How to eat like a pirate?
September 19 every year is International Talk Like A Pirate Day, and this year I also want to eat like a pirate (do not have to dress like one, that's Halloween). While I'm sure that Pirates didn't necessarily eat all that well (unless you're the Captain) what are your suggestions for period-authentic food to serve at a Pirate gathering. Of course, we will swill grog and other rum-based libations.
Note to Mods - if this should be on Home Cooking please move it and I'll do a heads-up here.
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There's a recipe for Poulet Boucanier (Bucaneer's Chicken) in Steven Raichlen's "BBQ Bible". It's marinated in rum, lime, chiles, spices, etc. then smoked over sugar cane.
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re: Trencher man
Interestingly the word "bucanner" is itself food related. From Wiki (I know Wiki is sometimes inaccurate, but I saw this same expliantion several other places, this one was just in a convenient form)
"The term buccaneer derives from the Arawak word buccan, a wooden frame for smoking meat, hence the French word boucane and the name boucanier for French hunters who used such frames to smoke meat from feral cattle and pigs on Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic).[2] English colonists anglicised the word boucanier to buccaneer.
About 1630, some Frenchmen who were driven away from the island of Hispaniola fled to nearby Tortuga. The Spaniards tried to drive them out of Tortuga, but the buccaneers were joined by many other French, Dutch and English and turned to piracy against Spanish shipping, generally using small craft to attack galleons in the vicinity of the Windward Passage. Finally they became so strong that they even sailed to the mainland of Spanish America and sacked cities."
Guess that Adds another thing to the Pirate Feast..... barbecue!!
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re: jumpingmonk
bushwickgirl
Jan 23, 2010 04:50 AM
Garrr, gerrr, Sarsgaarrrd! I think of that SNL episode whenever pirates come up for discussion.
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re: Chefpaulo
You proably couln't pull it off today but one of the big hits on most turn of the century pirate/sailor menus was fresh giant sea turtle or tortoise. Whne sailors landed on islands that had these they were known to bring dozens of them onboard, tossing out the ballast stones if neccecary to make room. They were, to them the orginal "canned food" they were slow enough to catch easily, stayed alive an astoning amount of time without being fed and basically provided a source of fresh meat that could last months into the voyage. Flightless island birds were another popular treat (remember at least part of the reason for the extinction of the dodo was due to saliors eating them).
There's also a beverage called something like "seamans coffee" I remember seeing on some documentary made of hot water, burned ship's buscuit and sugar. you could probably do something like with burned crackers.
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Salmagundi - a great name for a 17th centyru "pirate dish". Google it! It's a sort of buffet sized Chef Salad with greens, assorted cooked and raw vegetables and meats all laid out and dressed with a viniagrette. Can be as "mild or wild" with ingredients as you like. A great party dish.
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Columbus, Ohio where I live has the largest Somali population outside Somalia (go figure!). They have been in the news lately for being quite the pirates by capturing merchant ships in the Indian Ocean, threatening cruise ships, holding hostages, etc. While I haven't tried any of these recipes, here is a link to authentic Somali cuisine, complete with videos.
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re: Diane in Bexley
Passadumkeg
Sep 6, 2009 04:57 PM
Bex, more Somali's than Lewiston, Me.? The mayor of Lewiston got roasted by the national press a few years ago for his anti-Somali sentiments. Maybe he should talk less like a pirate and walk the plank.
ps Do not have Captain Hook look a likes scratch their groin. Arrrgh!!
Something just for the halibut?
What the hake!
Oh, cod!
I'll clam up.
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re: HotMelly
theferlyone
Sep 8, 2009 11:36 AM
I was thinking drumsticks of some sort, too...not sure how traditional it is, but it seems to lend itself to a growling "arrrgh" while pulling the meat off the bone...
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Wahooty
Sep 1, 2009 03:39 PM
Not in the period/authentic vein, but my theme for food and drink on ITLAPD is that everything must involve limes and/or rum, so that nobody goes to bed cursed with scurvy and/or sobriety. Ceviche is one of my perennials (hey...it's at least period if not necessarily all that pirate-y), as are proper daiquiris (tastier than authentic grog), but I do different things every year.
Do keep in mind that not all pirates are British, so even within the limits of authenticity you've got lots of cuisines to choose from...although I wouldn't begin to know how to talk like a Chinese pirate. Personally, I think this year I'm doing my traditional ceviche starter and then maybe jerk chicken. YARR!
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goodhealthgourmet
Sep 1, 2009 02:12 PM
Pirate's Booty! ;)
seriously though:
http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/pirate_recipes.html
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Holidays-and-Events/Events-and-Gatherings/Special-Themes/Pirate/Main.aspx
http://www.life123.com/holidays/birthdays/pirate-birthday-move/pirate-party-food.shtmland i assume you've already seen this one:
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/pirate...
(no food ideas there, but plenty of drink recipes!) -
alanbarnes
Sep 1, 2009 02:08 PM
There's an entire cookbook (or is it a culinary anthropology experiment?) dedicated to British naval cuisine during the Napoleanic wars. Here's the web page for the book:
http://www.wwnorton.com/pob/SpottedD/
Google Books has excerpts here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=AUxW...
Maybe a sea pie and dried peas with salt pork, with boiled baby for dessert? I'd recommend against serving your guests "millers in onion sauce," p. 230.
