[Sca-cooks] Recipe including Cubebs

[metaphor]

Mushroom Pastry/Pastys
After Le Menagier de Paris
by
Don Alexandre Lerot d'Avigne


The source is Le Menagier De Paris, and dates to roughly 1395. It is worth 
noting that the recipe I am working from is not technically a primary 
source. Le Menagier is a primary source, but I have a translation -- Janet 
Hinson's, from Cariadoc's collection. In translation, the recipe reads:

"MUSHROOMS of one night are the best, and are small and red inside, closed 
above: and they should be peeled, then wash in hot water and parboil; if 
you wish to put them in pastry, add oil, cheese and powdered spices."

That's pretty straightforward, actually. I looked around in my store and 
couldn't find any small red mushrooms. So I settled. I used your basic 
everyday white button mushrooms. I decided not to peel them since it is a) 
difficult and b) time- consuming. Since the purpose of peeling would be to 
either clean the food or to remove a tough rind, and neither is an issue 
with these little 'shrooms, I don't think it will be a problem.

Instead, I sliced them thin, then dropped them into boiling water for just 
a moment before removing. I grated a bunch of gruyere and a bunch of 
cheddar cheese (Sigh. Measurements, ok. 1/2 pound of each, and not quite 
two pounds of mushrooms.) Powdered spices. I went pretty basic: salt, 
pepper and, since I had them and have been wanting to try them, cubebs. 
Say, 1 to 2 tablespoons salt, half that in pepper and in cubebs. Give or 
take. I added enough canola oil to the mixture to give it a little 
consistency and the filling was done.

Pastry is not one of my strongest suits. That means I usually fall back on 
some variant of this recipe, which is taken from Ex Porcinate, the cookbook 
of the Barony of Caerthe, and which is credited to Mistress Keridwen 
Gwennmarch. Paraphrased: cut 2/3 cups lard and 1/2 cup diced suet into 3 
cups flour and 1/2 t salt. Stir in about 1/2 cup cold water, shape into a 
ball and let rest, covered, about an hour. Roll out and cut into circles. I 
actually used crisco rather than lard 'cause I couldn't find lard at the 
warehouse-style store where I was shopping. Suet, rather surprisingly, was 
not too difficult to find.

Moving on. I actually made a double batch of pastry and it worked out about 
right for the amount of filling I had. Cut out circles, say 5" in diameter. 
Put some filling in the middle and fold over the top. Crimp shut with a 
fork or by some other method you favor. Place them onto a greased cookie 
sheet and cook for half an hour or so. I actually did the first ten minutes 
at 425, then reduced the heat to 375, but that was probably unnecessary.

And there you go! A period, portable, pasty.

Recipe: Filling
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 lb swiss-style cheese, grated
2 pounds mushrooms, sliced or chopped or something
2 T salt
1 T pepper (or a bit less)
1 T crushed cubebs (or a bit less)
vegetable oil
Parboil mushrooms by dropping into boiling water, then removing pretty 
quickly. Mix everything together.

Recipe: Pastry
1 1/3 cups lard or shortening
1 cup diced suet
6 cups flour
1 t salt
1 cup or so cold water
Cut lard and suet into flour and salt. Add water and form into a ball. Let 
rest, covered, about an hour. Roll out and cut into 5" circles.

Fill pastries and bake at 375 for 1/2 an hour or so on a greased cookie 
sheet. If the pastry is done, the filling probably is, too. Eat hot or cold.

--- ALd'A