All the King's Cooks (25 page)

3.
 
Knead the dough, cut off a quarter, and use the remainder to make either a 17.5cm (7in) pie case, or to line a loose-bottomed cake tin of the same size, carefully pinching the pastry up the full height of the sides.

4.
 
Now cut the chicken meat into large pieces, mix with the remaining ingredients and the butter cut in small pieces, and pack into the pie case.

5.
 
Roll out the remaining pastry to form the lid, moisten the edges, and seal in place. Now trim the edges and cut a small hole in the centre of the lid and surround it with a ring of pastry made from the trimmings.

6.
 
Bake at 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6) for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4) for a further 1 hour 30 minutes.

TO MAKE A MORTIS
³⁰

1.
 
Put the chicken into a saucepan, cover it with water, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Now blend the almonds with the milk to form a smooth cream.

2.
 
Drain the chicken, pick off the flesh, chop it, then blend it with the almond cream and the sugar. Place it in a saucepan and cook over a gentle heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring continuously as it thickens.

3.
 
Cool the saucepan in a bowl of cold water, beat in the rosewater, then fork the resulting paté into a deep bowl or make a round shape on a plate. Serve it when entirely cold.

SHORT PASTRY FOR TARTS
³¹

1.
 
Grind the saffron to a powder, mix with the flour, then rub in the butter.

2.
 
Work in the egg yolk with a fork, knead lightly, roll out on a floured board, and use the pastry to line a 20 cm (8in) flan ring.

3.
 
Line the inside of the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill it with baking beans, then bake at 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6) for 10–15 minutes, until set. Then remove the beans and paper and return the pastry to the oven for 5 minutes to firm the base. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a rack.

The cases may then be filled with various contents – try any of the following tarts:

A TART OF CHEESE
³²

1.
 
Finely grate the cheese, and soak it in the milk for 3 hours. Then blend them together and rub through a sieve.

2.
 
Mix in the sugar, egg yolks and warmed but unmelted butter. Pour the mixture into the prepared tart case and bake at 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4) for 40 minutes until set. Serve cold.

A TART OF STRAWBERRIES
³³

1.
 
Rub the strawberries through a sieve, using the back of a wooden spoon.

2.
 
Warm the butter, without melting it, beat in the breadcrumbs and sugar, and then beat in the egg yolks and strawberry purée.

3.
 
Pour the mixture into the prepared tart case and bake at 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4) for 40 minutes until set. Serve cold.

APPLE FRITTERS
³⁴

1.
 
Mix the flour, saffron and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the ale little by little, while beating, to form a smooth, thick coating batter, adding a little more ale or water if needed.

2.
 
Peel and core the apples, and cut them across into medium slices.

3.
 
Heat oil in a deep chip pan, or pour 1.3cm (½ in) oil into a frying pan, and heat until it will cook a little batter dropped into it. Then dip each apple slice in turn into the batter on both sides, shake off any surplus, and put it into the hot fat, turning it to cook on both sides until puffed up and pale brown. Then remove with a skimmer and place on a hot dish, repeating this with the other slices.

4.
 
Sprinkle with sugar just before serving.

Fish Day First Course Pottages

POTTAGE FOR A FISH DAY
³⁵

1
 
Peel, core and slice the apples, stew until tender in 300 ml (½ pint) water, then rub through a sieve into a large pan.

2
 
Add all except the spices and pears, stir until boiling, simmer for 5 minutes, stir in the spices, pour into a dish and sprinkle with the pears.

PORPOISE (USING TUNA)
³⁶

675g (1½ lb) piece of fresh tuna

1 batch of Frumenty (see
here
)

1
 
Plunge the tuna into a pain of boiling water, reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes until tender.

2
 
Serve in a dish half-filled with hot water, accompanied by a dish of frumenty, onto which pieces of the ‘porpoise’ are to be carved.

STEWED HERRINGS
³⁷

1
 
Open the herrings down the belly, remove the gut, gills, spine and bones.

2
 
Grind the milts and roe with the bread, herbs, pepper, currants,
onion and sugar to form a smooth paste, using this to stuff the herrings, holding it in place by skewering the bellies together again. Place in a shallow pan with the ale, mustard and raisins and simmer gently for 10 minutes before draining and serving.

TO DRESS SALT LING
³⁸

1.
 
Soak the ling overnight in cold water.

2.
 
Put it into a pan of fresh water, then bring it to the boil and continue cooking for 1½ hours.

3.
 
Let the water cool enough so that the fish can be handled, remove it from the pan, pick out the loose bones and scrape the skin clean without removing it.

4.
 
Put the fish into a fresh pan of boiling water and cook for a further 1½ hours.

To make a higher-quality dish, the cooked ling had the following sauce poured over it:

STOCKFISH SAUCE
³⁹

Simmer these together for 10–15 minutes, then pour the stock over the fish just before serving.

TO CALVER SALMON
⁴⁰

1.
 
Simmer 150ml (¼ pt) each of the vinegar and wine with the salt, spices and rosemary in a covered pan for 30 minutes.

2.
 
Strain this liquid into a clean pan, and add the remaining vinegar and white wine. Bring it to the boil, put in the salmon, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for some 5 minutes, until just cooked. Each piece should be totally immersed as it cooks, so put them in in batches, as necessary.

3.
 
Leave the salmon to cool in the liquid overnight, and eat within the next few days.

TO BOIL FISH
⁴¹

Simmer all the ingredients together for 10–15 minutes, then put in the fish, and cook until tender (plaice and whiting take about 10 minutes)

TO BROIL FISH
⁴²

1.
 
Melt and beat the butter, vinegar and pepper together to form a hot sauce.

2.
 
Cook the fish over a barbecue or under a grill for 2 minutes on each side, turning them from time to time and removing them further from the heat if they are cooking too quickly. If using a barbecue, place the grid at a slight angle, so that the fish juices run down along the bars rather than dropping into the fire to send up plumes of fine ash. The cooking times will be about: 1.3cm (½ in) thickness, 7–8 minutes; 2.5cm (1in) thickness, 10 minutes; 4cm (1½ in) thickness, 15–18 minutes

TO FRY WHITINGS
⁴³

1.
 
Fry the apples or onions in a little of the butter or oil in a saucepan until cooked but not browned. Stir in the wine, vinegar, salt, pepper and spices, cook for a few minutes more, and keep hot ready for use.

2.
 
Skin the filleted fish, dust with flour, fry in the remaining butter or oil for 5–10 minutes. Serve with the sauce.

HADDOCK OR CODLING
⁴⁴

1
 
Open the fish, remove the head, gills and innards. Place in a pan with the salt, cover with water and poach for about 20 minutes until tender.

2
 
Drain and serve with one of the following sauces:

GREENSAUCE
⁴⁵

Mix all the ingredients and liquidise to form a smooth paste, adding a little more vinegar if too thick.

SAUCE FOR FISH
⁴⁶

1 Grind all together with sufficient of the stock to form a smooth paste and then adding a little more stock to give a stiff pouring consistency.

TROUT BOILED
⁴⁷