[Sca-cooks] Coffyn Pan?

[Daniel Myers]

On Jan 17, 2008, at 6:30 PM, Elise Fleming wrote:

>
> Doc wrote:
>> There is clear evidence that the crusts in period were sometimes
>> intended to be eaten, that they were not always thick, and that they
>> were sometimes made with fine flour instead of rye. I've collected a
>> number of recipes and pictures on the subject, and have them online
>> at the URL below.
>> http://www.medievalcookery.com/notes/piecrust.shtm
>
> What a superb web page!  Just the thing I was always hoping someone  
> would
> do.  While I don't disagree that people could have eaten some of the
> missing crusts that are pictured there, I don't think that that is  
> what
> necessarily happened.  If the pie were broken into and the crust  
> was not
> edible, would it really have been left on the serving dish?  I would
> surmise that it might have been removed and given to the poor - or to
> whomever the leftovers went.


Yes, they might have thrown/given the crust away, but then there's  
this recipe (note the part between the ***):

To make Paste, and to raise Coffins. Take fine flower, and lay it on  
a boord, and take a certaine of yolkes of Egges as your quantitie of  
flower is, then take a certaine of Butter and water, and boil them  
together,
***but ye must take heed ye put not too many yolks of Egges, for if  
you doe, it will make it drie and not pleasant in eating:***and yee  
must take heed ye put not in too much Butter for if you doe, it will  
make it so fine and short that you cannot raise. And this paste is  
good to raise all manner of Coffins: Likewise if ye bake Venison,  
bake it in the paste above named.  [The Good Huswifes Handmaide for  
the Kitchen, Stuart Peachey (ed.)]


- Doc


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280. Take cold water and merybonys, and make it clene, than draw hem  
thorw a straynowre in-to a fayre potte, take y-now of powder of  
canel, a good quantyte, an caste it on red wyne, an draw it thorw a  
straynour. caste sugre ther-to, an serue it forth ynne, ry3th for a  
good potage.  [The Boke of Swyllyng]
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