Torta manfredo bona e vantagiata

#88 Torta manfredo bona e vantagiata
Toy ventre e figatelii de polli e toy panza de porcho e pesta insiema con coltello, poy mitige pever; habii uno lavezo e fail frizer, poy tray fuora, faili arefredare, poy mitige ova e fay la crosta, poy mitila in las padella e faila coxere adassio. (Fr 57)

Hungarian Torta for twelve persons. Take a nice, fat capon and take a large loin of pork, and two big onions, and a half a libra of sweet fine spices, and take three libre of fresh fat that has not been salted, and take some flour, enough to make three loaves of bread, the best you can get; and take the capons and the pork loin, and cut them into small pieces; and fry these things in plenty of fresh lard, and those sweet spices and plenty of saffron and a little salt; and when it is well fried, add a glass of water so that it will cook gently. Take flour and mix it with fresh water, salted with a little salt, and knead it vigorously; when it is well kneaded, take a well-tinned copper testo and grease it with the fat. Take the dough, knead it, and flatton it with a large spoon and make it thin; two of you should stretch it thin, by the sheet, with the fat, and make as many as eighteen sheets; and then take the stuffing of capon and other ingredients and make a layer of it on half [of the sheets], then put the other sheets atop this layer, each one well greased with the fat; and make a top crust for protection. This torta requires a small fire below and a strong fire above, and you can make it for many or for few by using ingredients in these proportions. (Fr 59)

NICCOLO'S RECIPE
Serves 8-10      preheat oven: 375F

18 Sheets (1 box) ready-made strudel or phyllo-dough
1 small capon or a free-range chicken, about 4 pounds
1 pound boneless loin of pork
1 generous pound good lard, home- or butcher-rendered
2 medium onions
sweet spice mixture
12 threads saffron
salt
(use veal and olive oil if pork not acceptable)

 Cut meats and onions into medium dice.  Heat lard (or olive oil) in lage skillet and brown meat until just doe. Sautee onions next, and add saffron when just done; remove from heat and combine meats with onion mixture.  Allow to cool a little.

 In 8” round pan, lay in one piece of phyllo to cover bottom, with excess hanging over sides, and brush with lard, butter or oil.  Repeat until you have 8 or 9 layers.  Add meat mixture in even layer.  Repeat the phyllo/fat process for the remaining 8 or 9 layers atop the torta.

 Fold together the overlapping edges to make decorative edging around the torta.

ORIGINAL TEXT & TRANSLATION
Frammento du un libro di cucina del sec. XIV by Olindo Guerrini
as found in The Medieval Kitchen:  Recipes from   France and Italy,  by Odile Redon et al.