Ingredients
Figs; Dates; Pine Nuts; Prunes; Raisins; Wine; Eggs; Brie Cheese (Cow’s Milk); Sugar; Lard; Pork; Sage; Hyssop; Marjoram; Parsley; Ginger; Grains of Paradise; Cinnamon; Cloves; Pastry (Wheat Flour, Eggs)
Vegetarian Option: Figs; Dates; Pine Nuts; Prunes; Raisins; Wine; Eggs; Brie Cheese (Cow’s Milk); Sugar; Butter; Chestnuts; Sage; Hyssop; Marjoram; Parsley; Ginger; Grains of Paradise; Cinnamon; Cloves; Pastry (Wheat Flour, Eggs)
Gluten Free Option: Ingredients as above, less Pastry
This complex recipe is presented in both LV and DF, with DF presenting a more “refined” recipe as was the trend with Chiquart’s manuscript. DF gives us very specific measurements, and more luxurious ingredients, so I chose to use his recipe, however the presentation from LV is also interesting so I have synthesized the two. For reasons of practicality, this is presented as an 8 inch round, deep pie, and so does not have room for an entire chicken, several squabs, and several small birds all placed within it. In addition, I do not relish the idea of serving food with bones concealed within a pie to modern diners. LV’s presentation favors us here as well, as that tart has a single crust and the poultry is on top or even omitted, where DF’s has a double crust of wafers concealing the poultry beneath both crust and filling. And so, this recipe presents a single crusted, high walled tart with one layer of the pork filling described in DF. I had originally chosen also to include the crenellations in the crust and the banners to make a miniature castle presentation befitting what would have been a special, celebratory dish. In the end, we went with the gold leaf checkerboard option due to time constraints.
References
Modern Redaction
| 1 oz. | Figs, dried |
| 1 oz. | Dates, dried |
| 1 oz. | Pine Nuts, shelled |
| 1 oz. | Prunes |
| 1.5 oz. | Raisins |
| As needed | White Wine |
| 3 each | Eggs |
| 1 lb. | Brie, Craponne, or Salers |
| 1/2 c. | Sugar |
| 1/2 c. | Lard |
| 2 lbs. | Pork Shoulder, raw |
| 1/8 oz. | Sage |
| 1/8 oz. | Hyssop |
| 1/8 oz. | Marjoram |
| 1 oz. | Parsley, leaves only |
| 1.5 t. | Ginger |
| 1.5 t. | Fine Powder |
| 1.5 t. | Grains of Paradise |
| 1 batch | Pastry |
| As needed | Egg Wash |
| As needed | Edible Gold Leaf |
| As needed | Miniature heraldic banners |
- Preheat your oven to 350F
- Begin by cutting the dried fruit up into pieces the size of the smallest raisins.
- Wash the fruit two or three times in warm water, then once in white wine and set out to dry.
- Pare the rind from the Cheese, ensuring it is at room temperature first.
- Thoroughly blend the Cheese and Sugar, then add the eggs slowly and set aside after fully combined
- Roll out your pastry to about 1/4″ thick and line 2 greased 8″x3″ springform pans to create your pie shell.
- Using a square pastry cutter or a paring knife, remove squares of pastry from the top of the shell to create crenellations like a castle.
- Add the Pork, cut into large chunks, to a pot of boiling water or stock
- Simmer until about half done. Do not fully cook.
- After parboiling the Pork, chop it into fine pieces, about the size of raisins.
- Add the Lard to a pan large enough to hold your pork, over high heat.
- Add the Pork to the pan, and brown, leaving it slightly under-done.
- Continue stirring, adding the dried fruits and herbs to the mixture. then remove from the fire.
- Once off the fire, add in the spices and stir.
- Next add the Cheese and Egg mixture, and continue stirring vigorously until the temperature of the mixture falls below 150F
- Pour the filling into the tart shell and smooth flat.
- Glaze all of the meat with egg wash.
- Bake until the filling registers 160F, about 45 minutes
- Cool completely, overnight is best.
- Remove the tart from the pan and place on the serving dish.
- Gild the entire top of the pie with the Edible Gold Leaf
- Adorn each piece with one of the miniature banners.
Process Photos
