Fish Tarts
Their feats were accompanied by crabs boiled in fiery eastern spices, trenchers filled with chunks of chopped mutton stewed in almond milk with carrots, raisins, and onions, and fish tarts fresh from the ovens, served so hot they burned the fingers
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—A STORM OF SWORDS
Medieval Fish Tarts
Tartes of Frute in lente.—Take Fygys & sethe hem wyl tyl þey ben neyssche; þan bray hem in a morter, & a pece of Milwel þer-with; take ham vppe & caste roysonys of coraunce þer-to; þan take Almaundys & Dates y-schred þer-to; þan take pouder of Pepir & meng with-al; þen putte it on þin cofynne, & Safroun þin cofynn a-boue, & opyn hem a-bowte þe myddel; & ouer-cast þe openyng vppon þe lede, & bake hym a lytel, & serue forth
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—TWO FIFTEENTH-CENTURY COOKERY-BOOKS
Makes about 1 dozen mini tarts
Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
These make great appetizers for a fish-based dinner. This medieval interpretation is a pleasing blend of sweet and savory flavors. The figs add an interesting texture and act as the base for the filling, while the dates increase the sweetness to a satisfying level without the addition of processed sugar.
¼ pound salmon fillet
1 pint fresh figs (about 1½ cups)
¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds
6 dates, pitted and quartered
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
If using homemade pastry dough, roll out to ¼-inch thickness. Cut 1-inch circles with a cookie cutter, and press into a mini cupcake pan, or mini-tartlette or brioche molds.
Add the salmon to a pot of simmering water, and poach for about 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Set it aside to cool.
Boil the figs for 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain and place them in a mixing bowl. Add the almonds and dates. Shred the fish and take care to remove any bones; add it to the bowl with the fruit and nuts. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, and spoon the filling into the pastry shells.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the filling is beginning to crisp. Serve immediately while still warm.
Modern Fish Tarts
Makes about 24 mini tarts
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes
Like the medieval tarts, these make great appetizers. The cream-cheese filling is delectable—with the smoked fish, it feels like eating a well-crafted bagel. The sage adds a great kick and an additional layer to the flavor. If you have extra filling, save it to use as a spread for crackers and bread!
1 sheet puff pastry or 24 mini tart shells
8 ounces smoked fish of your choice (we used trout)
16 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage ½ pint blackberries
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Break the fish into small chunks. Mix together the cream cheese, cream, sage, and smoked fish. If using puff pastry, roll it out as thin as you can and cut it into 3-inch circles.
Scoop up 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture and form it into a roughly round shape; place it in the middle of a pastry circle and wrap the sides around the filling (or place the filling in the premade pastry shell). Press a blackberry onto the top of each tart. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the blackberries have darkened. Serve immediately.
Cheese-and-Onion Pie
Moon Boy mounted his stilts and strode around the tables in pursuit of Lord Tyrell’s ludicrously fat fool Butterbumps, and the lords and ladies sampled roast herons and cheese-and-onion pies
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—A STORM OF SWORDS
Medieval Cheese-and-Onion Pie
Tart in ymbre day. Take and pboile oynons psse out
wat & hewe he smale. Take brede & bray it i a mort, and temp it up w ayren. Do þto butt, safron and salt, & raisons corans, & a litel sug with powdo douce, and bake it i a trap, & sue it forth
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—THE FORME OF CURY, 14TH CENTURY
Serves 6 to 8
Prep: 15 minutes
Baking: 30 to 45 minutes
This makes a quirky quiche-like pie, in which the basil and fruit are the stars. The currants are a surprising and pleasant sweetness at the end of every bite. The pie is delicious on its own and nicely accompanies any sort of roasted meat.
3 to 4 medium onions, finely chopped or thinly sliced
Fresh herbs, 1 sprig each sage, basil, and thyme
¼ cup dried currants
2 tablespoons flour
1 grated cup of your favorite creamy cheese, such as Havarti or Muenster
8 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon saffron
½ teaspoon salt