Custard Tart

Source: Libro de arte coquinaria by Maestro Martino de Como, 15^th century

Original Recipe:

Diriola

Conciarai la pasta in forma d’un pastello et impiela ben di farina che sia deritta cocendola in la padella tanto che sia un poco secca. Et facto questo cava for a la ditta farina et prendirai alcuni rosci d’ova, de lo lacte, del zuccaro, et de la cannella. Et facta di queste cose una compositione la mettirai in la dicta pasa facendola cocere al modo de una torata, movendola tutta volta et volgendola spesso col cocchiaro. Et como tu vidi che incomincia a pigliarsi sopragiogneli un poca d’acqua rosa, et volta bene collo cocchiaro. Et quando serà fornita di prendere, serà cotta. Et nota che non vole cocere troppo et vole tremare como una ionchata.

Translation: (from The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy)

Dariole

Form the dough into the shape of a deep pie and fill it completely with flour so it will keep its shape; cook it in a pan until it is somewhat dry. And when this is done, remove the flour and take some egg yolks, milk, sugar, and cinnamon. When these things are made into a mixture, put it into the pastry, cooking it like a tart, moving it from time to time and stirring with a spoon. And when you can see it starting to set, pour on some rose water and stir well with a spoon. And when it has set completely it is cooked. Note that is should not cook too much, and that is should quiver like a junket.

My Interpretation:

4 egg yolks	½ tsp. cinnamon
1½ cups whole milk	1 Tbsp. rosewater
¼ cup sugar	1 pie crust (see recipe for Paest Royall)

Prick the pie crust with a fork (or use other means to prepare it for a blind bake). Bake the pie crust at 425°F for 10-15 minutes (until the shells start to turn golden). In separate bowl, beat together milk, egg yolks, sugar & cinnamon. Pour egg mixture into the pie crust and bake at 425° F for 10 minutes. Add rosewater into egg mixture, carefully stirring it in. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes (until a toothpick inserted comes out clean).

Works Referenced:

The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy; Odile Redon, Françoise Sabban, & Silvano Serventi, translated to the English by Edward Schneider; The University of Chicago Press, 1998

Libro de arte coquinaria, Maestro Martino de Como, Digital version: Valeria Romanelli, 7/2004. http://www.uni-giessen.de/gloning/tx/martino2.htm

The Art of Cooking: The First Modern Cookery Book, Translated by Luigi Ballerini, Jeremy Parzen, Stefania Barzini, University of California Press, 2005
- A translation of the work of Maestro Martino of Como, 15^th century