Papyns – A Medieval Custard Cereal from Harleian MS. 279

Papyns with Bread

Papyns is one of those dishes that defies expectations. Often lumped in with bland “pap” given to infants, this 15th-century recipe from Harleian MS. 279 is anything but boring. The result? A velvety custard-like porridge that tastes like warm comfort on a spoon. Think cream of wheat meets crème anglaise — but make it medieval.

This was a dish for those who couldn’t chew — infants, invalids, and the elderly — but also a nourishing and soothing food when other options weren’t available. Made with flour, milk, egg yolks, and sugar, it was a soft standby, rich and smooth without lumps. And yes, it’s delicious with a slice of crusty bread dunked in.

Historical Notes

Wet nursing was preferred by noble households from ancient times through the Renaissance. In the absence of breastmilk, babies were weaned early onto pap made from animal milk, bread, or grain porridge sweetened with honey or wine. Unfortunately, without refrigeration or pasteurization, milk quality varied wildly — and foodborne illness was a real risk. Despite that, this dish endured as both comfort food and survival sustenance.

Original Text (Harleian MS. 279)

xx. Papyns.—Take fayre Mylke an Flowre, an drawe it þorw a straynoure, an set it ouer þe fyre, an let it boyle a-whyle; þan take it owt an let it kele; þan take ȝolkys of eyroun y-draw þorwe a straynour, an caste þer-to; þan take sugre a gode quantyte, and caste þer-to, an a lytil salt, an sette it on þe fyre tyl it be sum-what þikke, but let it nowt boyle fullyche, an stere it wyl, an putte it on a dysshe alle a-brode, and serue forth rennyng.

Interpreted Recipe – Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup cream
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 4 eggs (or 8 yolks)
• 6–8 tablespoons sugar, to taste
• 1–2 teaspoons salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Make a slurry with the flour and 1.5 cups of the milk. Shake well in a lidded jar, then strain into a saucepan. Add remaining milk and cream.
2. Heat gently until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Beat the eggs. Temper with a bit of the warm mixture, then slowly add to the pan, stirring constantly. Add sugar and salt.
4. Return to low heat and stir until thickened but not boiling. Serve warm, strained again if needed for extra smoothness.

Serving Suggestions

Serve in shallow bowls with slices of fresh or toasted bread. Not ideal for large feast crowds — but excellent for dayboard, luncheons, or cold mornings at camp with instant ingredients.

💡 Substitutions & Dietary Notes

• Vegetarian: Yes
• Vegan: No, but you could experiment with oat milk and egg replacers like JUST Egg or silken tofu custard (untested)
• Gluten-Free: Use rice flour or oat flour
• Camping Option: Use powdered milk, powdered eggs, sugar, and water. Mix with a whisk and cook low and slow over flame.
• Common Allergens: Dairy, Egg, Gluten (can be adapted)

Similar Recipes

• Thomas Awkbarow's Papyns (Harley 5401) – thickened with rice flour, saffron-colored, and topped with poached eggs!
• Creme Boylede – A closely related custard-style milk dish from the same manuscript

Kitchen Adventures – Soupes Dorroy- Onion Soup II (Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430))

Soupes Dorroy

Onions are one of the oldest cultivated plants, along with leeks and garlic. Evidence of cultivation is almost 5000 years old. They are a member of the Lily family, genus Allium, and it includes garlic, leek, chives, onions and shallot, as well as many wild species. Like the brassica's, alliums are very diverse with over 500 species.

It is believed that onions originated in central Asia. Evidence exists of onions being cultivated in Chinese gardens 5000 years ago. They were known in Egypt, where they were an object of worship. Onions symbolized eternity, and paintings of onions can be found in tombs and the inner walls of the pyramids. What is known is that onions are easy to store, can grow in almost any kind of soil, are easily stored and transported.

It was the Romans that introduced onions to Europe. Onions were used as medicine as well as for food. Pliny the Elder wrote that onions could cure vision, induce sleep, dog bites, lumbago, and dysentery, heal mouth sores and cure toothaches. The belief that onions had curative powers continued into the Middle ages where it was believed that they could cure hair loss, snakebites and alleviate headaches! Columbus may be responsible for introducing onions to the new world during his expedition to North America in 1492.

Onions do produce sulfur-containing compounds and scientific studies show evidence that onions have both microbial and antifungal properties. The compound responsible for producing tears, allyl sulphate, may also help in balancing blood sugar levels. Anyone who has cut a warm onion knows...they bring tears!

Two recipes caught my eye when researching pottages, Soupes Dorroy, and Oyle Soppys. Both recipes start with onions, but each produces a very different dish. The recipes for both of these items can be found at "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books. Harleian ms. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. ms. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole ms. 1429, Laud ms. 553, & Douce ms. 55" Thomas Austin

.xxx. Soupes dorroy.—Shere Oynonys, an frye hem in oyle; þanne take Wyne, an boyle with Oynonys, toste whyte Brede an do on a dysshe, an caste þer-on gode Almaunde Mylke, & temper it wyth wyne: þanne do þe dorry a-bowte, an messe it forth.

