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Crust for Tame Animals
by THL Brighid Ross
This recipe is from the writings of Bartolomeo Sacchi, known as Platina. He was a gourmand who enjoyed collecting the recipes of those cooks whose work he knew to be the best. His work, De Honesta Voluptate et Valetudine (On Right Pleasure and Good Health), is a compilation of these recipes, about 40% of which come from Libro de arte coquinaria, by Maestro Martino, the celebrated chef of Cardinal Ludovico Trevisan. Platina’s manuscript is the earliest published collection of recipes, being published early in the 1460’s.
This particular recipe shows a juxtaposition of unusual ingredients, i.e., cherries and chicken, and illustrates very well the Renaissance idea of using opposing tastes together, the chicken being sweet and the cherries somewhat sour. (1)
Crusta ex Cicuribus
Crust for Tame Animals
The translated original:
If you want a crust with chicks and any sort of bird, first boil them. When they are almost cooked, take them out of the kettle, and when they are out, cut them up in pieces, and fry in a frying pan with plenty of lard. Then pour them out into a pan or well-oiled earthen pot lined with a crust. Add plums and cherries or sour fruit to this mixture without harm. Then beat with a paddle verjuice and eight eggs, if you are having more guests, or fewer, with a few, with a moderate amount of juice. With this, mix parsley, majoram and mint chopped as finely as possible with a knife, and place on a fire but far from the flame, for it must boil slowly. Meanwhile it ought to be stirred with a spoon as long as needed until it covers the spoon with a thick coating. Finally, pour this juice over the crust and put it on the fire, even if it is a meat pie. When it is cooked, serve it to your guests. It will be very nourishing, digest slowly, leave little indigestible residue, repress bile, and irritate the chest. (2)
My redaction:
1 3lb. Chicken
Water or chicken stock to boil chicken
Pastry for crust (see recipe below)
Lard or oil to brown Chicken
1 cup dried cherries or plums (you can reconstitute in water)
1/4 cup verjuice, or lemon juice as substitute
8 eggs
1 oz. fresh Marjoram
1 oz. fresh Mint
1 oz fresh Parsley
Salt
2 Milham, Mary Ellen. Platina: On Right Pleasure and Good Health. pg. 56
Boil the chicken in chicken in water or stock until almost cooked. Brown the chicken and then de-bone. Line a deep-dish pie shell with pastry, then fill with the chicken and cherries. Pour the sauce over the pie and bake until browned on top at 350°.
Sauce:
Blend eggs, and verjuice and ½ cup stock, water or wine. Add parsley, marjoram and mint and mix thoroughly. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until thickened so that it clings to the spoon.
Pie Crust Recipe from Sabina Welserin Circa 1553
Original German Text:
Ain pastetentaig zú machen
zú allen auffgesetzten
pasteten @
Nempt ain mell, das pest,
so jr bekomen múgen, vngefarlich
2 gút gaúffen oder darnach jr die grosß oder klain haben
welt, thiets auff den disch vnnd riert 2 air mit ainem messer
daran vnnd saltzt ain wenig, macht jn ainem pfenndlin ain
wasser vnnd wie 2 gúte air grosß schmaltz, last es als anainander
ergan vnnd sieden/ darnach schit es an das obgemelt
mell ob dem disch vnnd mach ain starcken taig vnnd
arbait jn woll, wie dich gút dúnckt, wan es jm somer jst,
músß man an des wasser stat ain fleschbrie nemen vnnd an
des schmaltz stat ain abscheffet von der súpen nemen, wan
der taig gearbait jst, so machent jn zú ainer rúnden kúgel
vnnd thenet jn fein mit den fingern vornen aus oder mit ainem
walgelholtz/ das jn der mit ain hechin beleib, darnach
lands erstaren an der keltin, darnach setzent daig aúf, jn maß
jch eúch gezaigt hab/ aúch balten ain taig zú der teckin vnd
welget jn zú ainer deckin vnnd nempt ain wasser vnnd
bestreichts oben an der deckin vnnd oben an der aúffgesetzten
pasten vnnd thiets mitt den fingern woll zusamen,
last an ainem ort ain klain lechlin, vnd das es woll zúsamengedruckt
sey, das nicht offenstand/ blassen jn das lechlin,
das jr gelassen habt, so wirt die deckin hibsch aúfflaúffen, so
trúcken das lechlin von stúnd an zú, darnach thits jn offen,
set vor ain mell aúff die schissel/ secht, das jr den offen recht
haitzt, so wirt es ain schene pasteten, also macht man all
aúffgesetzt pasteten den taig.(3)
3.
