On this day in 1571, the outmanned Holy League won the Battle of Lepanto, protecting Rome and halting the Ottoman Empire's advance across Europe. They attributed their victory to the intercession of Our Lady, and it is commemorated today in the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
On this day in 2010, my thoughts turn inexorably to eating spotted dog. And sunshine soup.
Spotted dog is a steamed suet pudding popular in the Royal Navy during the age of sail. (That linked post contains the pun that cemented my online-pal-ship with Lauren.) I will not, of course, do the whole storing-and-feeding-with-brandy rigmarole I described in that earlier post since I have misplaced my time machine AGAIN, but I will soak raisins in apple cider all morning and steam my pudding for a good couple of hours this afternoon. This morning I drove way way out to the boonies in search of a place that would allegedly sell me suet, but no dice. I am going to grate a frozen stick of butter and hope it works. If it doesn't, I'll tell the kids to pour more custard atop and be glad they don't have to row to soccer practice in a sixteenth-century galley.
According to Patrick O'Brian, the men of the Royal Navy ate dried peas three days a week. They were called "banyan days" after the vegetarian Banyans of western India. I am declaring it a banyan day and cooking up a batch of sunshine soup for dinner.
To make some sunshine soup of your own, saute 2 chopped onions, 2 chopped carrots, and a small rutabaga*, peeled and diced. Add 1/2 t. each cumin seeds and marjoram leaves. Pick over a pound of yellow split peas and pour them in with 7 cups of stock. After you've brought it to a boil, turn the heat way down and simmer until the peas lose their shape. This will take 2 hours or even more -- keep an eye out toward the end of cooking so it doesn't scorch as it gets thicker. Add 3 T. cider vinegar and a bunch of salt (like at least half a tablespoon and maybe more) and pepper to taste.
We'll have cole slaw on the side, with a healthy squeeze of lime so nobody gets scurvy.
*If you have never eaten rutabaga, fear not! It is mild and sweet. Substitute another carrot or two if you must.
I am absolutely making this soup. My goodness, Jamie, keep these recipes coming! Especially if you have recipes for turnips. This was a bumper year for turnips.
Posted by: Sarah | October 07, 2010 at 03:44 PM
Oh boy, I do not recall reading the suet pudding post! Is it from the old blog archives? Or have you really been blogging here since 2004. I think not. Anyhow... to each his/her own (I'm vegetarian), but I don't get squeamish reading about these dishes at all. I'm sure they taste good.
Posted by: Lilian | October 07, 2010 at 08:26 PM
I don't remember that older post about the pudding, but I hope your pudding turned out well! I made Christmas pudding one year; it crumbled coming out of the mold and I didn't make enough brandy sauce so it had all burned off by the time we reached the table. It tasted marvelous, though. I have also made a chocolate steamed pudding, which came from a website that claimed it was an 18th century recipe (modified for use with modern chocolate). That was delicious, too, and more popular with my husband who does not like dried fruit in his desserts.
Posted by: JaneC | October 12, 2010 at 08:58 PM