Pumpion Pie

Pumpkin pie made with slices of pumpkin, dried fruit, apples, and herbs

---

City/Region: England

Time Period: 1670

---

The modern, custard-style, pumpkin pie doesn’t find its way onto dinner tables until 1796 with Amelia Simmons’ recipe for pompkin pie, but that doesn’t mean people weren’t making equally delicious pies before that. This 17th century recipe is more like a fruit pie with slices of pumpkin, and it uses herbs instead of spices.

I made this the first Thanksgiving doing Tasting History, and it’s been a hit ever since. It’s so good with a perfect combination of apple and pumpkin (why don’t we make pumpkin pie with apples anymore??). It rivals my love for modern pumpkin pie and I LOVE modern pumpkin pie.

“Take a Pumpion, pare it, and cut it in thin slices, dip it in beaten Eggs and Herbs shred small, and fry it till it be enough, then lay it into a Pie with Butter, Raisins, Currans, Sugar and Sack, and in the bottom some sharp Apples; when it is baked, butter it and serve it in.”

— The Queene-Like Closet by Hannah Woolley, 1670

---

Ingredients:

• 1 sugar or pie pumpkin
• 2 sharp apples, I used Granny Smith
• 3 eggs
• 2 handfuls freshly minced herbs, I used rosemary, thyme, and parsley
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, divided
• 1/3 cup (50 g) raisins
• 1/3 cup (50 g) currants
• 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) sack* or sherry
• 1 pie crust, your favorite, or check out Pompkin Pie for a 1796 crust

*See notes below.

Instructions:

1. Optional: Par bake your crust. I didn’t do this and it turned out fine, but it’s a good idea to have that bit of extra insurance that the crust will be fully cooked. I recommend it!
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a pie dish with the dough of your choice.
3. Prepare the pumpkin by slicing off the top stem, cutting as little into the flesh as possible. Peel the skin off of the pumpkin with a knife or vegetable peeler. Carefully cut the pumpkin in two down the middle. Carve out the seeds and guts with a spoon. Cut each half in half again so that you have two Pac-Mans (Pac-Men?) made of pumpkin, then thinly slice the pumpkin.
4. Peel and core the apples and thinly slice them.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
6. While that heats, beat the eggs and mix in the herbs. Dip the pumpkin slices into the egg mixture. When you take them out, try to get some of the herbs, but not too much of the egg (we’re not looking to make scrambled eggs here). Fry the dipped pumpkin slices in the hot skillet until they’re pretty much cooked all the way through and fairly soft, about 10 minutes. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you may need to add more butter. You can also use oil or lard (Hannnah Wolley probably used lard). Fry the pumpkin in two batches if needed.
7. In a large bowl, combine the fried pumpkin, 2 tablespoons of the butter, raisins, currants, sugar, and sack or sherry. Stir everything together.
8. Line the bottom of your pie crust with the apple slices, then pour the pumpkin filling over them. Smooth the top and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes. Start checking it around 40 minutes, and once you see that it’s nice and bubbly on top, take it out of the oven.
9. Dot the top with the last two tablespoons of butter, then let it cool. Slice, and serve it forth.

Notes

• You might not be able to find anything called “sack”, which referred to a somewhat sweet wine. You can use a lighter dessert wine like a dry riesling, sherry, or white port (it’s amazing).

---