Originally published 10/20/2015 Updated 10/31/2025
Milke Rostys are one of the most delightful dairy dishes in Harleian MS. 279—somewhere between a custard and a fresh pressed cheese, then fried to a golden crust on the griddle. Lightly saffron-tinted, eggy, and crisp-tender, they’re a must-try for medieval cooks and curious foodies alike.
Did you know? The phrase “rostys” doesn’t mean roasted—here it simply means cooked on a “greddelle.” Medieval cooks used the same term for anything browned over heat!
Context: What Are “Leche Vyaundez” Dishes?
This recipe sits in the manuscript’s “Leche Vyaundez” (“sliced viands”)—a presentation category for dishes that press, set, or mold cleanly for service. Think pressed meats in jelly, molded custards, and neat, sliceable pottages. The same section includes Brawn in Comfyte, Cokyntryce, and Gyngerbrede.
📖 Original Text (Harleian MS. 279, c.1430)
xxix. Milke Rostys. Take swete mylke, and do it in a panne; take Eyroun with alle they whyte, & swenge hem, & caste there-to; colour it with safroun, and boyle it that it wexe thikke; than draw it thorw a straynoure, and nym that leuyth, & presse it: and whan it is cold, larde it, & schere on schevres, & roste it on a Greddelle, and serve forth.
Modern Translation
Take sweet milk and put it in a pan. Beat eggs with their whites and add to the milk. Tint with saffron and boil until it thickens. Strain it, take the curds that remain, and press them. When cold, slice thin and roast (fry) on a griddle. Serve forth.
