WAFFLES

Waffles, the all-time favorite, have been a staple in the poor man's diet since at least the Middle Ages. They were prepared with coarse grain flours and water, in specially designed irons that would be placed directly on the flame or a stove. With time, more elaborate recipes occured -including wine, eggs and cheese at first, as well as rising agents (yeast). Waffle mixtures for the nobility and special occasions were gradually enriched with milk, cream, sugar and flavors. Original gadgets for making those waffles consisted of two round or square plates of iron that cooks were holding with tongs. Communion waffer irons differed: they were almost exclusively round and imprinted with religious symbols. The forerunner of the modern waffle-iron was patented during the 19th century.

 

Peasants by the Hearth (+ a plate of waffles on the stool) - Peter Aertsen, 1560

 

Among the oldest recipes were the four versions published in Le Ménagier de Paris (1393). Despite being written for people that could afford luxury ingredients, half of these recipes were based on just flour, wine and salt. Eggs and cheese would be occasionally added.

"Gauffres sont faites par quartre manières. L'une que l'en bat des oeufs en une jatte, et puis du sel et du vin, et gette-l'en de la fleur, et destremper l'un avec l'autre, et puis mettre en deux fers petit à petit, à chascune fois autant de paste comme une lesche de frommage est grande, et estraindre entre deux fers, et cuire d'une part et d'autre; et se le fer ne se délivre bien de la paste, l'un l'oint avant d'un petit drappelet mouillé en huille ou en sain. _La deuxième manière est comme la première, mais l'en y met du frommage, c'est assavoir que l'en estend la paste comme pour faire tartre ou pasté, puis met-l'en le frommage par lesches ou milieu et recueuvre-l'en les deux bors; ainsi demeure le frommage entre deux pastes et ainsi est mis entre deux fers. _La tierce manière, si est de gauffres 'couléisses', et sont dictes 'couléisses' pour ce seulement que la paste est plus clère et est comme boulie clère, faicte comme dessus; et gecte-l'en avec, du fin frommage esmié à la gratuise; et tout mesler ensemble. - La quarte manière est de fleur pestrie à l'eaue, sel et vin, sans oeufs ne frommage."

Thin wafers for non-religious purposes were similar to, if not as versatile as, waffles. You could adjust the quantity of the batch as well as cooking time to make your waffles extremely light and crispy. A highly valued delicacy at medieval banquets, they were offered either between or after the main courses, together with almonds, sugar, and candied fruit. Multi-layered versions with chocolate, lemon or strawberry cream fillings have been a popular children's treat for the past several decades but making thin wafers at home is not so very easy.

 

WAFFLES

This recipe is adapted from the 1st and 4th versions of the medieval waffles in Le Ménagier de Paris. Nothing is said about leaveners there but the oldest-fashioned waffles (that are still popular in Belgium) are yeasted waffles so I give this option, too. All-purpose flour is okay to use though poor man's version was likely prepared with other than wheat flour.

 

I n g r e d i e n t s 

(makes 10)

250g flour

1tsp instant yeast (optional)

a pinch of salt

400ml tepid water

100ml blanc sec

2 eggs

vegetable oil

M e t h o d

Sift the flour, yeast (if using) and salt in a bowl. Whisk the eggs into the water, add the blanc sec, and combine with the dry ingredients. Cover the batter with a towel and let rest 4 hours (or only 15 minutes, if you omit the yeast). Heat your waffle iron and brush with vegetable oil. Make waffles according to the instructions. Serve immediately.

 

V a r i a t i o n s

To adapt the 2nd and 3rd medieval recipes: Place 150g of yellow cheese, divided into 5x30g slices, between two layers of half-cooked waffles, ending up with five 'sandwich' waffles that you will cook a bit longer. Alternatively, mix 150g crumbled yellow or white soft cheese into the batter.