Iusshell

Savory Bread Pudding

This recipe taken from Forme of Curye, ab. 1390 A.D. (Page 27v). The images below are from the original manuscript as digitized by the John Rylands University Library and the 1780 printing edited by Samuel Pegge.

Original Recipe:

Iuscheƚƚ

Tak brede y grated & ayron & swynge hem to gyder do þer to safron, sauge & salt and cast broth þer to, boyle & messe forth.

My Translation:

Jussel

Take grated bread and egg and mix them together, do thereto saffron, sage & salt and cast broth thereto, boil and mess forth.

My Interpretation:

12 oz. bread crumbs, dry

4 large eggs

1 quart broth

pinch saffron

1 Tbsp fresh sage

salt to taste

Chop sage and add to broth in a sauce pan with salt to taste. Bring broth to a boil. Crack eggs into mixing bowl and whisk together to combine white and yolk. Fold in dry bread crumbs into beaten eggs until well coated. Slowly add in broth, turning bread crumbs to achieve an even distribution of the liquid. Cover and let set 5 to 10 minutes. If desired, turn mixture into a lightly greased casserole and bake covered at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.

Notes on the Transcription & Translation:

The original text and transcription preserve the shorthand of writing that was common practice in the late 14th century. I have taken the liberty of spelling each word fully in my transcription for clarity.

References:

Media Information. Digital image. Iusshell. The John Rylands University Library, Jan. 2009. Web. 18 Jun. 2012. <http://enriqueta.man.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/Man4MedievalVC~4~4~3364~100064:Caudel-ferry?sort=Reference_Number%2CImage_Sequence_Number%2CPage%2CImage_Title#>. This is a digitized image of page 27v of the Forme of Cury housed at The John Rylands University Library in Manchester, England. This codex, written on vellum, dates from the late 14th century.

Pegge, Samuel, ed. Forme of Cury London: Society of Antiquaries, 1780. The Forme of Cury. Greg Lindahl. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/.

Pegge, Samuel. The Forme of Cury. London: J. Nichols, 1780. Google Books. 5 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 June 2012. <http://books.google.com/books?id=L1JAAAAAYAAJ>.

Pegge, Samuel, ed. The Forme of Cury The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Forme of Cury, by Samuel Pegge. Project Gutenberg, May 2005. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/8102/pg8102.html. This is the transcription of Forme of Cury of the Samuel Pegge edition originally published in 1780.