Medieval Game Pie

Postej af Vildsteeg at berede oc bage

A medieval game pie, I used deer, but any game meat might be used. The meat is cooked and spiced before it is cased in a pie crust. Unlike most of the pies I used the pie dough printed along with the filing.

The source

The original recipe is from the German (translated into danish) cookbook by Anna Wecket’s cookbook “En artig oc meget nyttig Kogebog…” 1648 (1599), also know as Den Første Danske Kogebog. I have taken the recipe from Renæssancemad by Bi Skaarup. So this is a renaissance recipe from Northern Europe.

Tag Vildsteegen/ speck den oc steg den der efter/ gnid den saa vel med Peber Salt oc Ingefer/ tag halff Hvædemel oc half Rugmeel/ giff Vand udi en Pand oc lidet Smør der udi/ giff det saa paa Meelet/ oc Elte en god fast Dey der aff / giør tvende blader af Dayen/ leg Steegen paa det ene/ oc bred det andet ofven paa Steegen oc giør en Krents af Dey der omkring/ lad det saa bagis in en Oven saa lenge som mand bager et Brød.

Or in modern English

Take a deer roast. Cover the roast with fat (like one usually does with deer meat to insulate it from the heat) and roast it. Rub it with pepper, salt and ginger (ground one would think). Take half plain flour and half rye flour. Boil water and butter together. Stir in the flour and kneed it to a firm dough. Divide the dough in two and roll it out. Lay the roast on one piece and wrap the other piece around the roast. Make a wreath of dough around the whole thing. Bake it for as long as you would a piece of bread.

Print

Medieval Game Pie

A simple medieval meat pie with game meat. The meat is cooked and spiced before it is cased in a pie crust.

Course Main Dish, Pie & postej

Cuisine Danish, German, Historical cooking, Medieval, Renaissance

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 1 pie

Ingredients

The Filling

• 1 kilogram deer roast
• 2 teaspoons ginger ground
• salt
• pepper
• (powder fort) Optional. See a link in the notes

The crust

• 200 milliliters water
• 100 grams butter
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 450-500 grams flour - more if needed to make a firm dough half rye and half wheat/plain flour

Instructions

The filling

1. Brown the roast in olive oil and let it cool down enough to handle.
2. Rub it in the spices
3. Bake it in a 140 C hot oven for one hour.

The crust & pie

1. Boil water and butter together until the butter is melted and take it off the heat. The hot water and fat ensures you have an elastic dough.
2. Add in the flour and knead until you have a firm dough.
3. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll it into 1 cm thick plates.
4. Set the roast on one plate and wrap the other on top. Make a wreath of dough by folding up the exes dough.
5. Glaze with a beaten egg (optional)
6. Bake the pie in a 140 C hot oven for one hour.

Recipe Notes

How to make Powder Fort

Source: Based on "Postej af Vildsteeg at berede oc bage" by Bi Skaarup. The original recipe is from Anna Wecket's cookbook "En artig oc meget nyttig Kogebog..." 1648 (1599)