The original, from Harleian MS 4016: Pies of Paris. Take and smite fair butts of pork and butts of veal together, and put it in a fair pot, and put thereto fair broth, and a quantity of wine, and let all boil together till it is enough; and then take it from the fire, and let cook a little, and cast thereto raw yolks of eggs, and powder of ginger, sugar and salt, and mince dates, raisins of corinth; make then coffins of fair paste and put it therein, and cover it, and let it bake enough.
Cindy Renfrow’s Version:
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
3 beaten egg yolks
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 date, minced fine
1 tablespoon currents
pie crust
Boil broth and wine. Add pork and beef and cook well. Remove from heat and cool. Take cooled meat and 1/2 cup cooking liquid and mix it together with the other ingredients. Put in pie crust, cover and bake at 425 for 30 minutes.
For Northern Lights II, I made two different versions. One was spicy and fruitless (to keep the raisin-haters happy) and one was sweet, with fruit. I used raisins and apricots instead of dates and currants (cheaper and tastier, I found). For both types of pies, I used 3/4 lb ground beef. I omitted the pork because it was expensive and because there were a number of Jewish feasters expected. Instead of 3 egg yolks, I used two whole eggs per pie. I boiled the meat in the wine and strong beef boullion. This was very tasty. Neat way to cope with the grease factor, too.
Spicy Meat Pies:
3/4 lb. ground beef, boiled in broth and white wine
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (sorry, ancestral memories kicked in here…)
spices at whim: pepper, salt, cubeb, and galingale were predominant.
Fruity Meat Pies:
3/4 lb. ground beef, boiled in broth and white wine
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
4-6 apricot halves, chopped small
1/4 cup raisins, chopped small
spices: a bit of sugar, salt, pepper, ginger, hints of cinnamon and clove.
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