The third millennium has already arrived
and, from the culinary point of
view, it is interesting to look backwards to observe the food habits
of the
people who were living in the Holly Land 2,000 years ago.
The people from Jerusalem, Jericho and other places of the Holly
Land ate
quite well. They had chickens, lambs, dried fruits and other vegetables.
Many of the dishes were prepared long time ago and they can be equally
correct for eating today.
The Most Famous Meal
Jesus' Last Dinner is one of the religious events more frequently
portrayed
in history. Nobody knows with certainty what food was consumed in
that
occasion. It's impossible to specify with accuracy what dishes were
served,
but New Testament and the historical documents offer us many keys.
According
to the New Testament, this food was destined to celebrate Easter.
It is very likely that the food consumed by
Jesus in the course of Last Dinner was similar to the ones Jews
ate for Easter. For that reason, on the table it is
necessary to have matzot (unleavened bread), a pitcher with wine,
water with
salt and a small container with maror (bitter herbs). As in the
times of
Jesus, the festivity celebrated also the moment of the first spring
crops,
so that on the table there were fresh fruits, almonds and hazelnuts,
as well
as bouquets of aromatic herbs, (like thyme, rosemary and coriander).
As in almost all the Jewish homes of those times, when Jesus and
his
disciples sat down to the table, they must have found all the delicacies
already served on it. There must have been few things besides the
trays that
were containing the food and the glasses for the wine. Napkins were
not used
and the cutlery had not been invented yet. Every guest had to take
his own
knife to cut the meat, but almost all the food was taken with the
hand. This
way of eating caused to have greasy fingers, so there were servants
that
were offering cups of water in order to wash the hands of the guests.
The tradition between the I and III centuries says that in all the
homes
meals began with a simple vegetable food. The content of the main
dish
depended on the economic situation of the host. As Jesus was a distinguished
guest, the owner of the house must have had prepared roast lamb,
which was
the most valued dish. It was not necessary to serve desserts, but
festive
meals as that one always ended after eating fresh fruits and nuts
that were
decorating the table.
Ingredients
-3 spoonful of chicken fat
-1 leg of lamb
-salt, pepper and paprika to taste
-1 crushed garlic clove
-2 spoonful of chicken broth
-2 spoonful of vinegar
-3 pieces of smoked goose
-2 branches of parsley
-2 or 3 whole garlic cloves
-1 leaf of laurel
-lemon's juice
-1/4 of teaspoonful of rosemary, majoran, cumin and paprika
Preparation
Rub the lamb with the fat of chicken and sprinkle it generously
with salt,
pepper, paprika and with a crushed garlic. Place it in a roaster
and
roast it for 15 minutes in an oven at 210º C, making it turn
from time to time.
While the lamb is in the oven, mix the other ingredients in a pot
and
boil them. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 150º C, spill
1/2 cup of
the liquid and continue roasting the meat (approximately 35 minutes
for kg),
spraying it every 10 minutes with more liquid. When the meat is
ready,
take it from the oven and place it in a source that preserves the
heat.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper and serve it.
