Merlin was one of my favourite TV shows when I was in school. It had the prime time spot in BBC’s schedule; my family and I watched it together every week. I found myself feeling a little nostalgic recently, so I decided now is as good a time as any to share a medieval banquet menu inspired by this timeless BBC hit!
Read on for recipes, tips and a free printable menu graphic.
Contents
- Merlin (2008 – 2012)
- Merlin Inspired Medieval Banquet
- Medieval Banquet Menu Graphic
- Cook with Me YouTube Video
- Fruit Salad
- Soda Bread
- Soda Bread Recipe
- Fish Stew
- Fish Stew Recipe
- Sliced Cheese
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Meat for a King
- Steamed Vegetables
- New Potatoes
- Pastry Swords
- Pastry Swords Recipe
- Dragon Eggs
- Red Wine
- A Tankard of Your Choice
- Finale
- Printable Menu Graphic
Merlin (2008 – 2012)
Everyone knows of the legendary sorcerer, Merlin. What BBC’s adaptation brought us was a version of his younger days as a servant to Prince Arthur.
A prophecy was told, describing Merlin’s integral role in leading Arthur to become a great King. His only obstacles? Arthur is arrogant and entitled and Merlin spends his days hiding his magic from the world for fear of prosecution by King Uther.
Plus, those who are set on destroying all in Camelot… including Arthur. Merlin’s secret job is to protect him at all costs, even when it means resorting to magic in some obscure, disguised and often entertaining way – much to the dismay of Gaius.
Merlin is arguably now a cult classic, with fans still celebrating and enjoying all it continues to give.
The series was created by Julian Jones, Johnny Capps, Jake Michie and Julian Murphy, and involved a host of talented writers and directors.
The cast was made up of some of Britain and Ireland’s finest, many of whom we have seen go on to many more great things. Colin Morgan led the ensemble as Merlin, alongside the likes of Sir John Hurt (any Harry Potter fans here?) as The Dragon, Bradley James as Arthur, Richard Wilson, Angel Coulby, Katie McGrath and Anthony Head.
The knights of the round table were brought to life by Rupert Young, Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy), Eoin Macken, Tomiwa Edun, Santiago Cabrera (who else here loved BBC’s The Musketeers?!) and more.
Other big names involved included Emilia Fox, Alexander Vlahos, Lindsay Duncan, Liam Cunningham, Gemma Jones, John Bradley (Game of Thrones), Holliday Granger, Adam Godley, Tom Ellis (Lucifer), Sarah Parish, Asa Butterfield and so many more.
Merlin is one to rewatch, that’s for sure. They don’t make them like that anymore.
Ready for a feast?
Merlin Inspired Medieval Banquet
The legend of King Arthur originates way back to sixth century England. Historians often refer to this era as early medieval times, so I aimed to do my research focusing on this point in time.
Though Merlin isn’t entirely historically accurate – it is an adaptation of a legend – I wanted to try and bring an element of historical accuracy to my Merlin inspired medieval banquet. This doesn’t apply to every single aspect of this banquet, of course.
Unlike the other menus I’ve created for Flavour of the Film, like my Bridgerton afternoon tea and my Arcane party menu, this one isn’t divided into sections.
Sure, there are historical accounts of medieval banquets being staggered in parts, similar to how we may eat now; think starter, main, dessert etc.
However, what we, as an audience, see in the scenes of Merlin set during meal times is rarely more than one course. Plus, when I think of a banquet, I think of a generous amount of food all at once. Kind of like a buffet, I guess.
You can absolutely follow this menu and serve it in stages, if that’s your vibe. The way I’ve designed the menu means that you can serve everything at once, or you can divvy it out in parts.
It’s entirely your choice, friends.
Seeing as the two main characters – Merlin and Arthur – are from two starkly different economic classes, I aimed for a balance between the two when it came to the food choices in this menu.
Being of royalty, Arthur was used to fine foods cooked for him by castle staff. Merlin, on the other hand, was a servant who lived off what was available at the time.
What I have included in this medieval banquet menu was common in the era that Merlin was set. It’s simple and good for you, but still has a flare of magic and regality to it.
Note: meat was consumed consistently in this early medieval era (aside from certain religious holidays and the like) so it makes sense to include it. However, you are welcome to leave it out or swap it for a veggie alternative to suit your preferences!
Medieval Banquet Menu Graphic
Here is the menu in text form in case you prefer to see it outside of an image:
Merlin Inspired Medieval Banquet
Fruit salad
Soda bread
Fish stew
Sliced cheese
Hard boiled eggs
Meat for a King
Steamed vegetables
New potatoes
Pastry swords
Dragon eggs
Red wine
Tankard of a non-alcoholic drink
You can find the printable version (PDF) of this menu graphic at the bottom of this post!
