The Taunton Cider Company issues recipes from time to time which feature their apple cider; somehow we got their recipe and have found it to be very popular at feasts. It works really well as a warming winter dish. Our recipe has evolved a bit from theirs.

Is it period? We count this as “medjeeval” (“medieval adjacent…”). Forme of Cury has a somewhat similar recipe called Slete Soppes which is leeks cooked in wine, for which a medieval cook would have substituted cider in parts where that was readily available. Adding vegetables to bulk it out when the Court visits is an obvious next step.

250g butter
6 large onions sliced
1 bunch leeks, trimmed washed and sliced
2 kg carrots, peeled and sliced
3 kg swedes, cubed
3 kg turnips, cubed
1.5 cups rice flour (thickened, avoiding gluten)
750 ml dry cider
0.5 cup worcestershire sauce
juice of half a lemon
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
4 stock cubes (vegetarian)
500g cheddar cheese, grated, to garnish

Melt butter. Fry vegetables 10 minutes. Remove vegies to ovenproof dish. Add flour to butter and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in cider, boil while stirring. Add worcestershire sauce, seasoning and stock cubes, simmer gently 5 mins. Pour sauce over vegies. Cover and leave on lowest heat till you serve.

The original recipe said to stir through the cheese just before serving. These days we tend to sprinkle it on top, or provide as a separate dish so we don’t have to keep some aside for vegan or lactose-intolerant guests.

This quantity will do at least 40 people at feast quantities, and yes you can vary the vegetable mix in line with what’s seasonal and cheap at the time.