TwoItalianTarts

LadyYsabeldelaOya

TwoverysimilarrecipesarefoundinTheMedievalKitchen:RecipesfromFranceandItaly.One
isacheesetartwithgarlicandtheotheracheesetartwithonions.

Bothare14thcenturyItalianandbotharefoundinLibrodicucinadelsecoloXIV.(Cookbookof
theFourteenthCentury)

Inthe14centurypeopleoftenwouldnothavetheirownovenandwouldbringtheirtartorpie
fillingtospecialtybakerscalledpatissiers(inItaly).Thebakerwouldthenplacethefillingina
crustandbakeintheiroven.Thispracticewouldallowpeopleofmiddleandlowermeansto
producethesepastries.(1)

Somepeoplewouldattempttomaketheirownpiesbyplacingthepieinacovered,shallowpan
andsurroundeditbyembers.Apiefullyencasedindough(pastrycover)inacoveredpanwould
actverymuchlikeanovenwhensurroundedbyembers.(1)

Thisparticularrecipewouldbefoundonthetableofanindividualofahigherclass.Bothtartscall
forexpensiveingredientslikesaffron.Secondly,sincetherecipewaswrittendownandpreserved
itisunlikelyitwasapeasantmeal.However,ifspiceddifferently,thetartsarehumbleenoughto
havebeenamealofamuchlowerclassperson.Cheesewasubiquitousandthetartscouldbe
madewitharelativelysmallaboutofporkfat.Porkwouldhavebeeneasytofindandless
expensivethanothermeatsduetototheeaseofkeeping,feeding,andmaintainingpigs.(6)

FreshCheese(usedinbothtarts)
1gallonwholemilk
2largelemons(juice)
1/4cupwhitevinegar(scant)
salt

Placemilkinlargepotandbringtoabout185F,stirringtokeepmilkfromscalding.Takeoffof
heatandaddacid(lemonandvinegar),stir.Letsitfor20minutes,stirringoccasionally,bynow
therewillbeseparatecurdsandwhey.Drainoffwheybycarefullypouringcontentsintoastrainer
linedwithcheesecloth,allowtodrain.Stirinsalt.Iusedjustenoughsaltsocheesejustbarely
tastedlikeithadsaltinit.

TartDough
3.5cupsflour
1cup+2tablespoonsbutter
2teaspoonssalt
cupwater

Cutbutterintoflouruntilithasagrainy,consistenttexture.Besurenottomeltbutterwiththe
warmthofyourhands.Iusedmyfingertipstobreakapartandworkthebutterintotheflour.
Iendeduphavingtoworkthebutterintotheflourinstages,Iwouldputthemixtureinthefreezer
foralittlewhilewhenIfeltthebutterwasgettingtoowarm.Dissolvethesaltincupwater,and
addtomixtureoncethebutterhasbeenincorporatedfully.Addtheremainingwaterandmixinto
adough.

Ididmakemyownbutterforthisdoughseveraldaysbefore,usingastandmixerandusingheavy
whippingcream.Ididlightlysaltthebutterafteritwasmade.

SinceIamnotfamiliarwithpastrydough,IwilladmitIsimplyusedtherecipeonpage225ofThe
MedievalKitchentitledRichPastryDoughorPateBrisee.

GarlicTart
Tortadagli
(originalItalianfromLibrodicucinadelsecoloXIVviaTheMedievalKitchen)
Toyliagliemondalielessaliquandosonococtimetiliamoglioinaquafredaepoypistaliemetili
zafaranoeformazoassaychesiafrescoelardobatutoespeciedolzeefortedistemperaconova
emitiliovapassaepoyfalatorta(1)(3)

GarlicTorta
(EnglishTranslationfromTheMedievalKitchen)
Takethegarliccloves,andpeelthemandboilthemwhentheyarecooked,putthemtosoakin
coldwater,andthenpoundthemandaddsaffronandplentyofcheese,whichshouldbefresh,
andchoppedporkfat,andsweetandstrongspices,andmoistenwitheggs,andaddraisins,and
thenmakethetorta.(1)

Myredaction
GarlicTart
2.5ozroastedgarlic(about5cloves)
12ozcheese
8ozsaltpork
2ozraisins
2eggs
Largepinchsaffron

teaspooncinnamon
teaspoonwhitepepper
teaspoonginger

Iroastedthegarlicratherthanboilingit.Ididsoinordertobringoutthecomplexflavors.(Also,if
Imbeinghonest,Ijustcouldntbringmyselftoboilgarlic).Iroastedtheheadsofgarlicwhole,at
400Ffor50minutes.Afterallowingtocoolforawhile,Icuttheheadsinhalf,andsqueezedthe
garlicoutoftheheadsintoasmallbowl,thenmeasuredoutmyamount.Atthispointitisalmost
pastelike.

Mincepork(Iusedafoodprocessor).Mixcheese,roastedgarlic,choppedraisins,mincedpork,
andspiceswell.Addeggandmix.

Rolloutdoughverythinfora9inchpiepanandcover.Coverpanwithdough,addmixture,and
covertartwithdough.Trimoffedgesandpinchtoseal.

Coveredgesoftartwithaluminiumfoiluntilthelast15minutesofcooking.

Cookinapreheated400Fovenforanhour.

