Chicking Pye
From the treasured pages of English cookery and medicine book,
Unknown Author
Chicking Pye
"Scald and season ye Chickings with Nutmeg Pepper and Salt, then put 'em into ye Pye, you may use to one Chick, a handfull or 2 of Goose-berries, or a slic'd Lemon, 10 Dates quarter'd, 2 or 3 Ounces of Sugar, and 4 Marrow-bones rowl'd in Yolks of Eggs, and half a pound of Currans, and 4 Ounces of Eringo-Root, & pserv'd Lettice, and half a pound of Butter; then bake it in an hour and an half, and when it is bak'd put in a Cawdle."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe is written in an almost telegraphic style, with minimal instructions—typical of early modern manuscripts, where an experienced cook would fill in the gaps. Spelling varies, with 'chickings' for chickens and 'cawdle' for caudle (an enriched wine sauce). Measurements are in vague handfuls or ounces, as scales were not common; quantities were often adjusted to taste and the size of the dish. Unfamiliar preserved items like 'eryngo root' (sea holly) and 'preserved lettuce' reflect ingredients prized in 17th-century English kitchens but rare today.
Title
English cookery and medicine book, (1694)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1694
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A delightful journey through late 17th to early 18th-century kitchens, this tome features recipes, culinary wisdom, and mouthwatering secrets from an era where feasts reigned supreme and the art of cooking was celebrated with flourish.
Kindly made available by
Folger Shakespeare Library
This recipe for 'Chicking Pye' comes from an English manuscript dating between 1677 and 1711, when elaborate, sweet-savoury pies were popular at the tables of the wealthy. The mix of fruit, spices, bone marrow, and preserved vegetables reflects a fashion for complex flavors and the influence of royal banqueting traditions. Such pies would have showcased a household’s access to exotic fruits, sugar, and preserved ingredients, all signifiers of status and wealth in late Stuart and early Georgian England. The use of preserved and candied elements alongside savoury chicken is characteristic of the transitional period from medieval to early modern English cooking, when culinary boundaries between sweet and savoury were delightfully blurry.
The pie would have been made with a large stone or earthenware pie dish, a wooden trencher for chopping, and a pestle and mortar to grind spices. The chicken would be scalded in a large cauldron or kettle. Bone marrow would be extracted using a marrow spoon, and the preserved fruits and vegetables assembled by hand. Dough was rolled with a wooden pin and the pie cooked in a wood-fired oven, often in the base of a hearth. Once baked, the cawdle sauce would be poured in through a small hole in the pie lid using a small jug or funnel.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings
6
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 3.3 lbs), jointed
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2–3.5 oz gooseberries or 1 sliced lemon (if gooseberries unavailable)
- 10 dates, pitted and quartered
- 2 oz white sugar
- 4 marrowbone pieces or 5 oz beef bone marrow, rolled in 2 egg yolks
- 8 oz currants
- 4 oz candied eryngo root (substitute: candied angelica or omit)
- 3–4 leaves preserved lettuce (substitute: candied lettuce, or omit)
- 8 oz unsalted butter
- For caudle: 1/2 cup sweet white wine, 2 egg yolks, 1.4 oz sugar, pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Begin by preparing 1 chicken (about 3.3 lbs), which you can quickly blanch or 'scald' in boiling water for 1 minute, then season with 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Place the chicken pieces into a deep pie dish.
- For each chicken, add a generous handful (about 2–3.5 oz) of fresh or frozen gooseberries or, if unavailable, use a thinly sliced lemon for sharpness.
- Add 10 pitted dates, quartered, followed by 2 oz white sugar, 4 marrowbone pieces (or substitute with beef bone marrow, about 5 oz, coated in 2 beaten egg yolks), 8 oz currants, 4 oz candied or preserved eryngo (sea holly) root (substitute with candied angelica if necessary), and preserved lettuce (use 3–4 leaves preserved in syrup, or substitute with candied lettuce or omit if unavailable).
- Dot with 8 oz butter, cover with a pastry lid, and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 1.5 hours.
- Once baked, make or use a rich 'caudle'—a spiced wine sauce with egg yolk and sugar—pour in through the lid, and serve warm.
Estimated Calories
730 per serving
Cooking Estimates
Preparing and baking this chicken pie takes about 30 minutes to get everything ready, and 1.5 hours to bake. Each serving has about 730 calories. The recipe makes 6 servings.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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