a few minutes.

Good drinks can be gotten from the young leaves of:

... and the flowers of:

Remember: Be sure that the plants you use are edible!

From the book I LÆRE SOM VIKING by Trine Theut. Illustrations by the author. Published in 1994 by Trine Theut and OP-Forlag, Aps, Denmark. ISBN 87-7794-248-5

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