Breakfast

Good morning, and welcome back to the Kitchen. I hope you slept well. Start the kettle for your coffee or tea while I light the stove and we’ll get started.

Everyone knows that mornings at most events start a bit slowly. Saturday mornings people are recovering from travel, and Sunday mornings people are recovering from Saturday’s fighting and revelry. There is one person, however, who can’t afford to be sluggish first thing in the morning - the breakfast cook.

It is often said that Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That may be true, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t also be an enjoyable experience. Likewise, making a breakfast which is both filling and inviting doesn’t have to be difficult, or even too terribly time consuming.

Let’s look at breakfast first from a modern nutritional standpoint. Carbohydrates are what fuel our bodies, so some carbs are a must. Fats help us feel full, and protein helps us feel full longer, along with helping to heal damage done to muscles during physical activity (such as fighting). So, our breakfast table should include an offering of all three - carbs, fats, and protein. (Also, though it’s not generally as critical in I.D., our bodies need salt if we are perspiring from either heat or exertion, so salt is also a factor in some breakfasts.)

An easy start to breakfast, which can be out and available while everything else is cooking, is bread with butter, honey, and preserves. A hearty farmhouse style bread will provide good fuel for the body, and is a pleasure that many don’t indulge in at home. Likewise, preserves from a local farm shop can be a flavorsome treat. Look for a flavor that the general populace is not as likely to have in their own cupboards, such as a hedgerow jelly or crabapple preserves, and you can help set the modern mind toward medieval moods. Likewise, it can be worthwhile to invest in a small jar of locally produced honey for on bread, which can have it’s own distinctly delectable flavor.

Once the bread is set out for the few early risers, we can start another breakfast staple - porridge. Now, don’t roll your eyes or turn up your nose too quickly. Although porridge has a reputation for being a tasteless gruel, it can actually be an extremely enjoyable culinary experience.

A truly delicious porridge begins with milk and cream. I generally put approximately equal portions of each into a large pot, with the expectation of adding more milk later if my porridge gets too thick. A bit of brown sugar added while the cream is heating will disperse a bit of sweetness through the entire batch. Dried fruit can also be added at this early stage, and it will plump a bit during the cooking process. While raisins and sultanas are fairly obvious choices, dried berries, apples, or mixed fruits can be a delightful change. Seasonings such as cinnamon will give your porride an extra kick, as well.

Pay close attention to your pot, as you do not want the cream and milk to actually boil. Just  before it hits the boiling point, add your oats and stir, fairly continuously, until it is your desired consistency. Porridge will thicken over time, so if it starts to become too thick, or if you need to stretch it because you have more people coming to eat than you expected, you can add more milk, or a bit of boiling water from a kettle. 

Once you have mastered a basic porridge, try experimenting a bit. People generally expect porridge to be made from oats, but it needn’t be. Any grain cooked to the proper consistency can be used, especially wheat or barley. Using a whole grain takes a bit longer to prepare, and takes a bit more forethought, but is a nice change. To use a whole grain, soak your grain in water overnight to start it softening. (Dried fruit can also be soaked with the grain.) In the morning, add cream, sugar, fruit etc. and start it heating. Keep an eye on it, stirring often to keep it from burning to the bottom of your pot. Add liquid as necessary, and cook until it is the desired consistency. 

The last thing expected, and important, at breakfast is protein. To save time in the morning, try baking sausages or chipolatas ahead of time and simply reheating them in the oven. Bacon generally has to be cooked that morning, but can be done while you are watching over your porridge. (This is a good source of the aforementioned salt, if you expect hot weather or extensive fighting.)  If you plan to offer eggs, consider boiling them instead of cooking a large batch of scrambled. Boiled eggs offer the advantages of being tasty both hot and cold, taking little of your attention while they are cooking, and being easy to use as left-overs later in the event.

Now that breakfast is ready, take a couple minutes to grab something to eat, drink your coffee or tea, and breathe for a few minutes. After all, before long it’ll be time to start lunch.