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Creme Bastarde, recipes, Romance, Shehanne Moore, Soul Mate Publishing, The Viking and The Courtesan, Viking Fish Soup, Viking food, Viking recipes, Vikings
Right dudes, Enough. Today, we are indeed going to sound it for a secondary character and welcome Gentle, from The Viking and The Courtesan. Gentle is a Saxon lady whose husband dumped her in a convent in order to get his mitts on her money and she is a sort of cook. She and the heroine Malice, initially loathe one another on sight and cross swords on several occasions but do forge a friendship. So, without further ado, let’s welcome her and hear a bit about…..
Ccooking up a feast in Viking Norway.
Hello Shehanne, it’s so nice of you really to ask me here. I’m a very plain cook.
In fact, so plain, I don’t mind what I throw in the pot.
See, from what I see round here, the Vikings ain’t fussy either. Lady Poshluggs- that’s Malice by the way, just don’t tell her I still call her that–turned up her nose at reindeer stew, when it was a delicacy it took me all day to burn..sorry prepare. 
The amount of cabbage and turnip I gets asked to boil is no-one’s business. And nuts, if I eats another nut, I will go just that. Though at least they do like their ale and mead. And so do I.
Now, where was I? Oh yes. Having another tankard. I gets to do a lot of filling of them in the book. And not just other peoples’ neither when the occasional back is turned, although that Snotra has got eyes in the back of her head as well as the front I can tell you. She’s got a tongue like a whip too which is why I can’t linger.
Now, you didn’t seem to like my Reindeer Stew recipe. Or my eels. So here’s my Viking soup recipe.
½ kg of trout, salmon, cod or another fish.
- 10-12 cups of water
- Salt
- One cup of milk
- 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.
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 milk 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!
Although, with a little MEAT in it now…..
And now, my Creme Bastarde recipe.
4 hamster ….sorry, forgive me my transgressions, that should have read, egg whites, beaten as much as Snotra likes to beat everyone in sight.
2 cups cream
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup milk
pinch salt
2 tsp sugar
Beat the egg whites until just frothy. Mix into cream and bring to a boil slowly, stirring continuously. Simmer for about five more minutes, stirring continuously. Add the honey, the salt. Keep stirring. Then pour through a strainer. Add the rest of the milk and the sugar and then beat it for a couple of minutes. Allow to cool. You know something you would be better buying a tin of custard, a tin opener. I’m sure Creme Custarde is what it should have said and it gives you more time with the mead you see…..
Extract.
“Gentle.” His voice rumbled so close to Malice’s spine, it stiffened. “I thought I told you to go indoors?”
“But you also told me she’s got a handmaiden, Drottin. She won’t want me. Isn’t there something else I can do? Plough the fields? Build walls? Or cook…”
“Gentle…”
The huffed breath didn’t just say no. It said if she didn’t shut up she wouldn’t be anything. How was that? The man was made of ice. And it was hardening?
“And take Mother Bede with you, till I decide what to do with her.”
“But—”
“Sir, I can plough.” Malice couldn’t. Only think what it would do to her hands. Only think what it would do to her back. Only think of that moment when he held her on the Raven more. What if she liked it? Being his bed slave? What if she didn’t want to go home? What if Snotra set about her with the meat mallet?
shehanne moore 
I was on the edge of mi seat, worrying for hamstas and mousy… in case they got dropped in the pot! Goodness… is that a gray whisker? …scuse me! 😀
I think Gentle keeled over. It may well be her in the pot next post…….
Oh my!
or even oh eye……
x
Hi Shey 😀 Viking doughnuts next post ? 😀 ❤
you never know. I never do!!!!!!! hugs
This is sooo goood! Those dudes are asking for trouble if they mess with Gentle and her stewpot. But not as much trouble as Snotra is in when she messes with Malice. Fab book, Shey.
I think messing with Gentle could be the end of them but hey…One of these three ladies is bound to step on their little tails and then I don’t like to think. Kate, yir a sweetheart and I am hoping you have had a lovely day and have lots of good news to spill xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You betcha!
Yes!
Oh boy! I think Bobby Bub better watch hisself when Gentle’s around! I have the impression he could end up in some very hot water (literally). I see Donovan has been on the interesting mushrooms again…
well he just sings certain songs in rotation. Very limited range really… I think you can tell that by looking at his wee face too… As for Bobby bub, I think a ‘Gentle’ swing by the tail around the head and then a plop into the pot might signal the end–finally. x x x
Awesome… I´ll have to try the creme custarde! …. Lovely and witty post as per usual. Hugs and happy weekend. Aquileana ⭐
I’m reckoning it was a medieval typo! But maybe not. Lovely to see you Aquileana. Loved your post the other day and just been dipping into your Mucha pinterest board. Now that is awesome! Happy Sat. x
🐤🐣🐥 Happy weekend to you as well, dear She! Love! Aquileana 🙂
Aw…. Angel big custard hugs xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hello Shehannemoore,fascinating dialog and art work.jalal
Jalal! You are always kind !!! xxxxxxxxxxxx
Although I stalled at ‘heaving bosom’ – it’s up there with the word ‘glimpse’ in my book – I did manage to get to the recipe in the end…after the cold shower bit of course! Do you realise I say ‘cold shower’ more on your blog more than any other! Odd that!
And ve do not even have Svetlan here Michaile
God how I missed that gal!
Do not tellll vif, Sheeerl
Wow, that creme bastarde is really rich. I guess no one was counting calories or watching their cholesterol in those times. The viking soup looks yummy but the herbs in it…nettles, dandelion, ashweed (whatever that is) Hmm..
Fun post and the poor hammies to think they’d go into the pot.
I know. I think it is some kind of custard, high fat custard. The soup? Yeah I will pass. As for the hammies, no way! They need to stop being paranoid. I can’t think why they are…..
Lovely to see you back in action Carol
I think I’ll take the mead, and The Viking and the Courtesan.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Cath. I am afraid the food from that time was not what we might call appetizing. So the mead??? I’d have lived on the mead. So long as Gentle had nothing to do with pouring it. Unless she liked me. It would be all right if she liked me.
I agree, would you be able to tell, though?
Well now……. She spat in everything basically. the mead too, unless she was drinking it. I’d just be getting my own SEALED flagon!
Your hamsters are always hilarious. LOL!
aww… that will make their absolute day. Truly. I doubt they’d have survived in Viking times. But then again maybe the Vikings would have been lucky too with them everywhere. Thank you so much for reading.
I don’t think much of anyone could’ve survived the Vikings’ onslaught. 😃 Maybe their cuteness would have made the children of Odin take a chill pill. 😃
LOL!!! Maybe. I now can’t stop imagining the onslaught of hordes of hamsters versus hordes of Vikings….. .