Unmentionable pies.

Some long time ago I included a sixteenth century recipe for a ‘Pie of Bulls’ Testicles’ in a story. Perhaps you couldn’t source the main ingredient. Perhaps you didn’t fancy the dish.

Today I give you another rather unusual pie. ‘Muggety Pie’ is made, as its name suggests, from ‘muggets’ or ‘muggities. Calves’ or sheeps’ entrails, in other words. Offal is making a come-back, I hear.

Muggety Pie.
Take the long cord [small intestine] of a calf, clean it, soak for an hour in salt water and then boil a short time. Cut core lengthways with a pair of scissors. Cut into convenient lengths, place in a pie-dish with pepper, salt, and flour to taste. Add onions, if liked, and a white sauce. Cover with pastry and bake.

I am embarrassed to admit that I have mislaid the source of this recipe. I will find it, I promise, and amend this post. In the meanwhile, some real work threatens, so I must away. Before I leave, by way of compensation I offer you another pie: quite elegant, if you can be bothered, and if you can avoid the members of the Nice Little Songbirds Protection League.

Lark Pie.
Pluck, singe, and flatten the backs of two or three dozen larks, draw them, throw away the gizzards, and pound the trail in a mortar with scraped bacon and mixed herbs; fill the larks with this, and wrap each one in a slice of bacon. Line a plain mould with paste, fill it with the larks, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, spread a thick layer of butter over them, add two or three laurel leaves, and a pinch of mixed spice; cover with paste, and bake for two hours and a half. Turn out of the mould, and serve cold.
366 Menus and 1200 Recipes of the Baron Brisse, 1868.

Quotation for the Day.

Men may come and men may go.....but Pie goes on for ever.
George Augustus Sala, British journalist. 'America Revisited' (1882)