Humbles of a Deere

Source:

England, 16th c.

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Recipe by Daniel Myers

This "mincemeat" pie is a combination of meat and sweet that is uncommon in modern western cuisine. Because of this, and the associations of mincemeat with Christmas traditions, it has a sort of special holiday feel to it.

Ingredients

1 lb. deer kidneys
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup currants
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. mace
2 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger

Method

Slice the kidneys and boil them well in water until they are cooked through. Allow them to cool, and then mince them. Place them into a bowl, along with the dates, currants, sugar, and spices. Mix well and put into a 9-inch pie crust. Top with pats of butter and cover with top crust. Make a half-inch hole in the center of the pie. Bake at 350°F until the crust is golden brown.

To bake the humbles of a Deere. Mince them verie small, and season them with pepper, Sinamom and ginger, and suger if you will, and cloues & mace, and dates, and currants, and if you will, mince Almonds, and put unto them, and when it is baked, you may put in fine fat, and put in suger, sinamom and ginger, and let it boile, and when it is minced, put them together.

Published: 2008-04-29