Cook with Me YouTube Video
Fruit Salad
According to historical text, it was typical for a medieval banquet to start with fruit that is easily digestible.
I’ve included fruits like apples, grapes and pears. To keep it historically accurate, avoid imported fruits like bananas. Whilst the upper classes could afford to eat imported food, a lot of tropical fruit wasn’t part of their diet yet.
For my own fruit salad, I went simple with chopped apples and grapes.
Soda Bread
The reason I chose soda bread (originally an Irish creation) is because it’s a proper no fuss homemade bread.
You are more than welcome to buy a rustic loaf from your local bakery or the bakery section of your nearest supermarket, but I like to make sure there is an option for those of you who, like me, enjoy making bread yourself.
Minimal kneading and no rising time means you can literally throw the ingredients in, bring the dough together and bake. No fuss, no stress.
I used this BBC recipe by James Martin because it uses wholemeal flour, which feels relevant to medieval food. If you can’t get a hold of buttermilk, simply sour the same amount of cow’s milk with the juice of 1 lemon. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before using.
Soda Bread Recipe
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 170g/6oz wholemeal flour
- 170g/6oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 290ml/10fl oz buttermilk
Method
- Preheat your oven to 200°C [390°F] or 180°C fan.
- Combine the two flours, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk.
- Using a fork, bring the ingredients together to form a shaggy dough.
- Lightly flour a clean surface and turn the dough out onto it. Knead briefly with your hands, just enough to bring the dough together into a ball.
- Shape it into a round and flatten a little, then place on a baking tray lined with lightly floured greaseproof paper/baking parchment. Using a sharp knife, score a cross on the top of the dough.
- Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for around 30 minutes or until the loaf makes a hollow sound when you tap on it (be careful as it’ll be very hot!).
- Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting and serving.
Fish Stew
Broths and stews were a useful and easy way to make a meal out of more basic ingredients. They also make a hearty, warming meal, especially when you dip a chunk of the soda bread in.
This fish stew can be made with pretty much any fish of your choice. Salmon and white fish like cod were commonly eaten in medieval times, so they remain in theme. They’re also delicious.
Your local fishmonger will be able to recommend a type of fish if you’re looking to mix things up, too.
This recipe for fish stew is adapted from one by Jamie Oliver. I changed a few of the ingredients (tomatoes weren’t discovered by Eurpoeans until they found America, so they weren’t around in this era!).
Fish Stew Recipe
Serves: 2 (can be doubled for a larger yield)
Ingredients
- 2 fillets boneless fish of your choice i.e. cod or salmon
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 carrots
- 500ml [17.75fl oz] vegetable or fish stock water
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- Juice 1 lemon
Method
- Dice the onion and fry it off in a little olive oil. Cut the carrots into discs and then halve the discs. Add the carrot chunks in with the onion and fry for a couple of minutes before crushing and adding the garlic.
- Pour in the stock water and season the broth with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the boneless fillets of fish and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn back down to a medium heat and simmer for around 15 minutes, until the carrots are soft and the fish is cooked through and flaking apart.
- Sprinkle in the dill and parsley and stir in. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir, then taste and adjust seasoning according to your preference.
- This can be kept warm on the stove/hob on a low heat for an hour or so before serving. Serve hot.
Sliced Cheese
This one is super simple. Just slice up your favourite hard cheese and plate up. Add a side of grapes if you want.
If you can stick to something rustic, even better. Cheeses that are made in different countries (I’m talking mozzarella, burrata, camembert and the like) aren’t as on theme, but you do you.
Hard Boiled Eggs
Eggs were a major source of protein, especially for folk who couldn’t afford meat.
This one is entirely optional, but if you’re omitting the next option on this medieval banquet menu, I would recommend boiling some eggs in place of the meat.
As Senshi says in Dungeon Meshi: eggs have all you need nutritionally.
Boil the eggs for at least 6 minutes to achieve a hard boiled state.
Meat for a King
As mentioned earlier, meat played a big part in the diet of those living in the medieval period. Meats of varying kinds, of course, but honestly? Things like turkey legs and meat pies are what I see in my visual understanding of medieval banquet food.
Thankfully, you can get cooked meat in most supermarkets, but if you prefer to cook it yourself, go for it.
I don’t eat meat myself, but my family all do, and I like to cater for as many as possible.
If you can’t find cooked meat or prefer to include something a little more robust; I recommend a meat pie of some kind. I bought a steak and ale pie from my local supermarket to include in my Merlin inspired banquet because I know who I’m catering for, and meat pies are absolutely on theme.
Steamed Vegetables
Veggies were accessible and cost effective to grow. In this era, if you could grow it on your own land, you could eat it. That being said, British weather has never been particularly reliable, so choices were limited.
