Roasting Course Outline
Balancing the spit - the pairs of rabbits and lobsters above are locked
together in a last embrace in order to distribute their weight evenly on
either side of the spit. When running a spit from a weight driven
clockwork jack, it is essential to ensure that the joint or bird is
properly centred, or the spit may stop running.
At Historic Food we roast in front of an original period roasting range with a
variety of hand-turned and jack-driven spits, dangle-spits, toasters and
bottle-jacks.
Ivan not only collects period clockwork roasting equipment, but also restores
and replicates these fascinating machines. Above is a replica he made of
an eighteenth century English brass-fronted two-spindle jack - the
original is in the Castle Museum in York. This particular example is
frequently used on our roasting courses. It is set up correctly with a
double pulley suspension and weight.
To the left is a nineteenth
century bottlejack set up with its flywheel for vertical roasting. Its
verge escapement allows the meat to rotate three times clockwise and then
three times anti-clockwise. It is in fact a mechanised dangle-spit with an
automatic basting facility. Note the little pieces of bacon fat suspended
from the four fat hooks. These gradually melt during the cooking process
and slowly baste the bird or joint.
SATURDAY
10 am - Welcome and
intoduction to the course by Ivan Day. Broches, jacks and
dangle-spits - a short illustrated talk on the history of
roasting and broiling techniques and equipment.
10.45 -13.00 - Demonstrations
and hands on experience of ordering a fillet of beef for the spit.
Balancing the spit. Trussing fowl and game birds. Basting and dredgings.
Roasting session, which naturally leads to a high calorie lunch!
13.00
- 14.00 - Lunch
14.00 - 15.30 - Lashing a
bird spit to a large spit. Venison roasted in collops. Roast veal olives
in caul.
15.30 - 15.45 - Tea
15.45 - 17.00
- Sauces for roast meats.
17.00 - 20.00 - Free
20.00
- Historic Dinner at Wreay Farm
SUNDAY
10.00 - 10.45 - Trussing
and roasting a whole pike larded with eel (or salmon with pickled herring
- depending on availability).
10.45 - 13.00 - Larding
and barding meat. Robert May's roast chine of mutton larded with bitter
orange peel, or Richard Briggs leg of mutton with oysters (depending on
season).
13.00 - 14.00 - Lunch
14.00 -
17.00 (Tea at 15.30) - Broiling with the gridiron, standing
toaster and firebar toaster. Carbanadoes of beef. Broiled cutlets in paper.
