Milke Rostys – Medieval Fried Custard (Harleian MS. 279, ab. 1430)

Milke Rostys (Harleian MS. 279, ab. 1430). Image © Give It Forth.

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.

Modern Recipe – Milke Rostys (Fried Custard Curds)

Serves 2–3 as a main or 4–6 as a side dish

• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• Pinch of saffron (optional: steep in warm milk first for deeper color)
• 1 tsp salt
• Butter, bacon grease, or lard for frying

Method

1. Set up a double boiler or use a heavy pot to prevent scorching. Heat milk with saffron until hot but not boiling.
2. Beat eggs with salt; stir into the hot milk.
3. Cook gently, stirring, until curds form and the mixture visibly thickens.
4. Pour into a cheesecloth-lined strainer; press firmly to remove whey (save whey for bread/soups).
5. Weight and press 15–30 minutes until cool and set; cut into ½-inch slices.
6. Fry slices in butter or lard on a hot greddelle (griddle) or skillet until golden on both sides. Serve hot or at room temp.

🧈 Ingredient Notes

Medieval Ingredient	Modern Equivalent
Swete mylke	Whole milk or rich cow’s milk
Eyroun	Hen’s eggs
Safroun	Saffron threads (or turmeric for color)
Greddelle	Cast-iron griddle or skillet

🥕 Dietary Notes

🟡 Contains: dairy, egg.   ✅ Vegetarian-friendly.
🔸 For lactose-free: use lactose-free milk and clarified butter (texture may vary).
🔸 Color swap: use a pinch of turmeric if saffron is unavailable.

Historical & Educational Notes

• From Medieval Curds to Modern Custard: Milke Rostys sits in a long European “fried milk” lineage that later blossoms into Spanish leche frita, Italian latte fritto, and even sweet custard squares in early-modern banquets. The core method—coagulate, press, slice, fry—persists for centuries.
• What “larde it” means here: Medieval “larding” can mean adding fat before roasting or basting to aid browning. In this dairy dish, think buttering the slices (not inserting pork). It’s about crispness and sheen, not bacon flavor.
• Medieval dairy science: Without refrigeration, milk was transformed quickly—curdled/pressed/spiced—to make it digestible and durable. In humoral terms, milk and eggs (cool/moist) are balanced by saffron and frying fat (warm/dry).
• Saffron’s golden touch: A prestige spice signaling status and festivity; it perfumes and tints simple dairy into something banquet-worthy.
• Cross-manuscript consistency: The near-identical versions in Forme of Cury (c.1390), Liber Cure Cocorum (c.1430), and A Noble Boke off Cookry (c.1468) suggest a beloved household staple that resisted change.
• Tools: A “greddelle” is a flat iron/metal griddle set over the hearth—your modern cast-iron pan is perfect.

At Table: Course Placement

Second service, between roasts and desserts. In 15th-century English feasts, courses mixed savory and sweet. Sliceable custards from the Leche Vyaundez set—like Milke Rostys—often appear late: a delicate, warm dairy bridge that eases diners from the heavy roasts toward subtleties and sweets.

Medieval Feast Structure (Late 14th–15th Century)

By the late 14th–15th century, English feasts (as reflected in Forme of Cury and Harleian MS. 279) were arranged not by modern “courses” (appetizer–entrée–dessert) but by “removes” or “services,” each featuring a mix of dishes.

🌿 Humoral & Seasonal Balance

In humoral medicine, milk and eggs were “cold and moist,” suited to spring when the body needed gentle nourishment. Saffron and frying fat supplied the “warm and dry” counter-qualities that made Milke Rostys wholesome in moderation.

1. Pottages & Soups (Potages)

   Hot broths, stews, thick soups, and comfort dishes.

   Examples: Mawmenny, Pottage of Wortys, Soupes Dorye.

2. Boiled or Roasted Meats & Fishes (Rosts)

   Substantial centerpieces of the first course.

   Examples: Capon Farced, Cormarye, Brawn in Comfyte.

3. Leche Vyaundez & Subtleties

   Dishes that could be sliced or molded, sometimes sweet, sometimes savory — transitional between heavy meats and true sweets.

   Examples: Milke Rostys, Charlette, Let Lory, Gyngerbrede.

4. Confections, Fruits, and Wafers (Desserts)

   Final course or “banquetting stuffe.”

   Examples: Callishones, Marchpane, Comfits, candied fruits, hippocras wine.

Feast-Planning Tips

• Make-ahead: Press the curd a few hours (or overnight) before service; slice and fry to order for best texture.
• Service: Offer both ways: a drizzle of honey/sugar for sweet-leaning palates and a pinch of salt/pepper for savory trays.

 Related Medieval Variants

• Forme of Cury (England, c.1390) – “For to make mylk rost,” saffron-colored, pressed, sliced, and griddled.
• Liber Cure Cocorum (England, c.1430) – explicit “swynge eyren … grynde safron,” then press and roast on the gridiron.
• A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, c.1468) – virtually identical method; emphasizes pressing, slicing, and serving in “schyves.”

Sources

• Harleian MS. 279 in Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books, ed. Thomas Austin (1888).
• Dan Myers, MedievalCookery.com (reference and translation check).

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