SC - sour cherry pie

[Philip & Susan Troy]

kelsaborg wrote:
> 
> Being a beginner cook for my house hold makes things
> interesting. My Mistress the Female head of the House
> has asked me to continue to find new and interesting
> things to cook and so I continue to try. I like the
> way this recipe sounds but I'm just not sure what all
> of the terms means.... how would I find out? Thanks,
> the newest of cooks for the house of Twin Bears
> Kelsa

With respect, this sounds more a matter of being a little intimidated by
an unfamiliar process than with difficult terminology. Yeah, I'm
familiar with this stuff and you apparently are not, but the way you
become familar with it is to touch your "Don't Panic!" button for luck,
and try doing what the recipe says. Sometimes it is helpful to try to
figure out if there's another recipe (even a modern one) that resembles
the dish you're trying to work out; it can be very helpful in figuring
out proportions if there are none in the recipe. Not always foolproof,
but then that's part of the learning process, too. And we're here to help.
> 
> > 40.  Sour Cherry Pie
> >
> >     Pound in a mortar pitted sour cherries which can
> > be
> > called 'merendae'.

Take some pitted sour cherries and pound them in a mortar. [You might
consider a food processor, whizzing them up until not quite smooth.
Apparently there is, or was, a type of fruit called merendae, but
there's no harm in trying the sour cherries people sometimes grow on
trees, or you may be able to buy them in a market that sells Eastern
European or Middle Eastern groceries, pitted in their own juice, in
jars. You would probably want about three cups for this dish, maybe just
a bit more.] 

>>  When they are pounded, mix into
> > them
> > well cut up roses, a little fresh  cheese, and
> > ground aged
> > cheese, a bit of pepper, a little ginger, a little
> > more
> > sugar, and four beaten eggs.

Well-cut-up roses are just that, presumably the petals only, with the
white bases of the petals trimmed off because they tend to be bitter.
Use as many as you feel like using, but I assume they're there to
provide aroma, so you won't need more than a handful or so. Mix them
into your cherry mash. Mix in some fresh cheese such as ricotta, or
maybe some farmer cheese or cottage cheese pushed through a strainer.
You can experiment with different types, but you probably want no more
than a cup, maybe less. Your ground aged cheese could be something like
Parmesan, or maybe even a bit of white or yellow cheddar. I highly
recommend you avoid Romano; many people use a mix or assume they're the
same, so I thought I'd mention it. Anyway, start with a tablespoon or
two, see if you like it and you can use less if you don't, more if you
do. Maybe 1/8 -1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste. So far you
haven't added anything to this mixture that makes tasting it a problem.
No raw chicken or anything. Taste it and see what you think, see if you
can pick out the spice flavors as you add them, and adjust accordingly.
The cook is the first line of defense, if you will. If you want a good
dish, and have no other benchmarks, cook a dish that _you_ think _you_
will like to eat. Same for the ginger; I'd try about 1/4 teaspoon.
Sugar, well, these are sour cherries, so I'd recommend about 3/4 of a
cup to start with, then you can keep adding more until it's sweet
enough. I'd assume "more" is a reference to the amount you'd use for
millet pie. This'll take more. Again, your own taste buds will help you
with this. As for the eggs, well, the basic rule generally is that six
eggs or twelve yolks will thicken a quart or so of custard, so four eggs
would thicken about 21 ounces of liquid. Since this stuff is thicker
than milk or cream, you need fewer eggs, so four medium or larger eggs
should be about right for the 3-4 cups of other filling you have. 

> > When they are mixed,
> > cook in a
> > well-greased pan with a lower crust on a slow fire.

Put it into a pie shell, either one you've made or one you've bought.
For a first attempt this is fine; you may want to investigate some
period pie shell recipes later. Baking it "blind", or empty, or rather
filled with something you can remove, such as another pie tin weighted
down, or some dry beans to keep the pie shell from puffing up and
warping, would probably be a good idea. Many period pie recipes talk
about baking a pie shell to harden it before adding the filling. Try
maybe 10-12 minutes at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sorry, it's too
early in the morning for me to convert to Celsius or Gas Mark numbers. 
You want it mostly cooked but not browned. Cool your shell a bit, then
(or if you've omitted the pre-baking,) fill your pie shell. Bake it;
it'll probably take somewhere between 25 and 40 minutes. The usual
caveats for tart baking apply; cover with foil if any parts start to
brown too much, or consider reducing the temperature a bit. Turn it
around in the oven if necessary. When the eggs are done, this type of
pie is done, so you can do the clean-toothpick thing to test for
doneness. 

> > When
> > they are taken off the fore, pour sugar and
> > rosewater over
> > them.  This does not differ much from the above in
> > force and
> > pleasantness.

Moisten some sugar with rosewater and make a thickish glaze somewhere
between a syrup and an icing, put it over the hot pie surface. Let it
soak in and/or solidify if it is inclined to do so. Let it sit for 1/2
hour or so. Serve warm or at room temperature. Eat. Say, "Yum!" 

I wasn't kidding about the "Don't Panic!" button ;  )

Have fun!

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com