Good things in England

With all the worries about donkeys and worse entering the food chain we have decided to go back to our culinary roots. I have dug out an old recipe book entitled Good Things in England, full of wholesome recipes "contributed by English Men and Women between 1399 and 1932".

Tonight, it being Sunday, I have decided to cook something rather special - A Fourteenth Century Pie. Should you wish to try it for yourself, the recipe reads:

1. Make a firm short crust pastry using some eggs with the water to mix the flour and a little salt; but no sugar.
2. Roll it out, but not too thin, and with it line a tin pie mould that opens and is kept closed with a metal skewer.
3. Put in the middle of the pie 3 young partridges (boned) and
4. Round them put 6 fine quail boned and stuffed.
5. Round them put 12 larks, boned.
6. Cut a little bacon into dice and sprinkle them into the pie.
7. Put in some sour grapes and a very little salt.
8. And fill up with boned thrushes and other small birds.
9. Put in neither spice, nor cheese, nor water.
10. Ornament the top crust, brush it over with yolk of egg, and bake in a very moderate oven, slowly, for several hours according to size. Meanwhile make some good clear nicely flavoured game stock, strain it, and pour it into the pie.
11. The pie may be eaten hot or cold. For a ball supper it will of course be eaten cold.

We are clean out of quail and so plan to use rooks instead.
Dream on .... in reality it will be fish cakes for tea!