[Sca-cooks] Coffin Construction

[Johnna Holloway]

But there is lard used in the
*Roman pastry*.
[116] Take a chicken cut into pieces, spices and saffron and savory 
herbs: mix them together and fry them a bit: then add beaten eggs and a 
good amount of verjuice; and meanwhile make the crust; then assemble the 
pastry, making two or three "soles" [/solare/ = bottom crust] and 
putting spices on each: on top of this put lard and cover the pastry and 
make a hole in the middle [of the top crust]: on top of this shape birds 
or whatever other animals you like out of dough; and put lard on them, 
cook them in the oven, and serve. You can do the same with minced meat 
and fresh cheese.

which is in the same manuscript.
/*Parma-style tart.*/ [Tart of Parma]
[122] Take chickens cut into pieces and fry them with finely sliced 
onions, with a good amount of lard; and once the chickens are cooked 
enough put spices and a fair amount of salt on them.
also calls for lard.

Johnnae

V A wrote:
> Ciao Serena,
>
> I'm going to be a little contrary :-) and go totally against the grain of
> everyone else's recommendation to use a lard- or butter-based pastry.  The
> Anonimo Toscano recipe collection dates from ca. 1400, and that strikes me
> as very early to be using fat in pastry dough.  I don't see a lot of
> evidence for use of fat in pie crusts until later 15th-16th c (mid-16th you
> start getting pastry fortified with butter/lard and eggs, which is a whole
> other creature).  Written evidence aside, there's also the question of
> simple logic: Fat is expensive, and the "coffin" is not meant to be eaten.
> Why would you put all that expensive animal product into a shell that's
> going to be thrown away or tossed to the poor?  Then again, if you intend
> for diners at the feast to eat the "coffins", by all means use make it
> delicious with lard or butter. :-)