Pumpion Pye

"To make a Pumpion (Pumpkin) Pye. Take about halfe a pound of Pumpion and slice it, a handfull of Tyme, a little Rosemary, Parsley and sweet Marjoram slipped off the stalks, and chop them smal, then take Cinamon, Nutmeg, Pepper, and six Cloves, and beat them; take ten Eggs and beat them; then mix them, and beat them altogether, and put in as much Sugar as you think fit, then fry them like a froiz; after it is fryed, let it stand till it be cold, then fill your Pye, take sliced Apples thinne round wayes, and lay a row of the Froiz, and a layer of Apples with Currans betwixt the layer while your Pye is fitted, and put in a good deal of sweet butter before you close it; when the Pye is baked, take six yolks of Eggs, some white-wine or Verjuyce, & make a Caudle of this, but not too thick; cut up the Lid and put it in, stir them well together whilst the Eggs and Pumpions be not perceived, and so serve it up."

Pumpion Pye Ingredients:

1/2 lb pumpkin
__thyme
__rosemary
__parsley
__sweet majoram
__cinnamon
__nutmeg
__pepper
6 cloves
10 eggs
sugar
apples
currants
sweet butter
6 egg yolks
White wine


Unusual words defined:



Pumpion - according to the dictionary, pumpion comes from the French pompon, which comes from the Latin peponem, which comes from the Greek pepon. At some point it is thought that American colonists changed the word to pumpkin. It is thought that pumpkins orginated from South America, so how did the pumpkin make its way to Greece, France, and then England? Another blog entry for another time!

Froiz - ???

Currans - an educated guess would be that this is an Olde English spelling of "currants". Black currants grow on small shrubs and have a berry like appearance. They are found throughout England and are an excellent source of vitamin C.

Verjuyce - a wikipedia entry informs us that verjuyce is a French word for "green juice" and that it is made by pressing unripe fruit such as grapes or crabapples. Apparently this had a very sour taste, and was used in cooking in deglazing recipes and as a substitute for vinegar in dressings and condiments.

Caudle - according to the dictionary a caudle is "a warm drink consisting of wine or ale mixed with sugar, eggs, bread, and various spices, sometimes given to ill persons."

Pictured: The Tudor Rose, symbol of the Dynasty