This recipe comes to you by way of the 2024 Known World Cooks & Bards event held near Binghamton this September. You’ll find the original in The Second Part of the Good Hus-wives Jewell from 1597.

To refresh the idea behind the redaction challenges:

• Take this original recipe and make it your own. A good housewife married to someone who hates ginger is not going to prepare this as written even in 1597!
• We have different palates in 2024 than they did in 1597! My personal goal is to create something delicious that also reflects medieval cuisine.
• Adapt for allergies — I would love to be able to add allergen-adapted versions to my collection of recipes.
• Adapt for modern recipes – share you ratios in more modern format so it’s repeatable!
• Don’t be afraid to simplify. Sure, fresh spinach might taste better, but frozen spinach is already in my freezer.

So here you go!

To make fried toste of Spinage.

TAke Spinnage and seeth it in water and salt, and when it is tender, wring out the water betwéene two Trenchers, then chop it smal and set it on a Chafing∣dish of coles, and put thereto butter, small Raisons, Sinamon, Ginger, and Suger, and a little of the iuyce of an Orenge and two yolks of rawe Egges, and let it boile till it be somewhat thicke, then toste your toste, soake them in a little Butter, and Suger, and spread thinne your spinnage vpon them, and set them on a dish before the fire a litle while, & so serue them with a litle suger vpon them.