Recipe Manuscript

Another Way For A Savoury

Name: Another Way For A Savoury
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT1H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 500g lamb leg or shoulder, diced; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground mace; 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced; Shortcrust or hot water crust pastry (enough for base and lid); 100g lamb sweetbreads, sliced (substitute with chicken thighs or more lamb if unavailable); 50g lamb testicles, sliced (optional; substitute as above); 100g shucked oysters (plus 2 tablespoons oyster liquor, reserved for sauce); 8-10 small savoury meatballs (made from minced lamb or pork, seasoned); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted for the sauce; 3-4 anchovy fillets; 100ml red wine (Claret); 100ml beef or lamb stock (for gravy); 1 egg yolk

1673

From the treasured pages of The whole body of cookery dissected

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Advanced Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1673

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Another Way For A Savoury

"SEason your Lamb with Pepper and Salt, a little Cloves, Mace, and Nutmeg, with Time minced, put into your Coffin, with a few Lambstones and sweet breads, seasoned with your Lamb, with as many Oysters, and savoury forced meat balls, so put on butterr, and close up your Pye: let your lear be three or four Anchovies dissolved in a little Claret wine, add a little Oyster liquor, Gravy, and a grated Nutmeg, beat it up with the yolk of an Egg, and a little drawn Butter; when your Pye is enough, take it out, pour in your lear, and shake it together."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in an almost shorthand style typical of the 17th century, assuming a skilled cook's prior knowledge. Ingredients are listed loosely, directions are embedded into the narrative, and measurements are rarely specified. Spellings such as 'Time' for 'thyme' or 'lear' for 'liquor' or 'sauce' reflect period conventions. The 'coffin' means pie crust, not a casket! Much was left to the cook's experience and judgement, making every pie a unique creation.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

The whole body of cookery dissected - Click to view recipe in book

Title

The whole body of cookery dissected (1673)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1673

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A sumptuous exploration of 17th-century English cookery, 'The whole body of cookery dissected' serves up an array of recipes and kitchen wisdom, offering a flavorful journey through the dining tables of Restoration England.

Kindly made available by

Texas Woman's University

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe, 'Another Way for a Savoury,' hails from 'The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected,' published in 1673—a time when English cookery was at its most sumptuous and baroque. During the late 17th century, pies were a centerpiece of banquets, showcasing a lavish mix of meats, spices, and rich sauces. The combination of lamb, offal, and oysters illustrates both the abundance and adventurous palates of Restoration England. With imported spices and wines, such dishes signified both status and cosmopolitan taste.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 1670s, cooks would have used a large wood-fired oven for baking the pie and heavy iron pots for simmering the lear. Knives for mincing herbs and butchering the lamb, a mortar and pestle for grinding spices, and rolling pins for pastry would have been essential. The pie would have been assembled in a sturdy earthenware or metal pie dish, known then as a 'coffin.' Whisks or spoons (often of wood or pewter) were used for mixing the sauce.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Servings

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 lb lamb leg or shoulder, diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
Shortcrust or hot water crust pastry (enough for base and lid)
3.5 oz lamb sweetbreads, sliced (substitute with chicken thighs or more lamb if unavailable)
1.75 oz lamb testicles, sliced (optional; substitute as above)
3.5 oz shucked oysters (plus 2 tablespoons oyster liquor, reserved for sauce)
8-10 small savoury meatballs (made from minced lamb or pork, seasoned)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted for the sauce
3-4 anchovy fillets
3.5 fl oz red wine (Claret)
3.5 fl oz beef or lamb stock (for gravy)
1 egg yolk

Instructions

Begin by seasoning about 1 lb of diced lamb with a generous pinch of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, a pinch each of ground cloves, mace, and nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, finely chopped.
Prepare a pastry case (shortcrust or hot water crust pastry works best), and line your baking dish or pie tin with the dough.
Scatter the seasoned lamb into the pastry.
If lamb sweetbreads (about 3.5 oz) or 'lambstones' (testicles, about 1.75 oz) are available, slice them and add to the lamb.
If not, use extra lamb or chicken thighs as a substitute.
Add about 3.5 oz of shucked oysters (fresh or bottled) and 8-10 small savoury meatballs (these can be made from minced lamb or pork, seasoned and bound with egg and breadcrumbs).
Dot the filling with 2 tablespoons of butter, then roll out a pastry lid, seal the pie, and bake at 350°F for 45-60 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and cooked through.
Meanwhile, for the ‘lear’ (a rich sauce), dissolve 3-4 anchovy fillets in 3.5 fl oz red wine over low heat.
Add 2 tablespoons of oyster liquor (the liquid from the oysters), 3.5 fl oz beef or lamb stock, and a little more freshly grated nutmeg.
Whisk in 1 egg yolk and 2 tablespoons of melted butter to thicken.
When the pie is done, carefully pour this hot lear into the pie, then gently shake the pie to distribute the sauce before serving.

Estimated Calories

670 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 30 minutes to prepare the ingredients, shape the pastry, and assemble the pie. Baking takes 45-60 minutes. Each serving has about 670 calories, and the recipe serves 6 people.

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.