To make Umble-Pies. is a traditional Stuart recipe for a classic pie of bacon and tripe baked in a cool butter paste that's finished with hot claret wine, butter and thyme. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Stuart version of: To make Umble-Pies.
Lay minced beef-suet in the bottom of the pie, or slices of interlarded bacon, and the umbles cut as big as small dice, with some
bacon cut in the same form, and seasoned with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, fill your pyes with it, and slices of bacon and butter, close it up and bake it, and liquor it with claret, butter, and stripped tyme.
Modern Redaction
This is the origin of the 'humble pie' of the saying, where the Elizabethan and Stuart term 'umbles' is derived from the Medieval Engish noumbles meaning offal in general. After the choice cuts had gone to the top table, the meat to the higher orders, only the 'noumbles' were left for the lower tables and these were baked into pies to serve. By Stuart times, there has been a major evolution and variation in umble pies with meat based recipes like this one and meat and fruit versions that eventually led to modern mince pies.
Ingredients:
100g bacon lardons
200g prepared tripe and/or intestines, boiled for 20 minutes to soften then diced
50g bacon, diced
1/4 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
300g cool butter paste (the version for patty-pans)
6 rashers of bacon
50g butter, diced
100ml claret wine
50g butter
2 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
Method:
Take just over half the pastry and roll out until large enough to cover the base and sides of your pie dish. Arrange the bacon lardons in the base then scatter over the diced bacon and diced tripe.
Season with nutmeg, black pepper and salt then lay over the rashers of bacon and dot with the diced butter. Roll out the remaining pastry and use to cover the pie. Crimp the edges closed then cut a cross in the centre and peel back the points. Sit a ceramic funnel in the centre then use the pastry trimmings to form decorations (leaves etc).
Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 40 minutes, or until piping hot and cooked through.
In the meantime, combine the claret, butter and thyme leaves in a pan. Heat until the butter melts then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook down for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
When you remove the pie from the oven pour in the claret mixture. Serve hot.
