A Boke of Gode Cookery Presents

Tartes de Chare .iij. A-nother manere

PERIOD: England, 15th century | SOURCE: Harleian MS. 279 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Pork pie with eggs, honey, & spices.


ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

.iij. A-nother manere. Tak fayre porke y-broylid, & grynd it smal with yolkys of Eyroun; þan take Pepir, Gyngere, & grynd it smal, & melle it with-al, & a lytel hony, & floryssche þin cofyns with-ynne & with-owte, & hele hem with þin ledys, & late hem bake, & serue forth.

- Austin, Thomas. Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. Harleian MS. 279 & Harl. MS. 4016, with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1429, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS 55. London: for The Early English Text Society by N. Trübner & Co., 1888.


GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:

Pies of Baked Meat - 3rd variation. Take broiled pork, & grind it into small pieces and add egg yolks; then add pepper, ginger, and a little honey, & place in pie shells, & add lids, & bake, and serve.


MODERN RECIPE:

  • one 9" pie shell with lid
  • 1 1/2 # broiled pork, either minced, ground, or cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 2 t. ginger
  • 1/4 t. pepper
  • 1/3 c. honey
Mix together all ingredients, making sure the mixture is slightly runny. (If not, add more egg yolks.) Place mixture in pie shell, add lid, add some decorative steam holes or slashes to the lid, then bake at 375° F for 30 - 45 minutes, or until a golden brown. Serves 8. 

Option: Add 1/2 cup of either currants, chopped dates, raisins, or pine nuts, or any combination of these ingredients.

This recipe is a variation, or "a-nother manere" of a pie called Tartes de chare, which appears on the same page as a-nother manere. The original Tartes de chare is a more complex recipe, and contains, among other ingredients, currants, dates, raisins, & pine nuts, which is why I have included them as an option in the redacted recipe. The addition of any or all of these items will dramatically improve the taste of the pie, so feel free to play with these ingredients in any combination that you find the tastiest. Personally, I find that the juice released by the currants as they bake greatly accentuates the flavor of the pork, and so almost always include them when I make this dish.

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Tartes de Chare .iij. A-nother manere © 2000 James L. Matterer

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