June 16

Upon this sultry mid-June afternoon, Baron Geoffrey de Brattleby signed the parchment that surrendered his ancestral rights to the rabbit warrens on the limestone escarpment to the monks of Lincoln. This act of piety followed a decade of boundary disputes and poaching skirmishes that had cost the lives of three foresters and soured the relations between the castle and the cathedral. The signing ceremony took place in the Great Hall, where the air was thick with the scent of wild thyme and old wax, as the dry heat of the Lincolnshire summer pressed against the leaded panes.

When a member of the clergy, whether a humble friar or a titled bishop, crosses the threshold of Brattleby, the protocol of the House demands a specific hierarchy of welcome. It is vital to remember that the spiritual authority of the visitor must be balanced against the temporal sovereignty of the Baron. The Lord of the House shall meet a Bishop at the foot of the outer stairs, whereas a Prior or Abbot is received at the doors of the Great Hall. Silence should be maintained by the household staff during the initial blessing, and salt should be offered before bread to symbolize a pact of preservation.

Furthermore, when seating such guests, one must ensure the ecclesiastical chair is positioned to the right of the host but never elevated beyond the height of the Baronial seat. To over-elevate a guest of the cloth is to suggest the House is a mere vassal to the Church, an imbalance that has historically led to the erosion of feudal rights. Proper attention to the washing of hands before the meal is not merely a hygienic necessity but a ritual cleansing that mirrors the guest's own sacred duties.

First, the rabbits must be jointed with precision, ensuring no splintering of the bone occurs. The pieces are then seared in a heavy iron skillet with rendered lard until the flesh is gilded like a harvest moon. Once browned, the meat is removed to a ceramic pipkin, and the pan is deglazed with a generous splash of verjuice to lift the savory suet from the base. Add the grated ginger and crushed garlic to the liquid, allowing the heat to draw out the aromatic oils before reintroducing the rabbit to the pot.

Prepare a glaze by whisking together the wild honey and finely chopped summer savory. Drizzle this over the meat before covering the pipkin with a sourdough crust seal to lock in the moisture. Place the vessel in the embers of the hearth for two hours, allowing the honey to penetrate the grain of the meat. When the seal is broken, the aroma should be sharp yet sweet. Serve on toasted sops of white bread to ensure every drop of the medicinal and flavorful gravy is preserved for the diners.