By Heinrich von Holstein (Atlantia, 2025)
Description
This recipe is from a late 14th century Italian manuscript known as Anonimo Meridionale. The meaning of the word “levenexe” is unclear [1], but the passage describes a very typical medieval meat pie which mixes sweet and savory ingredients with fine spices. Instead of a traditional pie, I have converted this recipe to a hand-pie for easier service and consumption. The recipe only specifies nutmeg and cloves but suggests adding more from whatever you have on hand. I chose to add cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper, which are very frequently-used European spices for this era, as found in other cookbooks like The Forme of Cury or Le Ménagier de Paris. I also decided to grind the nutmeg and cloves finely because I don’t think modern diners would appreciate unexpectedly crunching on whole spices like that.
I used pre-made empanada shells for this recipe. I did not realize I had gotten a puff pastry variety until after getting home. A medieval pie would not have used puff pastry, it would have been just a simple dough. They came out well none the less, though.
Original Recipe
Se voy fare torta levenexe, mictice uno pollastro soffricto et taglialo et fale lessare et mictice dactari et uve greche et garofani integri et nuci moscate poco tritate con coltello et le melgliuri spetie che tu poy avere, et lu brodicto che te remane de quisti pollastri. Mictelo nella torta, et quando elio è presso che cocta, mictice con essa uno pocha de acqua, et fiet bona, et quella peccone ch’io non do quanto ne voglio.[2]
To prepare the levenexe pie, make a soffritto with the chicken after having cut and parboiled it, adding dates, grapes, whole cloves, nutmeg slightly chopped up with the knife, the better spices you have, and the chicken broth. Fill the pie. When it is almost done, add a little water, and it will be good. And it’s a shame that I don’t serve this pie as much as I want. (Translation: De Rubeis [1])
Redaction
Ingredients:
- ~3.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 2 cups raisins
- Nutmeg
- Cloves
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Black pepper
- 48x Empanada shells
- Optional: 1 egg
Directions:
Simmer the chicken in salted water for about 20 minutes then allow to cool. Reserve the broth. Chop the chicken and add to a bowl with the chopped dates and raisins. Grind your spices and add them as well. Mix well, adding ladles of broth to keep the chicken moist.
Place about 2 tablespoons of filling per empanada shell, then fold and seal. Brush the tops with an egg wash (optional) and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Sources
[1] Marco Gavio de Rubeis, Historical Italian Cooking – Medieval Chicken Pie
(https://historicalitaliancooking.home.blog/english/recipes/medieval-chicken-pie/, 2019)
[2] Unknown author, Anonimo Meridionale
(14th century, Italy)