[Sca-cooks] Introductions.. And Meat Pies

[Ariane Helou]

At 09:30 AM 6/14/2005 -0700, you wrote:
>     My initial interest is in a portable meat-pie that can quite easily 
> be served cold or hot, and perhaps stored half-finished to be prepared at 
> an event.  I have come across a few recipes, but I was hoping that 
> perhaps the good gentles of the cooks list might have a recipe with some 
> period connections?

I have a recipe that I'm going to try out for an event in a couple of 
weeks.  (I'm planning to make the pies ahead of time and take them to the 
event fully cooked and ready to eat.  They're part of a more expansive 
feast menu, but are sure to be excellent on their own or as the main focus 
of a meal.)

 From an anonymous Tuscan cookbook, ca. 1400 (my translation):

"You can make a pie from beef, mutton and pork, sliced very small with 
garlic, onion, scallions, clean green [meaning unripe] grapes, or with 
herbs, in whatever way you like."

The crust at this point would have been (i'm fairly certain, but feel free 
to correct me, anyone) just water and flour, maybe some salt? but no fats 
or eggs.  Pie crusts made with butter or lard start to show up in the late 
15th or early 16th century, I think.

I'm going to use either beef or lamb, depending on price and availability, 
but no pork, since several of the diners don't eat it.  I'd love to use 
green grapes, but I doubt I'll find any in time; so my pies will just have 
the garlic, onions, scallions and herbs (thyme, marjoram, oregano, parsley, 
and rosemary are all called for in this recipe collection -- so i'll just 
use whatever's handy).