A Boke of Gode Cookery Presents

Flownys in Lente

PERIOD: England, 15th century | SOURCE: MS Douce 257 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Almond Cream Custard Pie


ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

For to make flownys in lente, tak god flowr & make a god past; & tak god mylk of almandys & flowr of rys other of amydoun & boyle hem togedere that they be wel chariand. Wan yt is boylid thykke take yt vp & ley yt on a feyre bord so that yt be cold, & wan the cofyns ben makyd tak a perty & do vpon the coffins, & kerf hem in schiueris; & do in hem god mylk of almandys & fygis & datys & kerf yt in fowre pertys, & do yt to bake & serue yt forth.

- Austin, Thomas. Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery-Books. Harleian MS. 279 & Harl. MS. 4016, with extracts from Ashmole MS. 1429, Laud MS. 553, & Douce MS 55. London: for The Early English Text Society by N. Trübner & Co., 1888.


MODERN RECIPE:

  • Pastry for one nine-inch pie crust
  • 3 C double thick almond milk [separate recipe]
  • 2 T rice flour
  • 2 T sugar, or to taste
  • 1 ½ C each dates and figs, cut into quarters
1. Pre-heat oven to 450º

2. In a sauce pan, over medium heat, combine half the double-thick almond milk and half the sugar, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly. Stir in rice flour a bit at a time, and simmer, stirring constantly, about ten minutes, until mixture is very thick.

3. Remove from heat and dish mixture onto a large plate, spreading it out about half an inch thick. Allow to cool.

4. Bake pie crust about ten minutes to harden it. Remove, and reduce oven temperature to 350º.

5. Cut the thickened almond mixture into slices and line the bottom of the pie crust with them. Fill the crust with the cut-up dates and figs. Stir the remaining sugar into the remaining almond milk, and pour it evenly into the crust. Put in the oven and bake for thirty minutes or until toothpick draws out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

Serves eight to twelve.

NOTES ON THE RECIPE:

Custard pies were alternately called darrioles or doucettes, and occasionally flans. On lesser fish days, such as Wednesdays out of Lent, eggs could be eaten, but not flesh, so one sometimes find recipes for fish day dishes containing eggs. This fruit and custard pie is specifically for Lent, but could certainly be eaten on lesser fish days as well.

Flownys in Lente is featured in Servise on a Fisshe Day

Metric, Celsius, & Gas Mark Equivalencies

A Boke of Gode CookeryRecipes from A Newe Boke of Olde Cokery

Flownys in Lente © 2002 Rudd Rayfield | This page © 2002 James L. Matterer

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