When I set myself the task of creating a feast menu for the first TST observance of Hexennacht, I’d never imagined I’d be scrambling to gather ingredients in the face of pandemic uncertainty. Truthfully, my ideas for embracing the smokey, conflagrant history of European Walpurgisnacht/Witches’ Night celebrations involved a great deal more open flame and dancing than my evenings spent hunched over a smoker or saucepot did. The spirit of what I wanted to convey in an inclusive, seasonal menu remains, I think.
Hexennacht for the Satanic Temple is a high holiday for honoring victims of superstition and pseudoscience. Accusations of witchcraft lie at the heart of traditional European Hexennacht celebrations, with witches in Germany purportedly flocking to Mount Brocken and descending into satanic revelry as they usher in the beginning of spring. Elsewhere, Walpurgisnacht is a night for bonfires, pranks, and treats, making it the spring equivalent of Halloween in many ways.
And, ideally, I’d be putting the finishing touches on Arkansas’ first Hexennacht bonfire celebration right now if Covid-19 wasn’t continuing to spread across the globe. Instead, I’ve put together a smaller version of the menu I was hoping to explore with others.
Cocktail: A Simple Maibowle
Maibowle or May wine is a traditional punch served during May Day celebrations in Germany as well as during Walpurgisnacht. The key ingredient is waldmeister or sweet woodruff, a perennial ground cover common throughout much of Europe. You can even find it in the US, and the leaves and blossoms are used in teas and extracts. For the recipe below I’ve opted for pre-made waldmeister syrup but you can easily make your own simple syrup with dried sweet woodruff leaves.
Sweet woodruff has a mellow, vanilla-tinged flavor that’s both herbaceous and gentle. It’s frequently used as a soda flavoring as well. If you don’t want to make an alcoholic beverage, I recommend using sparkling water or ginger ale in place of the wine in the recipe below. Next year I’m going to grow my own woodruff and attempt to make gin.
Per fluted glass:
Fresh or frozen berries (I’ve used frozen strawberries and blueberries)
1oz Waldmeister syrup
Mild sparkling wine. I’ve opted for a fruity extra dry
Put berries in the bottom of a champagne flute and pour over waldmeister syrup. Fill the glass with champagne. The syrup will need to be lightly agitated to mix with the champagne so I recommend garnishing with a skewer. The appearance before mixing is similar to an early spring flower preparing to bloom.
Frozen berries are my preferred choice as they impart more flavor as they thaw and keep drinks colder for longer. Of course, you could muddle the berries too if you want to be fancier than I am.
Appetizers: Vegan Lox and Smoked Deviled Eggs
When I first brought up the idea of doing Satanic holiday recipes, a few fellow Satanists asked that I consider adding vegan options to my menus. Since then, I’ve made providing tested and interesting vegan options a priority.
Vegan Lox
Vegan lox may sound odd at first, but you’ll fall in love with the smoky, brined carrots. To mimic the tell-tale “seafood” quality of smoked salmon, thin strips of carrots are left to brine in a mixture of kombu and roasted green tea. Add a touch of liquid smoke and the flavor is virtually indistinguishable from traditional lox. The texture is, but I happen to like the bite of carrot ribbons.
You’ll need:
Large carrots. I’ve used a larger Asian variety of carrot for this recipe
Hoji-cha or roasted green tea. You can also use lapsang souchong for a stronger roasted flavor. Any roasted tea will work well
Dried kombu. Sold in sheets in most Asian markets and in stores like Whole Foods. It’s a core component in many Japanese stocks.
Optional: Liquid smoke. Depending on the smokiness of the tea you’ve used, you may want to forego this ingredient.
Salt
Start by peeling your carrots into wide, thin strips. The thinner they are, the faster they’ll soften in your brine. I used a vegetable peeler running length-wise down the carrots.
Add 1-2 sheets of kombu to a wide saucepan of water and heat until boiling. Add salt to taste, you want to be able to taste it but know that if your carrots are going to be in the brine for more than a day they’ll continue to absorb the salt.
Once the water boils, turn off the heat and add 1-2 bags of hoji-cha or two tablespoons of loose tea.
Test the broth. If it’s as smoky as you’d like, add the carrots and cover the pot, letting them steep in the mixture for at least 20 minutes or until soft. If it isn’t smoky enough, add liquid smoke in drops until you’ve reached your desired smoke level then proceed with the carrots.
Once the brine is cool, you can move the carrots to a storage bowl along with enough brine to keep them submerged. Try to use within a couple of days.
To serve: spread vegan sour cream or cream cheese (I used Daya cream cheese) over crackers then place a folded strip of lox on top. Garnish with dill, capers, red onions, or simply eat them plain. I used dill and salt Triscuit for mine.
Smoked Deviled Eggs
It’s just not Spring without deviled eggs, and I knew I wouldn’t make it through the year without making at least one deviled eggs dish for what will hopefully be a series of Satanic feasts.
My trick for failproof hard-boiled eggs is to add salt and vinegar to the water and turn the heat off immediately after submerging the eggs. Leave them in the water for 11-12 minutes and you’re in for the easiest to peel and least funky hard-boiled eggs you’ve ever had. This method will leave the yolks just set, making them easier to mix into the filling and less dry.
If your yolks develop a green hue, you’ve overcooked the eggs and need to start over. Don’t eat green yolks, people.
For this recipe I’ve used an electric smoker and applewood chips. You could achieve similar results with a cold smoker, it’d just take longer.
