Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book - 52 Jussele

Recipes from John Crophill's Commonplace Book (Harley MS 1735)

This manuscript is dated before 1485.

The 69 recipes in John Crophill's Commonplace Book are on pages 16v through 28v.

Images of the original manuscript are freely available on the British Library website.

I have done my best to provide an accurate, but readable transcription. Common abbreviations have been expanded, the letters thorn and yogh have been replaced with their modern equivalents, and some minor punctuation has been added.

Copyright © 2015 by Daniel Myers, MedievalCookery.com

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[52.] Jussele
Mye wastelbred swenge eyren & do ther to tak good fat broth of freysch beof colour it with saffron boille it al softely & in the boyllingg do al this ther to & do to sauge & percyle.

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This simple recipe shows up in several medieval cookbooks, and the versions in Liber, Noble, and Forme of Cury are particularly close matches. It's interesting that among these recipes the Noble version is the only one that reverses the order of eggs and grated bread.

Iusselle. Take myud bred, and eyren þou swynge. Do hom togeder with out lettyng, Take fresshe broth of gode befe, Coloure hit with safron, þat is me lefe, Boyle hit softly, and in þo boylyng, Do þer to sage and persely ȝoyng.  [Liber cure cocorum (England, 1430)]

To mak jusselle tak and swinge eggs and myed bred to gedur then tak freche brothe of bef and colour it with saffron and boile it softly and cast in parsley and saige and serue it.  [A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)]

Jusshell. XX.II. III. Take brede ygrated and ayrenn and swyng it togydre. do þerto safroun, sawge. and salt. & cast broth. þerto. boile it & messe it forth.  [Forme of Cury (England, 1390)]