Mr Pye's Steak and Kidney Pie

Mar 6

British Pie Week

Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day

British Pie Week

Mr Pye's Steak and Kidney Pie

Today's Musings, History & Folklore

"🎶 Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?"

~ Mother Goose rhyme

If you are fond of sweet or savoury pies (with or without a spectacle of blackbirds), this is the official week to indulge! Contests and articles this week celebrate traditional classics, such as Shepherd’s Pie, Cottage Pie, Chicken and Mushroom Pie, Pork Pie (especially Melton Mowbray style), Fish Pie, Cornish Pasties, and of course the Steak and Kidney pie namesake for today's dance!

The rich tradition of Scottish Country Dance includes a remarkable number of dances inspired by food, including this lively jig named after a classic British pie. This dance features well-loved figures, culminating in a Hello Goodbye setting and petronella clap back into place—a fitting tribute to both the cook and the pie that inspired its name! The dance itself was named for a Mr. Pye, who delighted his dinner guests with his own homemade steak and kidney pie—though his original recipe has been lost to time.

In medieval times, a type of pie known as a "coffyn" featured a sturdy, enclosed crust that could be removed, allowing it to serve as both a simple meal for commoners and an extravagant spectacle for the nobility. Historical accounts tell of pies that, when opened, released live birds, rabbits, frogs, or even dogs!

Some tales go further, describing dwarves emerging to recite poetry or hidden musicians striking up a tune from within! Entertaining royalty has its challenges.

Classic recipes fit for queens and kings (and even we meer knaves) included with the dance description for hungry dancers! 🕺💃 🤎 🖤 🤎 😀 🥧 👑

Mr Pye's Steak and Kidney Pie

Pie is a favorite dish with a long history of both sweet and savoury versions.

The earliest pies in ancient times were in the form of flat, round crusty cakes made of ground oats, wheat, rye, or barley and containing honey as a treat inside. Evidence of galettes of this type are found as drawings on the tomb walls of the Pharaoh Rameses II, who ruled from 1304 to 1237 BC in the Valley of the Kings.

By medieval times, cooks with restricted access to ovens often cooked pies over an open fire. Pie recipes from this era refer to the "coffyns" - pies with straight sealed sides and tops and open-top pies called "traps." The crust was thick, and could be baked first, and would rise forming a pot, hence the term "pot pie."

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For a more classic recipe for this most British of savoury pies, the Steak and Kidney Pie, click the four and twenty blackbirds below!

Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!