Our local hotel came up trumps on Saturday evening with an authentic 1811 banquet-style menu to start off the church’s bicentenary celebrations. The lounge-bar was laid up with three long tables to seat 50 of us and the food just kept coming. Wine, too if you so wished!
The first course was a hearty potato soup accompanied by a type of soda bread; I suspect the soup itself was enhanced with the flavour of marrow-bone stock. It’s amazing how olde-worldly it tasted. We were eating by candlelight which added to the atmosphere and being a church group it was rather a noisy affair – lots of fun and laughter. (Not nosy – that’s not allowed.)
Then came maidens and masters bearing grand dishes of chicken, salmon and mussels, stuffed pork, dough-balls, braised leeks, kale, apple sauce and gravy. Yes – all at once. There was much merriment as people helped themselves to the various dishes, and we ended up with an interesting concoction on our plates. Puddings followed: clootie dumplings, ginger cake, pomegranate tart, apple pie, custard and cream.
I haven’t dared go on the scales since!
Sounds grand – but I am sure you were glad of 2011 central heating at the venue and not a cold draughty 1811 hall!
To be honest we all generated so much heat that they had to open the windows!
Your Saturday BMT sounded spendid, with lots of dishes I had never heard of! And best of all is the shared merriment. Warm room and warm hearts!
My mouth is watering!
You Scots know how to do the past!