Frutours

Original text from: Harleian MS. 4016, ab. 1450 A.D.

Frutours

—Take yolkes of eggs, drawe hem thorgh a streynour, cast there-to faire floure, berme and ale; stere it togidre till hit be thik. Take pared appelles, cut he thyn like obleies, ley hem in pe batur; pen put hem into a ffrying pan, and fry hem in faire grece or buttur til pei ben browne yelowe; then put hem in disshes, and straw Sugar on hem ynogh, And serue hem forthe.

Modern English

—Take egg yolks, draw them through a strainer, cast fair flour, barm and ale thereto, stir it together until it is thick. Take pared apples, cut them thin like obleies (these are small cakes or wafers, often defined as "sacramental wafers"), lay them in the batter; then put them into a frying pan and fry them in fair grease or butter until they are yellow-brown; then put them in dishes, and straw enough sugar on them, And serve them forth.

Breakdown:

Apple Fritters (test sized batch)

Make a batter from:
-2-3 egg yolks whisked until light
-1 package of yeast (2 1/4 tsp) softened in about 3(liquid)oz of water with a little sugar
-about 1(liquid)oz of ale
-2 1/2 oz of flour
This should make a batter sticky enough to stick to the apple slices. If the batter is too thin, add more flour, if it is too thick, add a bit more ale.

Have your apples peeled and cored and then slice them fairly thin and lay on a towel
Heat clarified butter in a deep pan.
Lay your apple slices in the batter and then carefully place the battered apple rings in the hot fat.
Cook the fritters until golden brown
Lay your fritters in dishes and sprinkle with sugar and serve

(added note: depending on if you used packaged yeast, or home-made style yeast (use about 6 spoonfulls instead of yeast/water mix btw), and the age of the yeast... if it is left to sit too long, it will froth up considerably)

Lese fryes

Two 15th century cookbooks
Ab. 1420 A.D.

Lese fryes
—Take nessℏ chese, and pare it clene, and grinde hit in a morter smaƚƚ, and drawe yolkes and white of egges thorgℏ a streynour, and cast there-to, and grinde hem togidre; then̄ cast thereto Sugur, butter and salt, and put al togidre in a coffyn̄ of faire paast, And lete bake ynowe, and then̄ serue it forthe.

Modern English

Lese fryes (a baked cheese custard/cheese pie)
—Take soft cheese, and pare it clean, and grind small in a mortar, and draw egg yolks and whites through a strainer and cast this in with the cheese and grind this all together; then cast with this, some sugar, butter and salt, and put this all together in a coffin (standing pastry shell) of fair past (pastry), and let it bake enough, and then serve if forth.

"Auter Tartus" (custard/cheese tart)

Two 15th century cookbooks
Ab. 1420 A.D.

Auter Tartus
—Take faire nessℏ chese that is buttry, and par hit, grynde hit in a morter; caste therto faire creme and grinde hit togidre; temper hit with goode mylke, that hit be no thikker þen̄ rawe creme, and cast thereto a litul salt if nede be; And (if) thi chese be salte, caste thereto neuer a dele; colour hit witℏ saffron̄; then̄ make a large coffyn̄ of faire paste, & lete the brinkes be rered more þen̄ an enche of hegℏ; lete þe coffyn̄ harden̄ in þe oven̄; þen̄ take it oute, put gobettes of butter in the bothom̄ thereof, And caste the stuffe there-to, and caste peces of buttur there-vppon̄, and sette in þe oven̄ witℏ-oute lydde, and lete bake ynowe, and then̄ cast sugur thereon̄, and serue it fortℏ. And if þou wilt, lete him haue a lydde; but þen̄ thi stuff most be as thikke as Mortrewes.

Modern English

Another Tart (a baked cheese custard/cheese pie)
—Take fair, soft, cheese that is buttery, and pare and grind it in a mortar; cast into this, fair cream and grind with the cheese; temper this with enough good milk to make it no thicker than raw cream, and cast into this a little salt if need be; And if the cheese is salted, don't cast in too much; colour this with saffron; then make a large coffin (free-standing pie shell), and let the sides (of the pastry) be built up more than an inch high; let the coffin harden in the oven; then take it out and put chunks of butter in the bottom of the pastry, and cast the mixture into the shell, and cast pieces of butter on this, and set it in the oven without a lid, and let it bake enough, and then cast sugar over this and serve it forth. And if you will, let it have a lid; but then the mixture should be as thick as for Mortrewes.

Brewet of Ayren

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Forme of Cury (by Samuel Pegge)
original text from about A.D. 1390

Brewet of Ayren
—Take ayrenn, water and butter, and seeþ hem yfere with safroun and gobettes of chese. wryng ayrenn thurgh a straynour. whan the water hath soden awhile: take þenne the ayrenn and swyng hem with verious. and cast þerto. set it ouere the fire and lat it not boile. and serue it forth.

