Preparing for a medieval feast.
A nobleman who decided to host a medieval feast had a great deal to do to prepare for the event, which fortunately fell to his staff to accomplish. One step was the preparation of the dining area, usually the Great Hall of his manor house. The walls were covered with tapestries, the sumptuousness of which depended on the wealth of the owner. The tapestries were there to reduce the noise and to protect the diners against drafts. They also served to protect the walls of the Great Hall from the spatter of juices and other mess which could occur during the feast itself.
The first step for the cooking staff was to plan a menu. Dishes to be prepared could range from a whole roast oxen to small birds such as quail or even robins. In the medieval world, beef was usually not roasted, as medieval cooks believed that its nutritional properties were best preserved when it was cooked by boiling. Nearly all game was roasted, but the image of a side of venison on a spit is a misleading one. Medieval cooks often removed the meat from an animal or large fowl, chopped it finely with other ingredients such as fruits, nuts, vegetables, or other meats, and then stuffed the mixture back into the skin for cooking.
One of the reasons for the fine chopping of meats and other foods is that it symbolized wealth and affluence. Simple roasting of cuts of game or other animals was associated with how the lower classes, of necessity, prepared their food. The lighter breads of the upper classes used a finely milled flour which was too expensive for the lower class. Their bread was of coarsely ground flour, often supplemented with barley or other grains, such as rye. Medieval cooks would often present finely chopped meat of one animal in a creation in the shape of another, such as goose appearing on the table in the shape of a swan, or a mythical creature such as a unicorn.
The staff would also prepare the kitchen and the outdoor cooking areas where larger game might be roasted, ensuring that the necessary spits, hangers, and cranes needed to manipulate the cuts of meat were available and in proper working order. In Northern manor houses a room known as the buttery was checked for proper stocking. The buttery had nothing to do with butter, it was the room where beer and cider were stored, in barrels known as butts. Schedules for the preparation and actual cooking of the feast were established by the head cook of the house.
One of the most important considerations, and one of the largest expenses for the host, was the availability and quality of firewood. For cooking, the firewood had to be well-seasoned, dry, and of sufficient shared characteristics that it produced even, consistent heat. Charcoal was also needed. One French kitchen master employed by the Duke of Savoy wrote that for the preparation of a two day feast and banquet, at least 1,000 cartloads of firewood were recommended, and enough charcoal on hand to fill an entire barn.