Lamb and Mushroom Pies*

Categories:	English   17th century   Pie   Meat
Original Source:	Digby, The Closet Opened
Secondary Source:
Cook:	Tamara Iz Kieva
Meeting Date:	1975-05-18

Adapted from My Lady Lasson's Minced Pyes

Minced Pyes
My Lady Lasson makes her finest minced Pyes of Neates-tongues; but she holdeth the most savory ones to be of Veal and Mutton equal parts very small minced. her finest crust is made by sprinkling the flower (as much as it needeth) with cold water, and then working the past with little pieces of raw Butter in good quantity. So that she useth neither hot water, not melted butter in them; And this makes the crust short and light. After all the meat and seasoning, and Plums and Citron Peel, &c. is in the Coffin,she puts a little Ambered-sugar upon it, thus; Grind much two grains of Ambergreece and half a one of Musk, with a little piece of hard loaf Sugar. This will serve six or eight pyes, strewed all over the top. Then cover it with the Liddle, and set it in the oven.

Steps

1. Boil lamb in a stew pot until the meat falls away from the bone in water seasoned with saffron, 1 T. mint and salt.
2. Clean, slice and fry onion in a little butter or fat skimmed from the boiling roast. (Boiling the lamb will take 4-6 hours.)
3. Cool the lamb and shred meat from bones and fat. Discard all fat. Marrow can be used in pies if desired, but I don't like it: the lamb meat is fatty enough.
4. Skim all fat/grease from the surface of the cooled cooking liquid and discard. Reduce liquid to 2 cups - one cup for each pie for a binder.
5. Mix remaining spices, raisins and citron in liquid. Add mushrooms and lamb meat. Mixture should be thick -- cornstarch or flour can be used to thicken further if desired.
   
6. Pack filling into prebaked pie shells. Cover with pie lid if desired. Bake at 350 degree for 30-40 minutes. Serve hot. Better if served cold.

Note

cheap lamb roast (much fat and bone waste, but very cheap - 29¢/lb.) -- $1.50
mushrooms -- .69
raisins -- .25
candied citron -- .45
saffron (California) -- .10
mint leaves -- .20
$3.14 for 2 pies