Tartelettes

PERIOD: England, 14th century | SOURCE: Forme of Cury | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Pork dumplings in meat sauce

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

51. Tartelettes. Take pork y-sode and grynde it small with safroun; medle it with ayren, and raisouns of coraunce, and powdour fort and salt, and make a foile of dowhy and close the fars þerinne. Cast þe tartletes in a panne with faire water boillyng and salt; take of the clene flessh with oute ayren & boile it in gode broth. Cast þer powdour douce and salt, and messe the tartletes in disshes & helde the sewe þeronne.

- Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglish: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth-Century (Including the Forme of Cury). New York: for The Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1985.

GODE COOKERY TRANSLATION:

Take pork boiled and grind it small with saffron; mix it with eggs, and currants, and powder fort and salt, and make a foil of dough and close the stuffing there-in. Cast the tartlettes in a pan with fair water boiling and salt; take of the clean flesh without eggs & boil it in good broth. Cast there powder douce and salt, and place the tartlettes in dishes & hold the meat & broth there-on.

INGREDIENTS:

• Pork - boiled and ground.
• Saffron
• Eggs - beaten.
• Currants
• Powder fort- a Medieval blend of strong spices, almost always containing pepper (and never sugar). A nice mix might consist of such spices as black pepper, white pepper, cardamom, ginger, cubeb, clove, etc.
• Salt
• Pastry dough
• Pork - boiled and shredded or finely diced.
• Gode Broth - our recipe for this basic Medieval foodstuff, or feel free to use any broth you'd prefer.
• Powder douce - this was a Medieval blend of sweet spices, almost always containing sugar & cinnamon and never pepper, and with such other spices as nutmeg, clove, cardamom, mace, etc.
• Salt

Combine pork, saffron, eggs, currants, powder fort, & salt; this should be a most, stuffing-like mixture. Roll out the pastry dough; cut out medium-sized circles. Place filling in the center of each circle, then fold over into a half-circle. Seal the edges securely. Place in slightly salted boiling water and cook until pastry is fully done; remove and drain.

In a separate pot, combine pork and broth; bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Season with powder douce & a little salt. Allow the broth to cook down until a thick sauce is created.

Place hot tartlettes in serving dishes; pour the meat mixture over top. Serve it forth!