Rysshews of Fruyt

Rissole of Fruit

This recipe taken from Forme of Curye, ab. 1390 A.D. (Page 13r). 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:

Rysshews of Fruit

Take Fygs and raisons. pyke hem and waisshe hem in Wyne. grynde hem wiþ apples and peers ypared and ypiked clene. do þereto gode powdors. and hole spices. make balls þereof. frye in oile and surve hem forth.

My Translation:

Rissoles of Fruit

Take figs and raisins, pick them and wash them in wine. Grind them with apples and pears pared and picked clean. Do thereto good powders and whole spices. Make balls thereof, fry in oil and serve them forth.

My Interpretation:

Set figs and raisins to soak in wine overnight. Peel and core apples and pears. Quarter apples and pears and place in food processor with figs, raisins and wine. Pulse food processor until mixture is fine dice. In separate bowl, beat egg with fork. Add fruit mixture, flour and spices to eggs and stir until combined. Form small balls with fruit mixture and deep fry in vegetable oil at 375F.

Notes on the Recipe:

The original recipe does not specify flour or egg, however it does specify it should hold the shape of a ball. I believe that with the title of the dish "Rysshews of Fruit" that some sort of binding agent is needed in order to get the desired shape.

Notes on the Transcription & Translation:

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

References:

Media Information. Digital image. Rysshews of fruyt. The John Rylands University Library, Jan. 2009. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. <http://enriqueta.man.ac.uk/luna/servlet/detail/Man4MedievalVC~4~4~6560~100177:Rysshews-of-fruyt?sort=Reference_Number%2CImage_Sequence_Number%2CPage%2CImage_Title&qvq=w4s:/what/Cookery;sort:Reference_Number%2CImage_Sequence_Number%2CPage%2CImage_Title;lc:Man4MedievalVC~4~4&mi=158&trs=171. This is a digitized image of page 13r of the Forme of Cury housed at The John Rylands University Library in Manchester, England. This codex, written on vellum, dates from the late 14^th 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.