flipSpiced Capon Pie with Fruits
Spiced Capon Pie with Fruits
Why this dish? Vesalius moved among the greatest tables: son of an apothecary to the court of Charles V, he himself became imperial physician in Vienna and later Madrid. There, poultry pie with dates and sugar, golden and richly spiced, was the showpiece dish served to distinguished guests.
A capon pie enriched with dates, raisins, and sugar, perfumed with cinnamon, ginger, and saffron: the festive sweet-and-sour of the Renaissance, where the savory poultry marries the sweetness of dried fruits under a golden crust.
For my distinguished guests — a cardinal, a prince, or that good emperor I served as physician — I had this capon pie prepared. See how the bird is boned with patience: the anatomist's hand is most useful here, believe me! To the flesh are mixed dates, raisins, and sugar, and it is dusted with cinnamon and ginger from Antwerp, for these spices gladden the heart and aid digestion. The closed crust retains all the juices; when it is broken at table, the very scent wins the favor of the guests.
- •Boned capon — one bird (festive meat)
- •Dates — a handful (sweet fruit)
- •Currants — a handful (tart dried fruit)
- •Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- •Cinnamon, ginger, saffron — as desired (signature spices)
- •Flour and lard pastry — for the casing (crust)
- •Eggs — a few (binding and glaze)
Spiced Capon Pie with Fruits
A capon pie enriched with dates, raisins, and sugar, perfumed with cinnamon, ginger, and saffron: the festive sweet-and-sour of the Renaissance, where the savory poultry marries the sweetness of dried fruits under a golden crust.
Why this dish? Vesalius moved among the greatest tables: son of an apothecary to the court of Charles V, he himself became imperial physician in Vienna and later Madrid. There, poultry pie with dates and sugar, golden and richly spiced, was the showpiece dish served to distinguished guests.
For my distinguished guests — a cardinal, a prince, or that good emperor I served as physician — I had this capon pie prepared. See how the bird is boned with patience: the anatomist's hand is most useful here, believe me! To the flesh are mixed dates, raisins, and sugar, and it is dusted with cinnamon and ginger from Antwerp, for these spices gladden the heart and aid digestion. The closed crust retains all the juices; when it is broken at table, the very scent wins the favor of the guests.
Ingredients (period version)
- Boned capon — one bird (festive meat)
- Dates — a handful (sweet fruit)
- Currants — a handful (tart dried fruit)
- Sugar — to taste (sweetness)
- Cinnamon, ginger, saffron — as desired (signature spices)
- Flour and lard pastry — for the casing (crust)
- Eggs — a few (binding and glaze)
Ingredients
- Capon breasts and thighs (or free-range chicken) — 600 g (festive meat)
- Pitted dates — 80 g (sweet fruit)
- Raisins — 60 g (tart dried fruit)
- Sugar — 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Cinnamon — 1 tsp (signature spice)
- Ground ginger — 1/2 tsp (warmth)
- Saffron — 1 pinch (color and aroma)
- Shortcrust pastry — 2 rolls (crust)
- Egg — 1 (+ 1 yolk for glazing) (binding and glaze)
Method
- Cut the poultry into small pieces and briefly brown in butter, then let cool.
- Mix the meat with chopped dates, raisins, sugar, and spices; bind with beaten egg and saffron infused in a spoonful of hot water.
- Line a mold with the first pastry sheet, fill with the mixture.
- Cover with the second sheet, seal the edges, make a steam vent, and glaze with egg yolk.
- Bake at 180°C for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
- Let rest 10 minutes before slicing, so the juices settle.
How it was made : Large sweet-and-savory poultry pies were central to 16th-century banquets: Renaissance cookbooks multiply dates, raisins, sugar, and "fine powder" (a mix of cinnamon, ginger, sometimes grains of paradise) on meats. Sugar, still costly, signaled the host's rank.
The contemporary twist : Present the whole pie with a steaming vent, and serve alongside a drizzle of reduced jus with verjuice to awaken the sweet-and-sour with a tangy spark.
Andreas Vesalius · Charactorium
