FRESH SUMMER FRUIT PIES OF THE
LIBRO NOVO
By Heather Mosey
Fresh fruit pie is a pleasure of summer, and that pleasure
was known in the Italian city-state of Ferrara during the Renaissance.
Christoforo Mesissbugo, steward of the Este family during the early sixteenth
century, and author of the Libro Novo, gave us a pie recipe that is
distinctly of the Italian Renaissance, yet the classic simplicity of this
pastry would make it welcome on a twenty-first century table. This pie
possesses a delectable, melting soft flour crust that will convince you that
the Italians were masters of the art of pastry. The fruit filling is rich and
spicy, but retains the fresh, fleeting, flavor of summer fruit.
Two recipes are used to create the fruit pie. The second recipe
refers to the Pie of Quince asking the cook to make that crust. The addition of
cloves and rosewater to the quinces is the most distinctive difference between
the recipes, but they are not used in this redaction. I suspect that those
ingredients would be delicious with a variety of fruits.
A fare un pastello di Cordogne, che uvole essere
tondo.
Prima farai la Cassa del pastello no trappo grande
con farina, e Butiro, & un poco Zaffrano, poi pigliarai un Cordogno grosso,
e lo mondarai cosi intiero, e li farai un buco nel mezzo tanto che caui l’anime
co tutto quell toso doue stan l’anime dentro, e qualle che Giordano intiero,
poi li farai il sue coperto, e lo pourrai a cuere con dispora, e se li Cordogne
seranno piglia, li farai I quarto de pezzi.& per uno pastellonon gli uorra
meno Butiro d’oncie noue e Garosani numero dieci , & Zuccaro libra meza,
& acqua Rosata.
To
Make One Round Quince Pie
First
you will make the shell of the pie not too large, with flour and butter and a
small amount of saffron. Then you will take one large quince and you will peel
this whole, and you will make one whole in the middle so you may remove the
seeds and the entire core containing them.
And you will put them in the
pie with butter and sugar and some whole cloves, then you will make your cover,
and you cook it with careful attention, and if the quinces are small, you will
cut them in quarters, and for one pie it wants not less than nine ounces of
butter and ten cloves, and one half pound of sugar, and rose water.
The vital information Messisbugo gives in the Quince Pie
recipe is the ingredients for the case or Pastello. Florio defines “pastelli”
or “pastegli” as “fine little pasties, or pastemeates, tartes, pyes, chewets or
marchepanes”. On the other hand, a “torta” is “any kind of tarte”. So a
pastello is logically a sweet, dainty torta. The gastronomic glory of this
pastello is that it does not require the toughening agents of sugar and eggs.
Many tortas in the Libro Novo require egg-strengthened cases that
essentially become stew pots for the filling. Tough cases are not limited to
the Libro Novo, Redon, Sabban and Serventi wrote The Medieval
Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy. They guess that the pastry case had
two functions, concealing surprise ingredients and protecting the delicate
interior from burning in an open fire, and thus are not necessarily meant to be
eaten. Often the case was merely a paste of flour and water (pg.133-4). These less edible cases appear to be the
rule in the French, English and German cookery. The pastry for the Quince pie
points to what Elizabeth David calls “the advanced state of civilized life in
Italy as compared to that of France in the first half of the sixteenth century”
(pg.8). Messisbugo asks for flour,
butter, and saffron. This crust buttery, flaky and golden is very pleasing to
the senses, it is meant to be enjoyed.
“First you will make the shell of the pie not too large”
This is meant to be a dainty dish, not a display piece. There are examples of
tortere, or tart pans, shown in Messisbugo’s Banchetti. There are no
dimensions given, but the tortere look very similar to modern pie pans, with
straight or sloped sides. This redaction uses a 9-inch pie pan as an approximation.
Messisbugo tells us that we are to use the crust of the Quince Pie (see above)
so that it is “wider on the bottom and that is to be pressed on top” This
sounds like a covered, or two crust pie.
The recipe calls for “flour and butter and a small amount
of saffron.” Before deciding on a quantity or method for making this pie case
it was important to look at the ingredients themselves. My initial reaction is
to use a soft wheat pastry flour simply because it has a low protein and will
result in a flaky crust. That is a modern impulse based on modern experience in
baking. A more complex question is what type of flour is proper for the region
and time?
