Sweet Potato Pie

William Rabisha’s 17th century recipe

Although potatoes nowadays may be viewed as an everyday food they were initially prized in elite circles as an exotic novelty. In particular, the sweet potato was liked because it provided a sweetness in a period when sugar was not readily available. Listen to Professor Rebecca Earle talking about how this tuber was used in desserts.

William Rabisha’s Sweet Potato Pie

To make a Potato Pye (from The Whole Body Of Cookery Dissected)

Boyle your Spanish Potatoes (not overmuch) cut them forth in slices as thick as your thumb, season them with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and sugar; your coffin being ready put them in, over the bottom; add to them the Marrow of about three Marrow-bones, seasoned as aforesaid, a handful of stoned raisins of the Sun, some quartered dates, Orangado, Cittern, with Ringo-roots sliced, put butter over it, and bake them: let their lear be a little vinegar, sack and sugar, beaten up with the yolk of an Egg, and a little drawn Butter; when your pye is enough, pour it in, shake it together, scrape on Sugar, garnish it, and serve it up.

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour

• 3 tbsp icing sugar

• 125g cold, unsalted butter

• 1 medium egg

• A little cold water to bind

• 450-500g sweet potato

• 50g unsalted butter

• 25g dates, chopped

• 50g raisins

• 50g mixed peel

• 1/2 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon & ginger

• 30g light brown sugar

• 1 tsp white wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp sweet Sherry or Madeira

• 1 egg yolk

• 2 tsp light brown sugar

• 15g butter

• Icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. To make the pastry: Sift the flour and icing sugar into a roomy bowl. Rub in the cubed butter. Bind with egg & a little water. Leave to rest for at least 1 hour.

2. To make the filling: Peel and quarter the sweet potato. Boil in unsalted water for 8-10 minutes until starting to become tender (you should be able to insert a knife but still feel some resistance). Allow to cool completely.

3. Melt 50g butter and pour into a large bowl. Cut the sweet potato into 1 cm cubes. Place in the bowl with the melted butter. Add the dates, raisins and candied peel. Mix the spices with the sugar then add this to the bowl too. Stir everything well until the potatoes & dried fruit are coated in butter and spiced sugar.

4. To assemble the pie: Roll out ⅔ pastry and line a 23cm diameter loose bottomed tart tin. Roll the remaining third of pastry to form a lid (you make this into a lattice if you prefer - it will be easier to pour in the lear later). Spread the potato mixture in the tart case. Wet the outer edges of the pastry then top with the lid of your choice. If you are using a solid lid make a hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Bake at 200℃ for 15 minutes then reduce the temperature to 180℃ and bake for a further 30 minutes.

5. While the pie is baking gently heat 15g butter with the sugar, vinegar and sherry or Madeira. Cool slightly before beating in the egg yolk to create the lear (this is a kind of sauce poured into pies after they are baked). When the pie is cooked pour the lear into the holes then gently shake the tin from side to side to disperse the lear.  Leave the pie to cool to room temperature before serving (the lear will ‘cook’ as the pie cools down) or refrigerating it to serve cold later. A dusting of icing sugar before you serve it never goes amiss.