SC - Traps?

[Bethany Public Library]

Hello all.

Actually, the crust in which the meat pies were often cooked could be
referred referred to as Coffins in many English recipes. Sometimes one might
receive the instruction to "raise" the coffin. Now, if  one were deceased,
that might prove an interesting feat. However, the coffin was actually a
box-shape (coffin being a generic word for Box in Middle English, IIRC), and
the contents of the coffin was usually fowl or pork or game, rarely beef,
though there are always exceptions. Naturally I don't have my sources with
me here at work, but I have looked into it in the past. Usta teach a class
on the subject. My favorite English butcher has departed this earth, but she
always made her Melton Mowbray pies square or rectangular, using just such a
, well, not a ring, but a bottomless rectangle with a rolled upper edge.
That's not evidence of period practice, however, just a fond memory.

Raising the coffin referred to the process of using a stiff dough to mold
the shape: perhaps with the aid of a trap (mold), perhaps not. I know that
clay pot-making skills have always been handy for me, and sometimes I use
the outside of a handy container for the mold. We know those solid pies were
meant to stand on their own after cooking, without the aid of a pan or form.
You'd need a very hard-baking, stiff crust  to do that. It has been
postulated that the crust, at least in earlier pies, was meant to be
discarded and was used primarily for containment (I have even read a
description of the crust in a modern discussion as part of those ubiquitous
"alms" that were given to the poor though I am not sure if this is
verifiable). There is no doubt that the contents were the main "thing"
however, and the crust may have served the purpose of a temporary container,
helping to preserve the food inside for a few more days of it's limited
shelf life.

Adamantius could probably give us a good exposition on the make-up of a
good, hard crust, if he was feeling so inclined on this nice spring day. I
go for hot-water crust myself, made with real butter. Butter always hardens
well for me, and is much harder than most other fats are when cold IMO. I
usually need the use of a collar to restrain the sides of the pie while
baking.

And given my modern background, I usually serve meat pies cold. How else
would done get that wonderful, flavorful jelly?

Aoife
>
> In a message dated 3/8/00 12:11:25 AM Eastern Standard Time, a bunch of
y'all wrote:>
> << It may be nothing more than the hoop
>  we have been discussing previously, which would make it little more than
>  what modern bakers know as a "flan ring."
> >  Adamantius >>
>
> Intriguing! Do you have any references, either primary or personal
> interpretations that might lead a budding historical cook to take that
leap?
> Ras
+Interesting that this came up. I was about to ask what people knew about
+the _shape_ of pies and pastries. I'm familiar with the style of
+turnovers and pasties, but have been curious if other shapes or vessels
+were used. Basically, I'm not going to assume the modern pie tin would
+be a normal way to make a meat pie.
+
+Seumas