Eggs, 16th C style.

Today, April 9th …

This week, as promised, is a week of egg recipes from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. It may be the recipes, and just the recipes this week, my friends, with minimal commentary. I have been somewhat busy with a husband who suddenly, unexpectedly and at some speed flew off his bicycle to land on his shoulder, which is not the recommended method of dismounting.

Here are today’s offerings, all chosen because they seem familiar, or not, in today’s world. As for the recipe for Eggs in Moonshine, who could resist a name like that? They seem to be rose-scented, candied egg yolks, which might make a very innovative ‘modern’ idea for decorating a fancy cake.

For to make Cremmeboyle. [a custard decorated with borage flowers]
To make Creme boyle take cowe creme and the yolkes of egges clene drawen & welle beten and boyle it up that it be standynge and put thereto sugre and colour it with saffron and salt it and leske it in dyshes and plante therin flours of Borage and serve it.
[A Noble Bok of Festes Ryalle and Cokery; 1500]

To make egges in moneshyne.
Take a dyche of rosewater and a dyshe full of suger, and set them upon a chaffyngdysh, and let them boyle, than take the yolkes of viii [8] or ix [9] egges newe layde and putte them therto everyone from other, and so lette them harden a lyttle, and so after this maner serve them forthe and cast a lyttle synamon and sugar upon them.
[1545 Proper New Booke of Cokerye]

To poche Egges in Broth.
Take Vergis [verjus] and faire water, and a dish of newe Yest, and put therin Cloves, Mace, Corans [currants]. Suger, sweete Butter, a handfull of Spinage, and let them boyle a good while, then havying poched your Egges in faire water that is seethying: then laie your Egges in brothe and serve them forth with hearbes laied over them.
[Widowes Treasure; 1586]
[TOF: I don’t understant the ‘newe Yest’ in this recipe. Does anyone have a clue? Otherwise this recipe sounds like a sort of Eggs Florentine, doesn’t it?]

A Pudding in Egges.[Egg shells re-filled]
Take and boyle your Egges hard, and blanch them, and cut off the Crowne of them, and take then of the yolks and chop them, Beetes boyled, and yolks of hard egges, greated Bread, and Corance [currants], Salte, Sugar, Sinamon, and Ginger, and then put the yolks of rawe Egges, and mingle them altogither, then put in your Egges, then for your broth take a little Mutton broth, Corance, Dates, Sugar, a little salt and butter, thicken it with yolks of Egs, vergions [verjuice] and a little sugar, so serve it in.
[A Boke of Cookrye; 1591]