Celebrated the second Monday and Tuesday after Easter.
A little Fifty-Shades-of-Grey-ish, but hey . . . cheesy bread!
The History
Hocktide, along with Michaelmas, divided the rural agricultural calendar into winter and summer. Hocktide was a very important day in late medieval England.
I’m All Tied Up at the Moment
On Monday, men would tie women up with ropes and only release them for a fee (we kid you not), and on Tuesday the women would tie the men up with ropes and release them for a fee. It was a medieval fund-raiser! All money collected was donated to the local church.
Hocktide celebrations date back to the twelfth century. However, Henry VIII vehemently banned all talk of Hocktide. His daughter Elizabeth reinstated the party upon her visit to Kenilworth Castle in 1575. There in Kenilworth, kisses were taken as payment for releasing whomever was tied up instead of money.
All of this Fifty-Shades-of-Grey stuff is thought to commemorate the torture the English endured by the Danes in the ninth century. It was also a day for paying rent and debts, hence the phrase “in hock,” which refers to owing money.
The celebration of Hocktide faded in the seventeenth century but is still celebrated in Hungerford, England, where they have nicknamed it “Tutti Day.” The original reason the people of Hungerford celebrated Hocktide was in honor of their great patron, John of Gaunt (1430–1399), who granted the town special hunting and fishing rights. To this day, Tutti Men visit local homes accompanied by six local Tutti girls and collect kisses from each lady in the house. Sounds a little creepy, but they seem to have fun with it.
The festive people of Hungerford celebrate every year with macaroni and cheese with watercress, Welsh rarebit, or anchovies on toast . . . and an ale tasting, of course.
Also known as hot, oozing cheesy bread.
Ingredients
One small French baguette
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely diced and mashed
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
¾ cup mead
6 ounces Stilton cheese—cut up 5 ounces into medium-size pieces; reserve approximately an ounce to the side, which should be in smaller, crumbled pieces
1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
6 figs (we selected Mission figs)
Welsh rarebit is simply a dish made with a savory cheese and served hot over toasted bread. Although that “official” name didn’t appear until the early 1700s, the first reference to “caws pobi” (Welsh for toasted cheese) appears in a fourteenth century text.
Directions
Cut the baguette in half, lengthwise. Mix together the olive oil and garlic. Using a pastry brush, paint the olive oil and garlic onto the baguette and lightly toast in the oven.
While the bread is toasting, add the butter to a saucepan, on medium heat, until melted. Slowly sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly. Once the butter and flour are incorporated, pour in the mead. Stir until smooth.
Add the Stilton chunks, stirring often, until melted. Add the Dijon, followed by the Worcestershire sauce. The consistency will be thick and will not stick to the pan; it will be almost paste-like with a buttery appearance.
Turn the oven to low broil. Cut the figs into slices and lay them onto the toasted bread. Spoon the cheese mixture over the top of the figs and finish it by sprinkling the remaining one ounce of crumbled Stilton over the top. Tuck into the oven, top rack, and watch carefully. It will only take 8–10 minutes, but, depending on your oven, it can go more or less. You know how that goes.
Once the cheese begins to bubble and starts to get golden on the top, remove from the oven and rest. This is hot so don’t be tempted to cut and eat immediately. Hello, hot molten cheese people!
On a selfish note: If you are like us and love eating the cheese that melts onto the pan and gets that super crunchy taste—don’t make this with a friend that likes the same. They will grab it from you and claim victory. Save those for yourself. (We may be speaking from experience.)
