Dowries, gifts, mead, and merrymaking.
The History
Who doesn’t love a wedding? Well, sometimes being a bridesmaid is a bit of a nightmare, but still . . . Medieval weddings were an outdoor event where the church was decorated with banners and candles (or torches). Weddings were primarily, as you can imagine, arranged. These arrangements were most often politically motivated or for social advancement. It was rare for a woman to even know her future husband before the wedding, and, in most cases, he would be a lot older than she was.
No one wore white. White was the color of mourning (not morning). It was more traditional to wear blue as a symbol of purity (this is where the “something blue” tradition originates from). Peasants simply wore the best garment they owned, no matter what color it was. Rings, dowries, gifts, and garters were all part of a medieval wedding. Unfortunately, the wording of vows is almost exactly the same. (What? Clearly this needs updating.) And here’s something rather amusing—the “best man” referred to the “best swordsman.” This swordsman was responsible for ensuring that no one disrupted the wedding!
The ceremony took place outside the church before the nuptial Mass. When they did go inside for the Mass, the groom stood on the right and the bride to the left, both facing the door of the church.
After the ceremony, guests would gather for a feast. There was no ten-foot-tall flower-covered cake for the bride and groom; however, medieval wedding feasts had more food than most of the guests would’ve seen in a year. Menus consisted almost entirely of meat, fish, eels, and oysters, along with dairy products such as cheese and butter.
Guests remained at the wedding until all the food was consumed, and the wine gone. We may know a few houseguests like that. Ahem.
I Do, I Do, I Do Scallops with Pea Puree
A delicate dish for delicate situations.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 clove garlic
2 fresh mint leaves
1 cup sweet peas, thawed if you have frozen peas
½ cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp grated cheese (we used pecorino)
3 Tbsp mascarpone
Salt and pepper, to taste
6–8 large scallops
Unsalted butter and olive oil for searing
We like U10 or any large “dry” scallops. “Dry packed” means that the scallops are not artificially enlarged with water (or worse, chemicals). If you are spending the money on fresh seafood, spend it wisely.
Directions for the Puree
In a saucepan, heat butter on medium heat until melted. Add the garlic and mint. This will be incredibly aromatic. Once the garlic softens, not browns, add the peas and chicken stock.
When the peas warm and soften, add the cheese and stir. Using a hand mixer or blender, puree the pea mixture until smooth.
Add the puree back onto the heat, medium low, and then add the mascarpone. Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions for the Scallops
Pat the scallops dry, and remove any remaining muscles with your fingers. Generously sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper. Swirl olive oil around the pan. The pan should be big enough to fit all your scallops comfortably.
Heat the pan over medium-to-medium-high heat. Place the scallops on the hot pan. The secret to searing scallops is to leave them alone! Allowing 3–4 minutes for each side will brown the scallops nicely.
This is an optional technique that yields delicious results. Once you flip the scallops over to cook on the other side, add a few pats of cold, unsalted butter. This gives the scallops a nice finish and a golden color to the serving side. You can also, when adding the butter, incorporate fresh herb or spice. Our favorite spice with scallops is ground coriander.
Place the scallops on a plate, buttered side up, with the pea puree. You can serve the scallops beside the puree or serve over. Your preference. We did scallops on the puree, with a bit of mint sprinkled on top.