"Das
Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin (c. 1553)." Universitätsverlag C. Winter
Heidelberg. 10 Nov. 2003 <http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/sawe.htm#english>
Valoise Armstrong's translation of Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin
From Master Cariodoc’s pages:
61 To make a pastry
dough for all shaped pies
Take flour, the best that you can get, about two
handfuls, depending on how large or small you would have the pie. Put it on the
table and with a knife stir in two eggs and a little salt. Put water in a small
pan and a piece of fat the size of two good eggs, let it all dissolve together
and boil. Afterwards pour it on the flour on the table and make a strong dough
and work it well, however you feel is right. If it is summer, one must take meat
broth instead of water and in the place of the fat
the skimmings from the broth. When the dough is kneaded, then make of it a round
ball and draw it out well on the sides with the fingers or with a rolling pin,
so that in the middle a raised area remains, then let it chill in the cold.
Afterwards shape the dough as I have pointed out to you. Also reserve dough for
the cover and roll it out into a cover and take water and spread it over the top
of the cover and the top of the formed pastry shell and join it together well
with the fingers. Leave a small hole. And see that it is pressed together well,
so that it does not come open. Blow in the small hole which you have left, then
the cover will lift itself up. Then quickly press the hole closed. Afterwards
put it in the oven. Sprinkle flour in the dish beforehand. Take care that the
oven is properly heated, then it will be a pretty pastry. The dough for all
shaped pastries is made in this manner. (4)
My redaction
2 cups Flour
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup or so of lard (see Journal below)
1/3 cup water.
Put 2 cups of Flour on a cutting board, make a pocket in the flour and break in the eggs. Add the salt and begin to mix with your hands.
Add Lard and cut with knives or pastry blender until the lard breaks down to about the size of peas.
Mix in the water a teaspoon at a time until the dough will form a ball. Flatten the ball slightly and roll out, using extra flour to prevent sticking.
4.
Freidman,
David. "Sabrina _Westerlin html." 10 Nov. 2003 <http://daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html>
Theory
Platina explores each foods potential interactions with the body, and it’s relation to when it should best be eaten. ”The Good Health of Platina’s title introduces a medical theme, which runs throughout the Plinian sections in injunctions upon diet. This is based on the theory of the four humors. The humors were considered to be the four bodily fluids: blood, phlegm, choler (yellow bile), and melancholy (black bile). In a healthy person, these fluids were in balance, but illness indicated an imbalance. Also, a predominance of a humor might influence personality and temperament, as a melancholy person or one dubbed choleric (hot tempered) or sanguine (blood, therefore cheerful).(5) These concepts underlay much of Platina’s advice, and many of his recipies. He discusses these concepts and other medicinal properties of many items including those ingredients in the pie recipe:
Cherries
Some cherries are tart, some sour, some sweet. The sour ones constrict the bowels and upset the stomach; tart ones cut phlegm, repress yellow bile, quench thirst, and stimulate the appetite. Sweet ones are bad for the stomach, for they generate worms and foul humors in the bowels. If they are eaten in the morning, fresh and with their pits, the move the urine and the bowels. (6)
Eggs
The
force of eggs is mild, and for this reason doctors assert that they give much
good nourishment. The egg is divided in two, into white and yolk, the white
tending toward cold and the yolk toward heat. We use the white in cleaning
wounds, in binding foods and sweets, but the yolks, especially fresh ones, from
the hen, partridge, and pheasant, warm the hear and nourish the body when they
are eaten lightly cooked, for eggs ought to be sucked. They are converted into
pure blood, which warms the heart. For this reason, those who are troubled by an
empty stomach should use this food often in the first course because it is very
easily turned into other humors when the stomach is purged beforehand. (7)
Mint
Mint induces appetite and keeps the stout from wasting away. It makes the heart glad, helps the stomach, kills worms, and is especially effective against the bite of a rabid dog. (8)
5. Milham, Mary Ellen. Platina: On Right Pleasure and Good Health pg. xix
6. Milham, Mary Ellen. Platina: On Right Pleasure and Good Health. pg. 17
7. Ibid. pg. 41
8. Ibid. pg. 60
Parsley
Roots of parsley act wonderfully against poison, and because it is bitter, it suits medicine more than eating. Some call this herb ambrosia. (9)
Sweet Marjoram
Sweet Marjoram is warm and dry. It opens the passages of the nose and drives sticky humors from the head. (10)
Chicken
A dish made of this bird aids the stomach, soothes the chest, makes the voice resonant and fattens the body. (11)
Journal
For the first attempt at the dish, I decided to be very literal in the attempt. While the results were edible, and not bad tasting, I felt that some refinement was needed. While called a meat pie, the recipe reads and the results were more like a quiche, without cream or milk.
The Pie Crust
I was pretty faithful in following the recipe for the fat. I was able to buy suet at the market, and used that instead of a “a piece of fat the size of two eggs”. I placed the suet in a pan with ¾ cup of water, and brought it to a boil. I let it boil for 5 minutes and as it cooked the fat rose to the surface and the small meat particles fell to the bottom. I then removed it from the heat. Before I placed the pan in the refrigerator, I poored the liquid through a seive to separate the meat particles, leaving just liquid in the pan. I made the choice to use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process. It took about an hour for a hard surface of lard to form at the top of the pan. I let it cool for about ½ hour longer to make sure the fat was cool to the touch.