OnionTart
Tortadeschalongeodecepolle
(originalItalianfromLibrodicucinadelsecoloXIVviaTheMedievalKitchen)
Setuvoyfaretortadequestedocosse,toyqualetuvoyefaybenallessare.Poneprimalaqua
furobenconstamegnaepolebatifinalmenteetoylardofinoebatillobenetoylovaecaxo
freschoezafaranoebatiinsiemaefaylatorta.(1)(3)

Tortaofshallots,orofonions,ect.
(EnglishTranslationfromTheMedievalKitchen)
Ifyouwanttomakeatortaofthesetwothings,takewhicheveryoulikeandboilitwell.First
thoroughlyremovethewaterwithasieve,andthenchopthemfine,andtakeagoodporkfatand
chopitwelltakeeggsandfreshcheeseandsaffronandchopthemtogether,andmakethetorta.
(1)

Myredaction.

1largeonion(aboutonelb)
2shallots
10ozcheese
4ozsaltpork
1egg
LargePinchSaffron

1teaspooncinnamon
teaspoonwhitepepper
teaspoonginger

Choponionsandshallotsandroastat350Funtiltender(abouthalfanhour).Mincethenplacein
sieveandlightlyweighttodrainwell.

Mincepork(Iusedafoodprocessor).Mixcheese,onions,mincedpork,andspiceswell.Add
eggandmix.

Rolloutdoughverythinfora9inchpiepanandcover.Coverpanwithdough,addmixture,and
covertartwithdough.Trimoffedgesandpinchtoseal.

Coveredgesoftartwithaluminiumfoiluntilthelast15minutesofcooking.

Cookinapreheated400Fovenforanhour.

Notes

MyfirstattemptattheonionpieIwastruetorecipeandboiledtheonions.Ialsousedthesame
spiceprofileasthegarlictart(althoughIforgotthesaffroninmytesttart)Theresultingtartwas
toowetandlackedflavor.Idecidedtoroasttheonionsandincreasethespices.

Theoriginalrecipescalledforboilingthevegetables.Imsurethiswasdonesinceboilingismuch
morefuelefficient.Inmymodernkitchen,Ihadnofuelrestraints.

Neitherrecipeindicatedwhetherornottocoverthetartswithatopcrust.InTheMedieval
Kitchentheycoveredthegarlictartbutnotthatoniontart.Ichosetocoverboth.Thereasonsare
twofold.Firstly,withthepiesbeingcovereda14thcenturycookwithoutanovenmayhavebeen
abletocookitathome.Secondly,duetomoderntimeandtravelconstraintsmytartshadtobe
made/bakedaheadoftime.Havingthemfullyenclosedinacrustmadethemeasiertotransport
andletthemtravelwithlesstexture/flavor/moisturechanges.

Ididntaddsalttothetartmixturesthemselves,sinceIusedsaltporkanddidntrinseit.

Thiswasquitetheculinaryadventure.Ihadnevermadeanytypeofpiecrust.Itwasnotashard
asIimagined,andwasactuallyquitefun.

Formypersonaltastes,Ithinkthecombiningboththegarlicandonionflavorswouldtastegreat.

Left:
Milkafteraddacid.

Right:
Strained,saltedcheese

Left:Garlictort,priortomixing.

Right:Ontiontart,midmixing.

Bottom:Oniontart,inbottomcrust

Andforyouramusement:
OnionFailTart(practiceonethatwastoowet)


BakerusingPortableOven(GoodeCookery)(http://www.godecookery.com/afeast/kitchens/kit044.html)(2)

Left:AWoodcutfrom'OrtusSanitatis'ofwomandeliveringpiestomarket,15Century(GettyImages)
(http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/newsphoto/woodcutfromtheortussanitatisdepictinganold)
womannewsphoto/51240780)(5)

Right:CheeseManufacturingfromtheTacuinumSanitatis,14Century(GettyImages)
(http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/newsphoto/cheesemanufacture13901400awomanwavesastickat
adognewsphoto/463924995)(4)

WorksCited

1. Redon,Odile,FranoiseSabban,andSilvanoServenti.T heMedievalKitchen:Recipes
fromFranceandItaly.Chicago:UofChicago,1998.13335,241.Print.
2. Matterer,James."KitchenCookingandEquipment."AFeastForTheEyes.GodeCookery,
n.d.Web.08Apr.2016.<http://www.godecookery.com/afeast/kitchens/kit044.html>.
3. Frati,Lodovico.LibroDiCucinaDelSecoloXIV.Livorno:R.Giusti,1899.Print.
4. CheeseManufacture.Digitalimage.GettyImages.N.p.,n.d.Web.08Apr.2016.
<http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/newsphoto/cheesemanufacture13901400awoman
wavesastickatadognewsphoto/463924995>.
5. 1491,AWoodcutfromthe'OrtusSanitatis'Digitalimage.GettyImages.N.p.,n.d.Web.08
Apr.2016.
<http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/newsphoto/woodcutfromtheortussanitatisdepicting
anoldwomannewsphoto/51240780>.
6. "LifeInAMedievalCastleMedievalFood."CastleLife.N.p.,n.d.Web.08Apr.2016.
<http://www.castlesandmanorhouses.com/life_04_food.htm#dairy>.