Smoking the eggs:
Preheat and load your smoker according to the directions. You’re aiming for 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
Oil the grill grate and place peeled but whole eggs directly on the grate.
Fill water tray with ice water. This will help keep the inside of the smoker appropriately damp and prevent the eggs from being rubbery. If you’re doing a lot of eggs at once, fill a disposable sheet pan with ice and put it on the next lowest grate from your eggs.
Smoke for 20 minutes or until the eggs take on a slightly smoky hue. Using a heavier wood will yield a darker color. I prefer apple or cherry for this recipe but hickory also works well. Start prepping to serve immediately or cover and chill. They’ll keep for a couple of days but your refrigerator will smell like a bonfire.
Deviled Eggs
These eggs have a kick to them thanks to the substitution of pickled jalapeno for the more “traditional” pickle or relish additive many a southern grandmother slips into her yolk filling. My take on this appetizer is definitely southern and if you don’t like the idea of a “chunky” deviled egg, feel free to leave out the diced jalapenos.
Boiled egg yolks
Mayonnaise (I used Kewpie mayo)
Dijon or full-grain mustard. I’ve used Dijon but also have done this with a creole mustard
Pickled jalapenos in brine
Smoked Paprika
(Optional) Aji panca powder
Here’s another southern cooking trait that’s probably going to annoy you: we hardly ever measure anything, particularly when it comes to fillings and sauces where precision isn’t key.
Put the yolks in a bowl and add to that a few chopped up slices of pickled jalapeno and a drizzle of the brine. Add mayo and mustard until the consistency is easily piped. The ratio is dependent on what you prefer but I tend to but a touch more mayo than mustard. Add a dash of smoked paprika then transfer to a piping bag.
Fill the egg halves as skillfully as you can and top with more jalapeno slices if you’d like. My secret to really make this dish pop is a dusting of a Peruvian sweet pepper called aji panca instead of the more traditional paprika. Aji panca has a faint berry kick that works well with the applewood smoke. This is completely optional but I’d be a bad foodie if I didn’t throw in at least one curious ingredient. You can also replace the paprika in the eggs with this powder.
This aji panca blend from Volcanic Peppers is a great option. I also recommend their line of super hot powders.
Other garnishing options: Salmon roe, bacon crumbles, or green onion.
Main Course: Portobello Steaks with a Blueberry Thyme Sauce
The sauce is truly the main component of this dish and is easily paired with pork, chicken, or venison. I kept this dish strictly vegan to test the process and deliver a hearty feast dish anyone could enjoy.
I’ve discovered Country Crock has a line of plant-based butter now that’s pretty much just their normal margarin now with all possible milk solids and contamination removed. What I wasn’t expecting was that it would function a lot like butter in both the sauce and when I was searing the portobello caps. Definitely seek this out if you miss the foamy quality of butter in vegan cooking.
Mushroom Steaks
Large portobello caps
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
steak seasoning
(optional) porcini mushroom powder
Clean the mushroom caps and remove the stem before coating in a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and steak seasoning. I added porcini mushroom powder to this mix for an added punch of umami. If you don’t have steak seasoning add: salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs of your choice to the marinade. Let the mushrooms sit in this for at least 10 minutes or up to an hour.
Heat a grill pan or skillet and add a generous dollop of vegan butter to the pan. You’ll spoon this over the mushrooms as they cook in the same way steaks are basted with butter.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on either side or until the mushrooms are thoroughly seared and cooked through. They will shrink during cooking.
Plate up and top with blueberry sauce
Blueberry Thyme Sauce
I don’t know why I was fixated on the idea of a savory blueberry sauce but I’m glad I stuck with it as this is one of the tastiest experiments I’ve done in a while. Similar to a coulis or cranberry sauce in texture, this blueberry concoction adds a spring-infused zing to the mushroom steaks and really any protein you might want to serve with it. The secret is letting the blueberries guide how you season.
You’ll need:
1 container blueberries
1 small shallot (I used the ultra tiny asian variety that are rounder than their French cousins)
Fresh thyme sprigs
Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
Sugar
1/2 inch fresh ginger grated or finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Butter or butter alternative
Wash the blueberries and taste them. If yours are more on the sour side like mine you’ll want to be careful with how much vinegar or lemon juice you add to the sauce and may even need a pinch of sugar to balance out the flavor.
Finely dice the shallots and ginger and add them to a saucepan with a tablespoon of butter. Saute until the shallots are translucent and soft. Add in the full package of blueberries and reduce the heat a bit.
Stir the blueberries occasionally as you let them simmer. Over time they’ll begin to rupture. We won’t be straining this sauce or blending it so you’ll let the berries continue to cook down until they are mostly split and the sauce is thick enough to cover the back of a spoon.
Halfway through the cooking process add a few sprigs of thyme and any sugar or salt you may want to adjust the flavor. Toward the end of the process brighten everything up with a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar. Serve over desired main immediately.
I felt this sauce was delicious on the roasted potatoes and asparagus I’d paired with the mushroom steaks. The flavor is tangy but not overtly fruity, much like how cranberry adds depth to thanksgiving meals.
My intention with this menu was to invoke the scent of a spring bonfire in a time when we can’t gather. I hope you try and enjoy these menu ideas. I’m already planning recipes for Halloween and Sol Invictus because cooking and sharing food has always been a big part of holidays for me. The power of sharing a meal or “breaking bread” transcends religion. My hope is to share even a little bit of that goodwill with others.