SC - an interesting challenge...and its even about medieval food! :)

[Bronwynmgn@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/4/2000 5:34:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
WyteRayven at aol.com writes:

<< >....I can give you a great recipe for a 
 >meat pie, circa 1390 or so, that uses regular pie >crust for top and bottom 
 >(oh, and it doesn't have any veggies in it.  Just >fruit).
 >
 >Brangwayna Morgan
 
 
 Please do! :) >>

As easily said as done:  (OOPs, I goofed - it's circa 1450, not circa 1390!)

Pies of Parys
>From Harleian MS 4016, c. 1450, as redacted in Pleyn Delit

Take and smyte faire buttes of porke and buttes of vele togidre, and put hit 
in a faire potte.  And putte thereto faire broth, And a quantitie of Wyne, 
And lete all boile togedidre til hit be ynogh; And then take hit fro the 
fire, and lete kele a litel, an cast ther-to raw yolkes of eyren, and pouudre 
of gyngeuere, sugre, and salt, and mynced dates, reseyns of corence; make 
then coffyns of feyre past, and do it ther-ynne, and keuere it & lete bake 
y-nogh.


Pastry for a 9-inch pie pan (top and bottom) or ca 24 tart shells
1 ½ pounds mixed ground meat, including at least two of pork, veal, beef
1 cup each meat stock or broth, red wine
3 egg yolks or 1 whole egg plus one yolk
½ tsp. each ginger, sugar, and salt
¼ cup each minced dates, currants
optional: pinch of ground pepper or cubebs, and/or mace, ground clove

Put the ground raw meat in a saucepan and cover with the wine and water; 
bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Then drain all the cooking juices 
into a heatproof container, setting aside the meat.  Let the cooking liquid 
cool (preferably in the refrigerator or freezer) until you can remove all the 
fat from the top.
   When you are ready to assemble the pie, line a pie dish with pastry.  Then 
bring the defatted juices to a boil; beat the egg yolks (or egg and yolk) in 
a bowl and beat in a littleof the hot (but not quite boiling) stock.  Beat in 
the rest, still off the heat; then mix together meat, dried fruits, spices, 
and sauce and stir over low heat for a few minutes to thicken slightly.  Put 
in the prepared pie shell and cover with a top crust (unless you are making 
individual tarts).  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 1 hour 
(less for individual tarts).  As the mixture may tend to be pretty sloppy at 
first, be sure to slit the top crust to allow steam to escape; and it may 
also be wise to put a cookie sheet or a piece of foil under the pie pan.