The
flour of Italy is the species Triticum aestivum, which is divided into
two categories, soft wheat and hard wheat (grano tenero). Kasper notes
that the wheat grown in the Po river valley is soft because of the heat and
soil type. There are five grades of grano tenero, and they are
classified by the amount of husk and whole grain that remain after sifting. The
appearance and the whole grain content determine the grade of the flour. “00”
is the most refined Italian flour, and “0” contains about 70% of the grain, and
therefore is slightly darker and coarser. American flour is measured by it’s
protein content, or strength. American bread flour has 13-15% protein,
all-purpose flour has a protein of 11 or 12 percent, and pastry flour is 4-9%
protein. American all-purpose flour is a bit stronger than Italian “0” flour.
The Italian practice of grading flour by appearance is helpful when deciding
the type flour to use in Renaissance recipes. Carol Field and Lynne Rosetto
Kasper recommend mixing one part cake flour to four parts all-purpose to
approximate modern “0” flour and one part cake flour to three parts all-purpose
to mimic “00” flour. I used these proportions in my work because Messisbugo often specifies
the finest, whitest flour for his most delicate recipes.
Butter is another question, and again, we turn to Ms.
Kasper. (pg. 473) Butter was a symbol of wealth in Emilia-Romagna (Ferrara is
located in this region), and it was used to make game, pasta filling and
vegetable more rich. She recommends
Grade AA unsalted butter, with the least water content available, to mimic
European butter. Emilia-Romagna is traditionally a rich dairy region, and its
butter is heavily used in Libro Novo recipes.
Messisburgo did not give any further clues about the
technique of combining the ingredients for the pastry crust. The ingredients of
Pasta Briciolata and Pate Brisèe are similar to each other and to this pastry
recipe that Messisburgo gives (with the exception of saffron). In the past, I
used Julia Child’s pate brisèe (pg.139), which makes a delicious, melting
crust. The classic method of assembly simply cuts the butter into the flour and
adds cold water. It is essential to keep all the ingredients very cold and use
a light touch. Later, I decided to use the traditional Italian pasta briciolata
(Bugialli, pg. 468-71), which requires much more handling and room temperature
ingredients, but similar proportions of butter and flour. I have no evidence to
support one method over the other, but it is possible the traditional Italian
technique may have origins in Renaissance Italy, rather than French pastry
making. The French did play with the recipes and techniques they learned from
the Italians, and added their own touches. I chose to put saffron in the
mixture by mincing it with a knife and adding it to the flour. The saffron creates
beautiful rich golden flecks in the dough when added in this manner.
Pastelli di Marene,
persiche, o Brogne, o Muniache, pera, o pome.
Farai
la cassa di pastello del modo che fu quella del pastello di cordogne, che sia
larghetta nel fondo, e che si venal stringed di spore, poi per un Pastello,
pigliarai libra una di Marene a buono peso, monde da i picolli, e nel fondo
della Cassa del Pastello, le distenderai politamente, poi li metterai oncie
cinque di Zuccaro, & oncia meza di bouna canella fina, & onci cinque
butiro fresco, & poi li farai il sou coperto tagliato di sopra in tre
luoghi, poi lo cuocerai destramente, E’l simile farai in quelli delle alter
frutte. Ma avuertissi che le alter frutte una pelate, e le pelerai faccilmete
in questa maniera, Sbolienzandole in Vino, od acqua, & poi che seranno
raffredate pelandole, & alle pere moscardine li lasciarai mezi i picolli.
Pies
of Cherries, or Peaches, or Plums, or Apricots, or Pears or Apples
You
will make the case of the pie in the way of the quince pie; make the bottom
half wider, so you may press on a top.
Then
for one pie you will take one pound of cherries and crush, clean from the
seeds, and spread them neatly in the bottom of the pie case. Then you will
place five ounces of sugar, and half an ounce of good finely ground cinnamon,
and five ounces of butter, and then you will make your cover and cut it in
three places, then you will cook it carefully.
And
if you will use other fruits you will make those pies in a similar fashion. But
note that you will peel the other fruits, and you will peel those fruits most
easily in this manner, soak them in wine or water, and then when they are
plump, peel them. And Italian pears (or musk pears) cut them to make them
small.
