Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

500g beet greens (kale, spinach, savoy cabbage)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
170g grated cheese (any had cheese that melts is good cheddar or emmenthal work well)
60g currants (parboiled)
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp freshly-grated ginger
3 egg yolks
4 tbsp molten butter
For the Pastry:
225g flour
90g softened butter
2 egg yolks
6 threads saffron ground into 1 tbsp water in a pestle and mortar

Method:

There has been some debate as to the precise nature of the 'beets' described in this recipe. Many other versions of this recipe use beetroot. However, I believe that the beets intended are beet greens, which would place this recipe in the same family as the spinach and cheese pies beloved of the Elizabethans.

Finely chop the greens and add to a large bowl. Mix in the sugar and toss to coat the greens. Mix in the breadcrumbs, spices, currants (which should have been parboiled to plump them up) cheese and egg yolks. Mix all this together and finally add the molten butter.

To make the pastry for the pie crust sift the flowr into a bowl, add the saffrom threads and their steeping water along with the egg yolks and mix together well. First add 3/4 of the softened butter and mix in well. If all the flour does not come together into a dough add a little more butter. Once the dough comes into a ball cut it into two pieces (one slightly larger than the other. Roll the larger piece of dough out and use this to line a 22cm pie dish. Cut off the excess pastry around the edge and fill the middle of the pie with the mixture of greens. Next roll the smaller piece of pastry out and use this to place on top of the pie. Use the back of a fork to crimp the upper and lower pieces of pastry together then pierce the top pastry a few times to allow steam to escape as the pie cooks.

Cook in an oven pre-heated to 220°C for about 20 minutes then lower the temperature to 170°C and bake for a further 25 minutes. Serve warm.

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