I then started the crust. I started with 2 cups of flour for “two handfuls” and used 2 eggs. I added about ¼ teasoon salt, and decided that for the 2nd attempt, I would add more. I mixed the eggs and flour and then added the “fat”. I was pretty true to the recipe and broke off a piece about the size of the two eggs (my guess would be about ¾ - 1 cup). With two knives, I cut the lard into the flour working until I had the lard worked into about pea size balls. I then used water by the spoonful until I was able to form a ball with the dough. In total about ¼ -1/3 cup. It actually took more water than I had expected, and it was difficult to get the dough to form. Once it did I floured the board and used a rolling pin to roll it into a roughly round shape about the size of my 9” pie plate. The dough was pretty easy to work with once I began rolling it. I ended up with a pretty thick dough, but it stayed together without ripping, and was easy to transfer onto the pie plate. I trimmed the edges, and crimped them. I then refrigerated the crust until the filling was ready.
9. Milham, Mary Ellen. Platina: On Right Pleasure and Good Health. pg. 60
10. Ibid pg. 66
11. Ibid pg. 94
Filling
I began by boiling a whole 3 lb chicken for about ½ hour. This was sufficient to cook it most of the way through. I followed the recipe pretty faithfully, for the first attempt and cut the chicken into pieces, using the legs, the thighs, and the breast split into two pieces. I then fried the chicken pieces in about ½ cup of the lard I had left over from the crust recipe. I cooked the pieces untill they were browned and then removed them to a plate. For the first attempt, I placed the chicken pieces in the pie crust, the breasts were boneless, but I left the bones attached to the thighs and legs. I decided to de-bone it for the my final presentation to make it easier to serve and eat.
I used 2.5 oz of dried cherries (about 1 and 1/4 cup) for my “sour fruit”. They were dried with no sugar added. I rehydrated part of them in Chardonay and part of them in water. I found that I preffered the taste of the cherries re-hydrated in water, and chose to use this method for my entry. The cherries soaked for about 1 ½ hours and then were drained prior to being added to the chicken in the crust.
The Sauce
I used the proportions in the original translation, 8 eggs for my 9” pie plate. I chose to use lemon juice in place of verjuice. “Alternatives, if not substitutes for verjuice had to be on hand in most kitchens. Recipes are common enough in the course of which the writer gives advice on how to make an ersatz verjuice, ‘…if it is the time of year in which you do not have any.’ For instance in the Tuscan Libro della cocina the author advises, “Should there be a want of verjoice, you can use lemon juice, orange juice, or rose water.’”(12) I used about 1/4 cup, or the juice of 1 lemon. I then beat these together.
I purchased about an ounce each of fresh mint and marjoram, when chopped finely, they were a little less than ¼ cup each. I chopped the same amount parsley. The herbs were added and I put the pan on low heat stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from setting or scrambling. According to the recipe the sauce is to cook until thickened so that it clings to the spoon. This was very hard to judge, the egg mixture was already thick, but I continued to heat it slowly, until it was steaming, and just beginning to “set” to the bottom of the pan. I felt that if I waited any longer I would end up pouring scrambled eggs on the chicken and cherries. I decided that adding some chicken broth would help prevent the eggs from scrambling, almost like adding cream to a quiche creates a custard instead of scrambled eggs. This seemed to work better.
The oven was pre-heated to 350 degrees; I poured the “sauce” over the filling and baked the pie for 40 minutes, checking it at 30 minutes and again at 35 minutes. This is the temperature and cooking time for a quiche. At the 40-minute mark, the top was golden and the crust was just turning brown. When I cut into the pie, the egg mixture was solid.
I thought the consistency was pretty much the same as a quiche, but was definitely lacking the consistency that cream adds. The chicken was not dry, but juicy, and the tartness of the cherries, was interesting with the blandness of the chicken. I thought that the herb flavors were very understated, and you could taste the lemon in the eggs. One of the three “taste testers” claimed there was too much lemon, but was overruled. The overall appearance was very colorful and most attractive.
12.
Scully,
Terence. The Art of Cookery In The Middle Ages.
pg. 81
Bibliography
Milham, Mary Ellen. Platina: On Right Pleasure and Good Health. Tempe, Arizona: University of Arizona, 1998.
“Das Kochbuch der Sabina
Welserin (c. 1553)." Universitätsverlag C. Winter Heidelberg. 10 Nov. 2003
http://staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/sawe.htm#english
Freidman, David. "Sabrina
_Westerlin html." 10 Nov. 2003 <http://daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html>
Scully, Terence. The
Art of Cookery In The middle Ages. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 1995.
“ Minowara Kiritsubo. "Recipe." E-mail to Brighid Ross. 9 15 03.
Copyright 2004 by Carol aka THL Brighid Ross - prepared for Baronial A&S Competition . Posted Feb 2004
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