“Then for one
pie you will take 1 libra (12 oz.) of cherries and crush and clean from the
seeds and in the bottom of the case you will spread neatly”. The question of
preparation is very clear here, but the type of fruit is a mystery. Carol Field
mentions “marasche” which are wild sour cherries from Bologna [in the same
region as Ferrara] (pg.391). Florio defines “marascha” as a kind of soure
cherrie” and “marene” as a “kind of faire great cherrie”. It appears that the
“marene” of the recipe may be a sweet cherry. I tested this with Bing cherries,
and the result was pleasing. I think it is a fair assumption to say that a sour
cherry would be an excellent choice as well, because the amount of sugar and
butter can use an acidic foil.
Cherries are just one choice of fruit.
I have used apples, pears, and plums for this pie, all with great success. Plum
makes an especially rich colorful pie. Italian expatriate, Giacomo Castelvetro
wrote a treatise called The Fruit, Herbs & Vegetables of Italy in
1614. He describes the flavors and uses of common produce used in his native
country. This work gives invaluable information (and makes it quite clear to me
that Red Delicious is not a great substitute for period apples). Despite
the fact that the majority of markets do not carry heirloom European produce
(are there any that do???), choosing any full-flavored fruit is an excellent
and appropriate choice for this pie.
Directions
for preparing the fruit are given. Messisbugo recommends soaking the fruit in
water or wine to make them plump, and then peeling them. I had two
interpretations of this direction. My first thought was to blanch fresh fruit
to loosen the skin and ease the peeling. However, after the harvest season the
cook would need to use dried fruits, soaking them in water or wine would
rehydrate the fruit and allow the cook to peel them, and the wine would add
another layer of flavor to the pie. I usually blanch the fruit for this pie,
and I suspect that dried fruit would make and intense filling.
“Then you will place five ounces of sugar, and half an
ounce of fine-ground cinnamon, and five ounces of butter” During the period
this recipe was written, sugar was a major commodity in Venice, just north of
Ferrara. The Venetians had devised a method to make sugar loaf. This processing
of sugar refined it further, and made it more accessible to wealthier families.
I use white granulated sugar in this recipe because sugar loaves are not
readily available today. The cinnamon used in this recipe was Ceylon Cinnamon.
It is softer and sweeter in flavor. The amount of cinnamon in this recipe, half
an ounce, would be unpalatable if it is cassia, the modern cinnamon we use in
the U.S. Ceylon cinnamon has a tremendously different flavor, and you should
not be afraid to use it in this extravagant amount. The problem I have with
Ceylon cinnamon is that grinding it with a mortar inevitably leaves larger
pieces. Some people enjoy the concentrated flavor, while others find the
texture gritty or woody. I recommend sifting the ground Ceylon cinnamon, though
because of the quantity of the spice the texture will be noticeable.
A
worldwide standard of measurement did not come into use until the twentieth
century. Elizabeth David says that when she did her research in Italy in the
1950’s cooks used handfuls and bunches, scales and measuring cups were rarely
used. During the Renaissance measurement was tremendously unique to an area.
Because the Roman Empire had such far-reaching influence, it is appropriate for
the modern redactor to use Roman measures. However, Ronald Edward Zupko
researched historical weights and measures of Italy, and he provides invaluable
knowledge. When I redacted these recipes, I used Zupko’s research to measure
the Libro Novo libra and oncia. He translates 1 libra as 12 ounces or
345 grams. An oncia is 28.8 grams.
Pasta
Briciolata (Pastry Crust) (all measurements are modern)
2
ounces pastry flour
6
ounces all-purpose flour
4 ounces
sweet butter
Pinch
of salt
Pinch
of saffron, minced
4
to 5 tablespoons cold water
Method:
1.
Sift
the flour onto a board and arrange it in a mound. Cut the butter into pieces
and place them over the mound. Let rest ½ hour until the butter softens.
2.
Start
mixing the flour into the butter with your fingers.
3.
Rub
the flour and butter between your palms.
4.
Then
make a well and put in the salt and saffron. Add 2 tablespoons of water, mix
with a fork, and keep adding the water until it is all absorbed.
5.
