Mais il y a trop à faire, et n’est pas ouvrage pour le queux d’un bourgois, non mie d’un chevalier simple; et pour ce, je le laisse.
LE Ménagier, 364
But, really, this dish is too complicated and it is no job for a bourgeois’s cook, or even for a simple knight’s; therefore I drop the topic.
Le Ménagier de paris, 364
Description
I will begin by agreeing with Le Ménagier de Paris that this dish is exceptionally complicated, and certainly one fit for special occasions. I think it is worth all of the trouble, though, to taste something so delicious and uniquely representative of the time and place in context.
This complex recipe is presented in both Le Viandier and Du Fait de Cuisine, 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. For reasons of practicality, this is presented as an 9-inch round 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 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.
A vegetarian option can be prepared using roasted Chestnuts in place of the Pork and Butter in place of Lard, and it is just as delicious. It can also be baked in a Gluten-Free pastry crust, or even no crust at all.
Ingredients
Dried Fruit Mixture
Cheese Filling Mixture
Pork Filling
Assembly
Instructions
Prepare the Tart Shell
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Preheat your oven to 350°F
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Roll out your pastry to about 1/4" thick and line 2 greased 8"x3" springform pans to create your pie shell.
You can also use a store-bought pie shell, though it will be very different in texture from the period pastry made only of eggs and flour.
Prepare the Fruit Filling
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Begin by cutting the dried fruit up into pieces the size of the smallest raisins.I use an electric food processor for this, pulsing to ensure the correct and even size.
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Wash the fruit two or three times in warm water, then once in white wine and set out to dry.
Prepare the Cheese Filling
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Pare the rind from the Cheese, ensuring it is at room temperature first.
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Thoroughly blend the Cheese and Sugar, then add the eggs slowly and set aside after fully combined
I recommend using an electric mixer on low speed for this. If you are proficient, you can also use the electric food processor so you will only need one tool, but avoid adding too much air to the batter.
Cook the Pork
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Add the Pork, cut into large chunks, to a pot of boiling water or stock
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Simmer until about half done. Do not fully cook.
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After parboiling the Pork, chop it into fine pieces, about the size of raisins.I use an electric food processor for this as well, pulsing to ensure the correct and even size.
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Add the Lard to a pan large enough to hold your pork, over high heat.
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Add the Pork to the pan, and brown, leaving it slightly under-done.
Assemble the Filling
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Continue stirring, adding the dried fruits and herbs to the mixture. then remove from the fire.
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Once off the fire, add in the spices and stir.
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Next add the Cheese and Egg mixture, and continue stirring vigorously until the temperature of the mixture falls below 150°F
Assemble, Bake, and Serve the Tart
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Pour the filling into the tart shell and smooth flat.
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Glaze all of the meat with egg wash.
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Bake until the filling registers 160F, about 45 minutes
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Cool completely, overnight is best.
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Remove the tart from the pan and place on the serving dish.
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Gild the entire top of the pie with the Edible Gold Leaf