If you have favourite vegetables that you know you’ll enjoy in this banquet, just go for them. Vegetables like green beans, lettuce and cabbage were common in this era.
Who else just thinks of Mrs. Bucket’s cabbage soup when they hear just a mention of the vegetable? Oof.
New Potatoes
According to historical records, potatoes didn’t reach Europe until the 16th century, so this element of my Merlin inspired banquet isn’t historically accurate. They are optional for this reason!
HOWEVER, potatoes are exceptionally good for you – no matter what diet fiends will tell you. They are packed with vitamins and minerals.
Potatoes are a superfood and we now know just how versatile they are. Baby potatoes or new potatoes are a great choice size wise in a banquet, especially if you don’t want to fill up on potatoes alone.
Simply boil until a knife passes through the potatoes with little resistance and feels soft. Season to taste and add a little butter while they’re hot if desired.
Pastry Swords
I had to, friends. If you have room for it after everything else, I’m giving you a super quick recipe for a little sweet treat. These are optional for sure, especially if, like me, you’ve gone down the pie route for your choice of meat.
Also, these are definitely NOT historically accurate.
Loosely inspired by my Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince pineapple turnovers, these swords are made from a shop-bought puff pastry and are drizzled in softened Nutella.
You can use a different spread or even drizzle some melted chocolate over the pastries instead. Remember not to roll pre-rolled pastry as you risk reducing the lamination (layers)!
Pastry Swords Recipe
Serves: 12 (can be doubled etc. for a larger yield)
Ingredients
- 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry
- 1 – 2 heaped tbsp softened Nutella/chocolate spread/melted chocolate
Method
- Preheat your oven to 200°C [390°F] or 180°C fan.
- Unroll your pastry and cut out 12 sword shapes using a sharp knife or sword shaped cookie cutter.
- Place your pastry swords on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper/baking parchment and bake on the middle shelf for around 10 minutes or until puffed and golden.
- Leave to cool fully, then drizzle with your chosen chocolate topping.
Dragon Eggs
At the time of writing this, the supermarket shelves are packed with egg shaped chocolate treats here in Britain.
I considered making my dragon eggs from scratch, potentially as cake pops or something of a similar ilk, but with all of the chocolate eggs available, I thought I may as well take advantage of the time of year!
To reiterate: the sweet treats on this medieval banquet menu are entirely optional and not at all historically accurate. They are, however, the most Merlin inspired items listed in the menu, so worth including in your banquet spread.
I opted for Cadbury creme eggs, Oreo filled Cadbury eggs and Reese’s peanut butter eggs. These are all personal favourites, but they also all have differing patterns in their chocolate shells, which gives a fun variety of textures.
Simply get a box of your favourite chocolate Easter egg treats from your local shop. Alternatively, you can create dragon eggs yourself using a recipe like this one by Rosanna Pansino for dragon egg truffles. Spray with edible glitter to finish!
Red Wine
Wine is consumed (and subsequently topped up) during the many feasts that we see in Merlin, so it makes sense to include it as a drinks option in my inspired menu!
To be historically accurate, I’ve kept it vague and only listed red wine as an option. What’s interesting is that I discovered that a specific type of wine was created and consumed following the thirteenth century.
It’s much later than the era of King Arthur and the knights of the round table, but an interesting fact nonetheless.
According to The British Museum, sweetened wine not too dissimilar to festive favourite, mulled wine, was known as piment in the medieval period. If you aren’t super bothered about historical accuracy (Merlin technically isn’t a history lesson, after all), feel free to use this recipe for piment by Maggie Black.
Unless mulled wine is on the shelves of your local supermarket and you have a favourite, that is.
A Tankard of Your Choice
This is a sort of free-for-all in the sense that you can choose any drink you like and just fill a tankard with it. The purpose of it being on this menu is to give those who don’t drink – or don’t like – red wine another option that is still on theme.
A tankard is always on theme in a medieval setting, wouldn’t you say? Frieren’s Heiter would agree with me, I reckon.
Finale
There you have it, friends. A medieval banquet fit for both Arthur and Merlin. This Merlin inspired menu would make a great spread for a viewing or themed party inspired by one of BBC’s finest productions.
It’s fuss free and easy going, but has a touch of magic and a regal essence to it. Great for cooks and bakers of any level.
Let me know in the comments what other menus you’d like to see me create and if you’re hosting a Merlin or medieval themed party. Enjoy!
Checkout some of my other themed menus:
- Remember the Titans Game Day Menu
- The Ultimate Lilo & Stitch Movie Night Menu
- You’ve Got Mail Autumn Movie Night Menu
- Disney’s Coco Themed Menu
Printable Menu Graphic
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