Begin
to form a ball with your hands. Knead gently until a very smooth and elastic
ball of dough is formed (about 2 minutes). Divide the dough into two parts, one
slightly larger than the other. Slightly dampen a towel and wrap the dough in
it. Let it rest in a cool place or in the refrigerator for at least 1
hour.
6.
Dust
the board with flour. Unwrap the dough and knead it for 1 minute on the board.
Flour the board, then using the rolling pin, roll out the larger dough ball
into a layer less than ¼ inch thick and about 14 inches in diameter. Place
gently in a buttered 9-inch pie pan.
7.
Fill
the crust and roll out the smaller ball of dough to ¼ inch thickness and 12
inches diameter. Set aside to cover the pie.
1 libra, 345 g or app 2 cups
of cherries, pitted or peaches or apricots, or pears, or plums or apples,
blanched, cored and cut in ½” slices.
5 oz., 144 g, or 3/4 cup of
white granulated sugar
5 oz., 144 g, or 1 ½ sticks
unsalted sweet cream butter
1/2 oz, 14.4 g, or 4 TBS.
Ceylon cinnamon (or 1 to 2 tsp. cassia)
1. Preheat the oven to
375˚F.
2. Pit the cherries by
crushing them with the bottom of a sturdy glass, or using a paring knife to
open the fruit, and remove the pit. Place the cherries evenly in the prepared
pie-crust.
Bring 3 quarts of cold water
to a boil in a large pot. Lightly score an ”X” into the skin of the fruit. When
it boils carefully drop the fruit into the water. Have a large bowl half filled
with ice water. After 1-2 minutes remove the fruit and place in the ice water.
Peel the skin away with a knife.
3. Sprinkle the sugar and
cinnamon over the fruit. Cut the butter into pats and place evenly over the
fruit and sugar.
4. Using the reserved pie
dough, rolled thin, cover the pie, trim and flute the edges. Make three vents
in the top crust with a sharp knife.
5. Place the pie dish into a
moderately hot oven, 375°F for 40-50 minutes until
the top is golden brown in color.
This is the first period pastry recipe I’ve worked with
that is undeniably meant to be eaten and enjoyed. It is not intended to simply
be a protective container for the filling. The pastello ingredients are
the same as those used in modern pastry crusts. This pie could be a link
between modern and medieval tarts. It also indicates the Italian recipes may
have been uniquely sophisticated in during the early 16th century.
Regardless of this pastry’s significance, it is a delectable recipe, and would
be a spectacular part of a Renaissance feast.
Translating from Renaissance Italian to Modern English USA
creates many questions, and the answers come slowly. The pleasure of recreating
a 400+ year-old recipe is intensified when I realize the steps taken to make it
as close to period as possible. Master Basilius Phocas translated these
recipes, and redacted them with help from apprentices, Claire a l’en Or and
Rachaol MakCreith.
Di Messisbugo, Christoforo Libro Novo:
Venice: 1557, Reprinted Bologna: Arnoldo Forni, 1973.
Redon, Odile; Sabban, Francoise; and
Serventi, Silvano; The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy:
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997.
Scappi, Bartolomeo Opera:
Venice: 1610 Edition, Reprinted Bologna: Arnoldo Forni, 1980.
Thomas, William; Principal Rules of
the Italian Grammer: 1550, reprinted Menston, England: R.C.Alton, 1968.
Near
Period Sources
Castelvetro, Giacomo; The Fruit,
Herbs and Vegetables of Italy: London, 1614.
Florio, John; Queen Anna’s New
World of Words: 1610, Reprinted Menston, England: R.C. Alston, 1968.
Bugialli, Giuliano; Classic
Techniques of Italian Cooking: New York, Simon and Schuster, 1989.
David, Elizabeth; Italian Food:
New York, Smithmark, 1996.
Field, Carol; The Italian Baker:
New York, HarperCollins, 1985.
Fitzgibbon, Theodora; The Food of
the Western World: New York, Quadrangle/The New York Times Book Co., 1976.
Kasper, Lynne Rosetto; The Splendid
Table: New York, Morrow, 1992.
Root, Waverly; Food: New York,
Smithmark, 1980.
Zupko, Ronald Edward; Italian
Weights and Measures From the Middle Ages to the Nineteenth Century: US
ISSN 0065-9738.