Viking Heart
Roasted heart stuffed with bacon and leeks and basted with honey, served forth with mead for a Viking meal fit for a king
City/Region: Viking
Time Period: 10th Century
This dish was inspired by a conversation that I had with archaeologist Daniel Serra, co-author with Hanna Tunberg of An Early Meal, a cookbook that recreates Viking Age cuisine. Heart was only served to kings or guests of honor, not only because they were rare (most animals only have one), but because it was believed that eating the heart would imbue the eater with some of the qualities of the animal. As I wanted to have this with my mead (also reserved for special occasions) that had aged for 6 months, this pairing seemed like a great way to recreate a fancy Viking meal.
That is until I tried it. Turns out I don’t have the stomach for heart. The flavor and the texture (so firm, there’s no fat in the meat) just aren’t for me. The honey was really nice and the stuffing would be great in basically any other meat.
“I dreamed my hawks
From my hand had flown,
Eager for food,
To the land of all;
I dreamed their hearts
Mingled with honey,
Swollen with blood,
I ate amid sorrow.”
Ingredients:
- 1 heart, I used pork but use whatever you want
- 1-2 leeks
- A few slices European style bacon
- A few juniper berries*, ground
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) honey
- Fresh or dried lingonberries, I couldn’t find any when I made this, but Daniel and Hanna recommend them
*See notes below.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (150°C).
- Cut the tubes off the top of the heart. Trim off any fat. There won’t be a lot of it, but what there is is waxy and not nice to eat. Slice the heart down one side so that you can open it up. Remove any large heartstrings. Rinse the heart under some cold water.
- Chop the leeks and place them in a large bowl of water. Swish them around to remove any sand or grit, then remove them from the water.
- Chop the bacon and combine it with the leeks and the ground juniper berries. Add the lingonberries if you’re using them. Mix in about 2/3 of the honey.
- Stuff the heart with the leek mixture. You may not be able to fit all of the stuffing in.
- Place a skewer on top of the stuffing, then use some twine to wrap the heart and stuffing around the skewer.
- Baste the heart with some of the remaining honey. Place the heart in a roasting pan. Roast for about 45 minutes per pound. Baste every 10 to 15 minutes with honey. Use a thermometer to make sure that the meat has gotten to 160°F (71°C) before taking it out of the oven.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve it forth with some Mead for a Viking meal fit for a king.
Notes
- Juniper berries, used in making gin, have a spicy, piney flavor.
- Link to juniper berries: https://amzn.to/3sw4WEh
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