Medieval Cookery

Recipe by Daniel Myers

These eggs are simple, messy, and clever all at once. I suspect that they're the sort of thing that people will ooh and aah over, yet they're really not that difficult to make. I added the tarragon because I like it, and I expect other herbs would be equally good.

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 slice white bread

Method

Place six eggs into a pan of cold water and bring to a boil. After they've been boiling for 3 minutes, remove from heat, and chill rapidly in ice water.

Pour des oeufs de May.Prennez des oeufs, & les mettés boulirqu'ils soient mols: puis faictes vntrou à l'oeuf aux deux costez auec vnepointe ou brocquette de bois, que letrou soit pour mettre vn pois dedans:puis souffle le iaulne dehors, & hachezdu persin bien menu, & le meslés auecles iaulnes d'oeuf, vn peu du sel & poiurededans, & mettés encor vn iaulned'oeuf ou deux, ou d'auantage, & remplissez les oeufs auec la pointe d'vncouteau par dessus, qu'il soit serré pardessous auec vn peu de pain blanc, qu'ilne coure point: puis ayez vn chaudrond'eau bouillante, & iettés les oeufs dedans, & les laissez boullir durs, apres tirésles hors & pellés, & couppés les parmoitiés, & mettés par dessus beurrefondu & du ius de surelle.

To make May eggs. Take eggs, & put them to boil that they will be soft: then make an hole in the egg at both sides with a point or skewer of wood, that the hole is for putting a pea therein: then blow the yolks out, & chop parsley very finely, & mix it with the egg yolks, a little salt & pepper therein, & put again an egg yolk or two, or more, & refill the eggs with the point of a knife thereon, that it will be layered thereon with a little white bread, that it does not run at all: then have a cauldron of boiling water, & cast the eggs therein, & let them boil hard, afterwards take them out & peel, & cut them in half, & put thereon melted butter & juice of sorrel.

Published: 2006-02-16

May Eggs