Just a quick post to recap tonight’s episode! I need to make it rather brief because the Atholl Brose and the Rhenish wine have taken their toll on me! I am feeling a bit like Angus right now…
Atholl Brose with Cranachan!
Before we go on with the update, I just want to say that our dinner feast was a success! The only minor glitch was the Clapshot Rosti… it tasted great but turned out more like hashbrowns than potato pancakes?!
For the recipes you can see the previous post: https://timeslipsblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/outlander-the-gathering-and-some-shinty/
Pork tenderloins with Clapshot Rosti and parsnips crisps
Dessert was Cranachan. I did make some slight alteration on the recipe, used mixed berry sauce rather than fresh raspberries because that’s what I had in the fridge! Rather than individual servings, I put it all together in large serving dish. My one mistake with it was making the whipped cream too early ahead of time- reminder to self and others, this is not really a do ahead dish! It still tasted wonderful though!
Cranachan
Ok, now that Dinner is out of the way, Let’s move on to the more important matters… Not that the feasting isn’t important, but we all know that the most important part of this gathering is The Gathering, and all of those who attended!
First let’s see a few of the out of town guests… Herself, Diana Gabaldon made an appearance as Iona. Sadly, Iona was snubbed and insulted by Mrs. Fitz? It must have been some personal argument or disagreement between them that lasted for years. Iona’s family must be experiencing some monetary hardships as Mrs. Fitz quite rudely pointed out how nice her dress was again, wasn’t it the same she wore to the last gathering? The last Gathering of the Clan MacKenzie took place 20 years ago so Mrs. Fitz must have an excellent memory and hold a long grudge!
Our esteemed creator of the show also put in an appearance! I didn’t catch a name for him though! You look marvelous, Ron Moore!
There was one other out of town guest wandering about and I am curious as to he was? Certainly not one of the Clan members, dressed the way he was and resembling much more of a Sassenach… I have my suspicions about him and his identity. His name was not mentioned and he was not introduced, but I am thinking perhaps he is the Duke of Sandringham? If I remember correctly from the book, he was visiting the Castle at the time of the Gathering?
Colum MacKenzie made his grand entrance to the Gathering and showed the importance and seriousness of the event by shaving for it! Wow.. what a difference a shave makes?!
There was a long line of men waiting to swear their oaths of allegiance to Colum and the MacKenzie Clan. Dougal, of course was first in line as proper and appropriate for him as we know that he is the other half of Colum!
Did I mention how long the line was? Angus had plenty of time to drink Claire’s stash while he was waiting around.
Claire had a plan in mind to escape but as quite often the case with her plans, it went quite awry and caused some difficulties… such as almost being knifed by Jamie!
Due to Claire’s failed attempt at escaping, she caused even more problems for Jamie! Ahhhh Claire, he gets into enough trouble on his own, he doesn’t need your help to find it! Luckily, Jamie is quick witted and a charmer with that boyish smile of his… also, lucky that Colum likes him and doesn’t really enjoy the thought of having to kill him. No, that would be Dougal’s idea more so than Colum’s! Anyway, Jamie managed to salvage the situation of the oath taking by making his play on words… “I promise to obey you as long as I am on your lands…”
Once the Oath taking was finished, it was time for the fun to start? If you could consider a Boar hunt as fun… Claire just did not seem to understand or take seriously the danger of wild boars. After all, what harm could a pig cause? Ummmm Claire, Really- what did you think a boar was? She of course realized her mistake rather quickly once she encountered the animal chasing her down!
Yes, of course it’s all fun and games until you make a boar mad and he attacks! There was much seriousness when one of the hunters was mortally wounded and even Claire could not save him. Dougal showed his emotions and later gave his thanks to Claire for her help with the dying man. A rather unsteady truce was set between them after that.
On returning from the unfortunate Boar hunt, the men threw themselves into a different sort of battle, but not much less dangerous than a Boar hunt. It was time for a no holds barred, no rules, last man standing wins game of Shinty! I have to admit, this is one of my favorite scenes of the episode!
Once again, Claire showed a slight lack of understanding with her comment of “That’s not really fair, is it?” Rubert could not even come with an answer for her on that one other than to shake his head at her ridiculous question!
Ohhhh, by the way, Jamie appeared to be the last man standing as he knocked Dougal to the ground, smiled and said, “I learned from you!”
Time Slips 