Ember Day Egg Tart

History

As we’ve shared in conjunction with our previous Ember Days posts, these days’ placement next to feasts of the Christian calendar and their occurrence of four times throughout the year provides many opportunities throughout the year’s cycle to observe these days.

Ember Days always fall on the Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the following feast days:  St. Lucia’s Day on December 13th for the winter, after the first Sunday in Lent for the spring, after Pentecost for the summer, and after Holy Cross Day on September 14th for the autumn.

The Embertide that is coming up soon are the days following Holy Cross on September 14th—this is also the set of days that correspond with the seasonal harvest of the autumn grapes. Drinking wine is of course almost always an appropriate way to celebrate some of the most well known days of the Church Year, however the Ember Days have a few other corresponding and culinary traditions that accompany them.

We’ve written about one of them before: the tradition of tempura, which provides us with an uncanny connection between the Ember Days, missionaries from Spain and Portugal, and the city of Nagasaki. While this is certainly a historic tradition, traced back to the sixteenth century, the recipe we’re sharing with you today stretches back even further.

Ember Day Egg Tart

One of the other most well-known dishes to accompany the various Ember Days throughout the year are Ember Day tarts, which are simple dishes well suited to the fasting nature of these days. Although they could be made several different ways, an onion and egg tart was an especially popular choice.

Because meat was not included in the usual Christian’s fast on the Ember Days (but eggs and cheese were allowed within the three Embertides that didn’t fall during Lent), this main entree would have provided a filling substitute, similar to quiche.

One can find records of recipes like this stretching back as far as 1390 AD, as pictured below. In fact, the Ember Day tarts are one of the most well known ancient Christian dishes and recipes from the Medieval period! For our own recipe, we suggest that you use cheddar cheese or bread crumbs for a savory filling, including raisins and herbs for a fresh tasting pastry. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this dish will surely aid your Embertide observation and remind you of the long-lasting legacy of the Ember Days within Church history.

Ingredients

Pie Crust

1 ⅓ cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick chilled butter

¼ – ½ ice-cold water

Filling

2 large onions, chopped

2 bunches of parsley, chopped

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese or 2 Tbs. unseasoned bread crumbs

8 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons raisins

1/8 teaspoon saffron

½ tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon each of any of the following herbs: sage, basil, thyme

Instructions

1. To make the pie crust, whisk together the flour and salt and then cut in the butter. Then pour in the water ¼ cup at a time until the dough just comes together. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
2. Bring pot of water to boil.
3. Peel and quarter onions, place in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then drain.
4. Chop onions and parsley and combine with cheese or bread crumbs, eggs, butter, raisins, saffron, sugar, salt, and spices. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, ensuring that the egg is set. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting into serving sizes.