Cuisine from the Middle Ages is widely underestimated nowadays, often conjuring images of a spit roast pig or turnips and gruel for the peasantry. In reality, though, many Medieval dishes eaten by the rich used imported spices and, if those were too expensive, locally grown herbs would be readily accessible. It is likely many meals would surpass a lot of foods eaten today, beans on toast comes to mind, as the prestige attributed to spices at that time was lost once they became available to the masses, according to Albala K in A Cultural History of Food.
This recipe is for those looking for a taste of the past, a twist on a familiar food, highlighting the difference in flavours you’ll find from this period compared to the present. The currants provide a component of sweetness to contrast with the savoury chicken, and they both work well with the warming ginger and cinnamon. Most food made in the royal palaces may have been impractical for students to make, however, these spiced pasties will hopefully satiate your kingly appetite for dark-age food.
Medieval Chicken Pasties
Ingredients:
400g chicken (either breast or thigh will do)
320g puff or shortcrust premade pastry (if you are unfamiliar with using pastry it helps to have some spare as these can be delicate)
2 eggs
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Generous pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
A handful of currents
3 rashers of bacon
Method:
First unroll and cut your pastry into circles, 16cm in diameter, and leave to rest while preparing the filling. Make sure to preheat your oven to 220℃(200℃ fan).
Next, slice the chicken into short and thin strips; they need to be small enough to fill the pasties and avoid air holes.
Make a wash with the eggs, adding lemon juice and all the seasonings. Additional herbs and spices can be used like thyme and mace, which would have been staples of many Medieval kitchens. Traditionally, verjuice, a condiment made from unripe grapes, may have been used instead of lemon juice. However, most people might find it impractical and expensive to source nowadays.
Dip the chicken in the egg wash and split evenly between each circle of pastry, placing it so that half the circle is empty and the edge is uncovered.
Add the currants and half a rasher of bacon to each pastie, on top of the chicken, then brush the edge with egg and fold over. Seal the edges by fluting or pinching together with a fork, then score or prick the tops.
Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 190℃(170℃) and bake for a further 25 minutes, for golden, flaky pasties.
These can be eaten hot or cold but I’d recommend allowing some time to cool before tucking in. Like any other pastie, they make a great packed lunch and can be reheated in the microwave, or air fryer.
This recipe is based on recipes from Maggie Black’s The Medieval Cook Book and Kirsten Wright’s The Commonplace Boke of Lady Avelyn Grene, which in turn are based on European cooking from around the 14th to 16th centuries.
