[Sca-cooks] Re: coffyns

[Carole Smith]

It might be instructive to note the physical distance between the kitchen (usually a separate building for fire prevention purposes) and the dining hall.  Keeping the food warm and clean while it was traversing that distance was the reason for metal lids on serving dishes, I believe.  
 
Surely a pastry lid served a similar purpose (in part).
 
Cordelia toser

Nancy Kiel <nancy_kiel at hotmail.com> wrote:
I think it unlikely that coffins were used because there weren't enough 
pans/trappes. A coffin might be used because the dough can be shaped 
however the cook wishes; it might be used so that the innards of the pie can 
be presented in a different way; as I said before, it's a chance to show off 
wealth (using all that flour, instead of a reusable ceramic pan) and skill 
(shaping as desired). As for thickness, certainly the Dutch paintings 
mentioned show thin top crusts, and one (at least) has a scoop of pie on the 
second plate with some of the crust. My understanding was that the crust 
for coffins or raised pies, which I interpret as free-standing pies, was not 
meant to be eaten, just because it wouldn't be very tasty. A "regular" 
crust would be made with more fat etc. As for serving food "hot", do we 
have any idea as to how quickly food cools off? Maybe some experiments 
with refrigeration are in order. And hey, if the food is room temperature, 
doesn't more of the flavour come through?

Nancy Kiel
nancy_kiel at hotmail.com
Never tease a weasel!
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