This tart is adapted from a recipe in the 15th-century Registrum Coquine, a German-Latin cookbook whose apple pie recipe was labelled 'for peasants': meaning it used olive oil rather than butter or lard, making it suitable for lean days (the fast days that constituted roughly a third of the medieval calendar). Saffron was a mandatory spice; the others were optional luxuries. Medieval European apple cookery drew heavily on Arab and Persian spice traditions that arrived via trade routes through Venice and the Crusades. The saffron-stained pastry, the fragrant spice mixture, and the honey drizzle are all hallmarks of this cross-cultural culinary inheritance.
Ingredients
Filling
6 piece medium apples (use a mix of varieties for complexity), peeled and thinly sliced
3 tbsp olive oil (for lean-day version) or melted butter
0.25 tsp saffron threads, steeped in 2 tbsp warm water for 10 min
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
0.25 tsp ground cloves
0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbsp honey, plus more to finish
Pastry
300 g plain white flour (about 2½ cups)
0.5 tsp fine sea salt
120 ml warm water (about ½ cup), plus the saffron water
3 tbsp olive oil (for pastry)
Method
Steep the saffron threads in 2 tablespoons of warm water for at least 10 minutes until the water is deep gold.
Make the pastry: combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add olive oil and the saffron-water, then add plain warm water gradually, mixing until a smooth, firm dough forms. It should not be sticky. Knead for 2–3 minutes. Divide into two portions: two-thirds for the base, one-third for the lid.
Grease a 23 cm (9-inch) round baking pan or cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Roll the larger dough portion and line the pan, pressing up the sides and trimming the excess.
Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the apple slices, saffron water, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Stir gently and cook for 3–4 minutes until the apples are just beginning to soften but still hold their shape. Remove from heat.
Spoon the spiced apple filling into the pastry-lined pan. Drizzle with honey.
Roll the remaining dough to a circle just large enough to cover the pan. Lay it over the filling and press the edges to seal with the bottom crust. Score a few small slits in the lid to allow steam to escape.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 20–25 minutes until the crust is golden and firm.
Remove from oven. While still hot, drizzle the top generously with honey. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Serve warm or at room temperature, as it would have been served from a medieval kitchen. The pastry is firm and dense: it was often used as an edible vessel rather than a delicate pastry. No custard, no eggs: just apple, honey, and spice.
The Gastrographer
Mapping Culinary History
To explore — select an ingredient below.
To explore — select an ingredient below · click any location dot on the map for recipes and stories · browse the information panel on the right · trace the full journey on the timeline.
