Renaissance Game pie

Vildtpostej

A medieval inspired game pie with grapes and raisins, perfect for a medieval feast or a dinner party.

This pie is a mix of a number of recipes – all of them period appropriate. Pies were a common part of the wealthier table from the medieval kitchen and up until the 1800’s in Denmark. I have not made a postej before, so I am pleased as pie, that it turned out really well.

The process is a bit complicated as it involves two different crusts and a filling made separately, but the result is quite good and resultat is well worth the time. The two different doughs for the crust need resting for at least an hour but they both freeze well. The base crust is the easiest pie crust I have made so far.

You can make a simpler version by using a casserole dish instead of the base dough and just add a short crust lid to the dish. It should be good, but doesn’t look as impressive. The dish can be made well in advance and be served either hot or warm or at room temp.

You need a batch of short crust for the lid and a batch of pie crust fro the rest of the pie crust.

Sources:

The filling is inspired by recipes from “Historisk Kogebog” af Else-Marie Boyhus and “Renæssancemad” by Bi Skaarup

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Renaissance Game pie

A medieval inspired game pie with grapes and raisins, perfect for a medieval feast or a dinner party.

Course Main Dish, Pie & postej

Cuisine Historical cooking, Medieval, Renaissance

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

• 500 grams game meat in small dices or alternatively beef
• 1 tablespoon Butter for frying
• 100 grams grapes roughly chopped
• 100 grams raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 onion small peeled and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme fresh or dry
• 1/2 teaspoon basil fresh or dry
• nutmeg to taste
• 1 batch Short crust see the recipe notes
• 1 batch pie crust for meat pies see the recipe notes
• 1 egg for brushing the lid with

Instructions

The filling

1. We start by preparing the meat by frying in a pan with spices. (using a technique that is called "indpassering" in danish)
2. So, add all the spices to the meat (you can use many more if you want).
3. Melt the butter in a pot, add the onion and meat and brown it.
4. Mix the raisins and grapes together
5. Roll out the base crust and place it in a cake tin with a loose bottom. Let it hang over the edges for now.
6. Put in half the grape and raisin mix.

Assembling and baking

1. Roll out the shortcrust (it don't have to be all that thin) and cut out a circle that fits the size of your tin and place it over the filling.
2. Add the meat mix and cover it with the rest of the grapes/raisins
3. Fold over the base crust over, so there is an overlap. You can now decorate the top of the lid with pretty shapes of shortcrust if you feel creative.
4. Brush the lid and the edges with a mixed egg.
5. Bake at 200 C (375 F) for about 35-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Recipe Notes

You need a batch of short crust for the lid and a batch of pie crust fro the rest of the pie crurst.