Modern English

Brewet of Eggs
—Take eggs, water and butter, and boil them together with saffron and chunks of cheese. Wring the eggs through a strainer. When the water has boiled a while: take the eggs and stir them with verjuice and cast them in (the water). Set it over the fire, make sure it doesn't boil. and serve it forth.

Macrows

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Forme of Cury (by Samuel Pegge)
original text from about A.D. 1390

Macrows
—Take and make a thynne foyle of dowh. and kerve it on peces, and cast hem on boillyng water & seeþ it wele. take chese and grate it and butter cast bynethen and above as losyns. and serue forth.

Modern English

Macrows
—Take and make a thin sheet of dough and carve it into pieces and cast them into boiling water and cook them well. Take cheese and grate it and put this, with butter, layer with the dough as you did with losyns and serve it forth.

Rastons

15th century cookbook I & II

Rastons I
—Take fayre Flowre, & þe whyte of Eyroun, & þe ȝolke, a lytel; þan take Warme Berme, & putte al þes to-gederys, & bete hem to-gederys with þin hond tyl it be schort & þikke y-now, & caste Sugre y-now þer-to, & þenne lat reste a whyle; þan kaste in a fayre place in þe oven, & late bake y-now; & þen with a knyf cutte yt round a-boue in maner of a crowne, & kepe þe cruste þat þou kyttyst; & þan pyke al þe cromys withynne to-gederys, an pike hem smal with þin knyf, & saue þe sydys & al þe cruste hole with-owte; & þan caste þer-in clarifiyd Boter, & Mille  þe cromeȝ & þe botere to-gedereȝ, & keuere it a-ȝen with þe cruste, þat þou kyttest a-way; þan putte it in þe ovyn aȝen a lytil tyme; & þan take it out, & serue it fortℏ.

Modern English

Rastons I
—Take fair flour and egg white and a little yolk; then take warm barm and put all this together and beat them together by hand until it is short and thick enough, and cast enough sugar therein and then let it rest a while; then cast in a fair place in the oven, and let it bake enough; and then with a knife, cut it round above in manner of a crown, and keep the crust that you cut off; and then pick all the crumbs within together, and take a knife and cut them up small and save the sides and all the crust whole without (save the crusty shell); and cast therein clarified butter and mix the crumbs and the butter together and cover it again with the crust that you cut away; then put it in the oven again (for) a little time; and then take it out and serve it forth.


Rastons II
—Take fyne floure, and white of eyren̄, and a litul of the yolkes; And then̄ take warme berm̄, and put al thes togidre, and bete hem togidre with thi honde so longe til hit be short and thik ynogℏ. And caste sugur ynowe thereto; And þen̄ lete rest a while; And then̄ cast hit in a faire place in an̄ oven̛, and lete bake ynogℏ; And þen̄ kut hit with a knyfe rownde aboue in maner of a crowne, and kepe þe crust þat þou kuttest, and pile all þe cremes within togidre; and pike hem smaƚƚ witℏ thi knyfe, and saue the sides and al þe cruste hole withoute; And þen̄ cast thi clarefied butter, and medle þe creme and þe buttur togidre, And couer hit ayen̄ with þe cruste that þou kuttest awey; and then̄ put hit in the oven̄ ayen̄ a lituƚƚ tyme, and take it oute, and serue hit forthe aƚƚ hote.

Modern English

Rastons II
—Take fine flour, and egg white and a little of the yolks; and then take warm barm, and put all this together, and beat them together with your hand so long till it be short and thick enough. And cast enough sugar therein; and then let (it) rest a while; and then cast if in a fair place in an oven, and let bake enough; and then cut it with a knife round above in manner of crown, and keep the crust that you cut, and pile all the crumbs within together; and pick them small with your knife, and save the sides and all the crust while without; and then cast in clarified butter and meddle (stir/mix) the crumbs and the butter together and cover it again with the crust that you cut away; and then put it in the oven (for) a little time, and take out and serve it forth all hot.

Payn pur-dew

15th century cookbook I
Ab. 1420 A.D.

Payn pur-dew

—Take fayre ȝolkys of Eyroun, & trye hem fro þe whyte, & draw hem þorw a straynoure, & take Salt and caste þer-to; þan take fayre brede, & kytte it as troundeȝ rounde; þan take fayre Boter þat is claryfiyd, or ellys fayre Freysshe grece, & putte it on a potte, & make it hote; þan take & wete wyl þin troundeȝ in þe ȝolkys, & putte hem in þe panne, an so frye hem vppe; but ware of cleuyng to the panne; & whan it is fryid, ley hem on a dysshe, & ley Sugre y-nowe þer-on, & þanne serue it forth.

Modern english

Payn pur-dew

—Take egg yolks and separate them from the white and draw (run) them through a stainer, and cast in salt; then take bread and cut it in rounds (slice the loaf thinly); then take clarified butter, or else grease, and heat it in a pot; then take and wet the bread slices with the yolks and put them in a pan and fry them up; beware that they do not cling (stick) to the pan; and when it is fried, lay them on a dish and lay enough sugar thereon, and then serve it forth.