[Sca-cooks] Medieval History Magazine (was meatpastiesand theirlongevity)

[Daniel Myers]

On Feb 23, 2004, at 11:54 AM, vicki shaw wrote:

> Well, the article does say that they experimented with the coffyn  
> because
> they felt the period ones were probably unpalatablen and most likely
> discarded after the filling was reached and consumed.  I am going to  
> write
> to Stefan right now and give the recipe for the coffyn and the filling.
> Among the ingredients for the coffyns is 200 g of drippings.  What is  
> meant
> by that?  would this be drippings from roasting meat, that has become  
> solid
> at room temperature?  I say that because in the recipe you are toput  
> water
> and the drippings into a saucepan and simmer until the drippings  
> melt.....
> Ok okay, you are getting it all back asswards here, but for those of  
> you who
> may have the resource:
>
> "The original source for this recipe is Harleian MS. 279, in the  
> section
> titled 'Dyuerese Bake Metis,' as reproduced by Cindy Renfrow nin Take a
> Thousand Eggs or More.  An almost identical recipe occurs in Harleian  
> MS.
> 4016, as well as a number of similar recipes with titles such as  
> 'Tarte de
> chare' amd 'Another manere [of tartes]' and 'Doucettes' in MS. 279, and
> Douce MS. "

Below are the relevant recipes from Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery  
Books.  In them I can find references to pre-baking the coffin, to  
coloring it with saffron and egg yolks, and to putting a top crust on  
it, but I do not see any notes about the thickness of the coffin walls,  
whether they were edible, or the ingredients or methods used for making  
them.

Are there any other sources or recipes mentioned to document their  
methods?  I am concerned that the "hot liquid fat poured into flour"  
way of making a crust is a (relatively) modern one that arose from a  
faulty source or assumption and is unintentionally being promoted as  
period without supporting evidence (e.g. probably period because it's  
very rustic looking - thick and inedible).


 From TFCCB  
[http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/c/cme/cme-idx? 
type=HTML&rgn=TEI.2&byte=3356093]

.I. Tartes de chare.--Take Freyssche Porke, & hew it, & grynd it on a  
mortere; & take it vppe in-to a fayre vesselle; & take þe whyte an þe  
3olkys of Eyroun, & strayne into a Vesselle þorw a straynoure, &  
tempere þin Porke þer-with; þan take Pynez, Roysonys of Coraunce, &  
frye hem in freysshe grece, & caste þer-to pouder Pepir, & Gyngere,  
Canelle, Sugre, Safroun, & Salt, & caste þer-to, & do it on a cofynne,  
& plante þin cofynne a-boue with Pyne3, & kyt Datys, & gret Roysonys, &  
smal byrdys, or ellys hard 3olkys of Eyroun; & 3if þou take byrdys,  
frye hem on a lytel grece or þow putte hem on þin cofynne, & endore  
with 3olkys of Eyroun, & Safroun, & lat bake til it be y-now, & serue  
forth.

.xv. Doucete3.--Take Creme a gode cupfulle, & put it on a straynoure;  
þanne take 3olkys of Eyroun & put þer-to, & a lytel mylke; þen strayne  
it þorw a straynoure in-to a bolle; þen take Sugre y-now, & put þer-to,  
or ellys hony forde faute of Sugre, þan coloure it with Safroun; þan  
take þin cofyns, & put in þe ovynne lere, & lat hem ben hardyd; þan  
take a dysshe y-fastenyd on þe pelys ende; & pore þin comade in-to þe  
dyssche, & fro þe dyssche in-to þe cofyns; & when þey don a-ryse wel,  
take hem out, & serue hem forth.

Pye3 de pare3.--Take & smyte fayre buttys of Porke, & buttys of Vele,  
to-gederys, & put it on a fayre potte, & do þer-to Freyssche broþe, & a  
quantyte of wyne, & lat boyle alle to-gederys tyl yt be y-now; þan take  
it fro þe fyre, & lat kele a lytelle; þan caste þer-to 3olkys of  
Eyroun, & pouder of Gyngere, Sugre, & Salt, & mynced Datys, & Roysonys  
of Coraunce; þen make fayre past, and cofynnys, & do þer-on; kyuer it,  
& let bake, & serue f.

- Doc


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  Edouard Halidai  (Daniel Myers)
  http://www.medievalcookery.com/
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