[Sca-Cooks] More Pasty mentions

Johnna Holloway johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu
Fri Jul 27 17:32:10 PDT 2007


*Searching in *Early English Books Online for "pasty crust", 
"pasty-crust", "pastye", "pa sty", "pasty", "pas-ty", or "pastycrusted" 
within full text, sorted by date ascending

This shows up as the definition --
Pastye or a fleshe pye. Artocrea, creae. Artocreas, atis. n. ge. Pasté 
de chair. H.

in Huloet, Richard. Huloets dictionarie newelye corrected, by John 
Higgins. 1572.

Then in The Widowes Treasure by John Partridge [1588] we find this recipe:

To make fine Cakes.

TAke a quantitye of fine wheate flower, and put it in an Earthen Pot 
stoppe it close and set it in an Ouen, and bake it as longe as you 
woulde a Pastye of Venison, and when it is baked it will be ful of 
clods, then serce your flower through a fine Ser|ser, then take Clouted 
Creame or swéete Butter, but Creame is best: then take Su|ger, Cloues, 
Mace, Saffron and yolkes of Egges, so muche as will seeme to season your 
Flower, then put these thinges into the Creame, temper all together, 
then put thereto your flower, so make your Cakes the paste will be very 
short, therfore make them very little, lay paper vnder them.

So there we have the instruction “bake it as longe as you woulde a 
Pastye of Venison.”

Fynes Moryson is his Itinerary of 1617 mentioned on page 150--

In the seasons of the yeere the English eate Fallow deare plentifully; 
as Bucks in Summer, and Does in Winter, which they bake in Pasties, and 
this Venison Pasty is a dainty, rarely found in any other Kingdome.

This is the section where he continues

In generall, the Art of Cookery is much esteemed in England, neither doe 
any sooner finde a Master, then men of that profession, and howsoeuer 
they are most esteemed, which for all kinds are most exquisite in that 
Art; yet the English Cookes, in com|parison with other Nations, are most 
commended for roasted meates.

Purchas his pilgrimes In fiue bookes. From 1625 writes:

My brother Busse, Iohn Martin, and I, dranke to you, and wish you many a 
Venison pasty.

Markham in The English Housewife in 1631

. Veale, Pig, Capon, and such like. Then bak't-meates, the hot first, as 
Fallow-deere in Pasty, Chicken, or Calues foote-pie and Douset. Then 
cold bak't meates, Pheasant, Partidges, Turkie, ...

• ..., a swan rosted: Tenthly, a turkey rosted; the eleuenth, a haunch 
of venison rosted; the twelfth, a pasty of venison; the thirteenth, a 
Kid with a pudding in the belly; the fourteenth, an oliue pye; ...

John Taylor in Taylors Feast from 1638 mentions “because he had invited 
some friends to his house to eate a Venison Pasty with him the next day: 
but his man and him|selfe dranke so hard, that they forgot their Liquor ...”

And the Countess of Kent includes the recipe in A choice manual of rare 
and select secrets 1653

To make Paste for a pasty of Venison. Pp83-84

Take almost a peck of flower, wet it with two pound of butter, and as 
much suet, then wet your Pastie, put in the yolks of eight or ten Eggs, 
make it reasonable lithe paste, then roul it out, and lay on suet; First 
lay a paper under your paste, then lay on your Venison, close it, pinke 
it, baste it with butter, and bake it, when you draw it out, baste it 
with butter.

Hannah Wolley or Wooley mentions a number of pasty recipes, including 
ones for venison, ling, and veal. She includes this one in The Queen 
Like Closet from 1670.

CCLXXVI. To make a Venison Pasty. Pp 338-339

Take a Peck of fine Flower, and three Pounds of fresh Butter, break your 
Butter into your Flower, and put in one Egge, and make it into a Past 
with so much cold Cream as you think fit, but do not mould it too much, 
then roule it pretty thin and broad, almost square, then lay some Butter 
on the bottom, then season your Venison on the fleshy side with Pepper 
grosly beaten, and Salt mixed, then lay your Venison upon your Butter 
with the seasoned side down|ward, and then cut the Venison over with 
your Knife quite cross the Pasty to let the Gravie come out the better 
in baking, then rub some seasoning in those Cuts, and do not lay any 
else because it will make it look ill-favoured and black, then put some 
paste rouled thin about the Meat to keep it in compass, and lay Butter 
on the top, then close it up and bake it very well, but you must trim it 
up with several Fancies made in the same Paste, and make also a Tunnel 
or Vent, and just when you are going to set it into the Oven, put in 
half a Pint of Clarret Wine, that will season your Venison finely, and 
make it shall not look or taste greasie, thus you may bake Mutton if you 
please.

Hope this helps

Johnnae





More information about the Sca-cooks mailing list