[lashbear]

Especially For Prudence.

Mince Pyes - For Pyes of Mutton or Beefe: Shred your meat and Suet together fine, season it with cloves, mace, Pepper and and some Saffron, great Raisins, Corance and prunes, and so put it into your Pyes.

Ingredients for filling:
1 1/2 lb Lean Mutton or Beef (raw)
4 oz Suet
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp Ground Mace
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Pinch of Saffron
2 oz Raisins
2 oz Currants
2 Oz Stoned Prunes, Chopped

For the Pastry:
1 lb plain flour
2 tsp salt
4 oz lard
1/4 pt water
4 tblsp milk

For the Glaze:
1 Tblsp each of Butter, Sugar & Rosewater melted together.

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 425°F
• Mince the meat and mix in the suet, spices, pepper, saffron & dried fruit. Set aside.
• To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
• Heat the lard, water and milk until boiling and pour it into the well.
• Quickly beat the pastry mixture together with a spoon to form a soft dough, and knead until smooth on a lightly floured board.
• Cut off a quarter of the pastry, and keep covered until required for the lid.
• Mould the larger piece of pastry into the base and sides of a loose-bottomed tin, 8" diameter, 2" deep.
• Pack the filling into the pie, and dampen the edges of the pie wall.
• Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid, and press firmly in place. Trim the edges, using any surplus pastry for decoration, and cut a small hole in the centre of the lid.
• Bake in the centre of the oven at 425°F for 15 minutes then
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and cook for a further 75 minutes
• Remove the sides of the tin, brush over the glaze, and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
• Serve cold.

This is an Original (and tasty) Receipt from the Tudor Period. Tis from one of me favourite reciept books, that being "A Book of Cookrye Very necessary for all such as delight therein."
I have made and enjoyed this one personally, and can vouch for it. It is unusual, but yet strangely compelling. Beef tastes better than Mutton in my opinion.

-Rob.