{"id":148,"date":"2025-09-09T20:06:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T20:06:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heinrichvonholstein.com\/?p=148"},"modified":"2025-09-09T20:06:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T20:06:50","slug":"torta-levenexe-chicken-pie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heinrichvonholstein.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/09\/torta-levenexe-chicken-pie\/","title":{"rendered":"Torta Levenexe (Chicken Pie)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Heinrich von Holstein (Atlantia, 2025)<\/span><\/p>\n

Description<\/span><\/h2>\n

This recipe is from a late 14th century Italian manuscript known as <\/span>Anonimo Meridionale<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 The meaning of the word “<\/span>levenexe<\/span><\/i>” is unclear [1], but the passage describes a very typical medieval meat pie which mixes sweet and savory ingredients with fine spices.\u00a0 Instead of a traditional pie, I have converted this recipe to a hand-pie for easier service and consumption.\u00a0 The recipe only specifies nutmeg and cloves but suggests adding more from whatever you have on hand.\u00a0 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 <\/em>or Le M\u00e9nagier de Paris<\/em>.\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

I used pre-made empanada shells for this recipe.\u00a0 I did not realize I had gotten a puff pastry variety until after getting home.\u00a0 A medieval pie would not have used puff pastry, it would have been just a simple dough.\u00a0 They came out well none the less, though.<\/p>\n

Original Recipe<\/span><\/h2>\n

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 \u00e8 presso che cocta, mictice con essa uno pocha de acqua, et fiet bona, et quella peccone ch\u2019io non do quanto ne voglio.<\/span><\/i>[2]<\/span><\/p>\n

To prepare the <\/span>levenexe pie<\/span><\/i>, 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\u2019s a shame that I don\u2019t serve this pie as much as I want. (Translation: De Rubeis [1])<\/span><\/p>\n

Redaction<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ingredients:<\/span><\/h4>\n