30. Soups Dorroy - Slice onions, and fry them in oil; thnn take Wine, an boil with onions, toast white bread an do on a dish, an cast there-on good almond milk and temper it with wine: than do the onions about, an mess it forth.

Interpreted Recipe

1 C. sliced onions
1 Tbsp. oil (I used olive oil)
1 C. white wine
1C. almond milk
Pinch of sugar &saffron
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 slice bread, cut into a round and toasted

Heat oil and add the onions. Fry over medium heat until the onions have become golden and tender. Once the onions have become golden, add the wine. Let the onions simmer in the wine until the wine has reduced by half. Place the toasted bread into a bowl. Warm the almond milk and pour it over the bread. Cover with the onions and serve.

Of the two recipes that I created, this was my favorite and one that I would not hesitate to serve at home again. I do caution that it must be served almost as soon as it is put together because when the acidic wine mixes with the almond milk, it will curdle.

My taste testers did not find the curdled almond milk off-putting. The onions when cooked with the wine take on a very fruity flavor, and the almond milk adds creaminess in the background that tempers the sweet fruity taste of the onions. One of my taste testers said that this dish reminded him of a pie...and it did.

I would serve this dish again at a feast, or for an everyday meal. It's quick to put together, economical and very tasty.

Kitchen Adventures – Oil Sops - Onion Soup (Harleian MS 279 Oyle Soppys)

Oil Sops

Two recipes caught my eye when researching pottages, Soupes Dorroy, and Oyle Soppys.  Both recipes start with onions, but each produces a very different dish.  The recipes for both of these items can be found at "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books. Harleian ms. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. ms. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole ms. 1429, Laud ms. 553, & Douce ms. 55" Thomas Austin

One of the differences between Soupes Dorroy and Oyle Soppys is the broth.  Soupes dorroy uses wine and almond milk to create the broth. However, Oyle soppys uses a broth made from beer, specifically "stale ale" or, in my assumption, ale that has lost its fizz, not necessarily ale that has gone bad...ewww!

Beer is one of the oldest beverages, and it is believed that with the invention of beer and bread, came the building blocks of civilization.  Yay yeast! One of the oldest beer recipes is "The Hymn to Ninkasi", a Sumerian recipe for how to make beer from the 19th century BC--that's 3900 years old. There is some speculation that the recipe advises that soaked grains are mixed with bread and water, allowed to ferment and that this is what creates the beer. Also note--there are no hops used to brew this beer!

Yeast is important to the process of making beer and leavened breads.   Earliest breads were very simply dishes made from ground cereal grains and water.  The earliest evidence of flour dates to approximately 30,000 years ago, where cereal grains and animal proteins and fats constituted a majority of the diet. The earliest domesticated grans were wheat and barley.  Leavened breads may have existed in prehistoric times, as wild yeast would have been present on cereal grains, and any dough that would have been left would have risen naturally.  However, the earliest confirmed evidence of yeast, being used as both a leavening agent and in brewing ale dates to Egypt about 4000 B. C. Beer was introduced into Europe approximately 55 B.C. by the Roman legions.

Bread and beer were two staples of the Middle ages and were considered important enough to be regulated.  "The Assize of Bread and Ale  (Assisa panis et cervissuae)" was the first law to regulate the production and sale of food.  It dates back to approximately 1266-1267. Regulations included the grades of flour, purity of flour (bran content and grain mix), weight of loaves by measurement of silver currency (pound, shilling, pence, half and quarter-pence loaves), adulteration of bread with inedible substances (sawdust or hemp) and the punishments for lawbreakers. Similarly, Ale was regulated by price of the gallon, price of the wheat, barley and oats.

"Assisa Panis (Assize of Bread): When a Quarter of Wheat is sold for 12d., then Wastel Bread of a farthing shall weigh £6 and 16s. But Bread Cocket of a farthing of the same grain and bultel, shall weigh more than Wastel by 2s. And Cocket Bread made of grain of lower price, shall weigh more than Wastel by 5s. Bread made into a Simnel shall weigh 2s. less than Wastel. Bread made of the whole Wheat shall weigh a Cocket and a half, so that a Cocket shall weigh more than a Wastel by 5s. Bread of Treet shall weigh 2 wastels. And bread of common wheat shall weigh two great cockets."

I have to admit, I was confused by reading this.  However, a little more research and my concerns were addressed. The weight of each loaf of bread is estimated not in "pounds and ounces" but in the number of shillings and pence it would take to balance the scales. The weight of the bread varied with the cost of the wheat. The bread referred to above, should weigh approximately 17 ounces (not 6 pounds). However, in May of 1555, when the cost of the wheat per quarter was 18d, the weight of the bread was 10 ounces.

.xxxiij. Oyle Soppys. — Take a gode quantyte of Oynonys, an mynse hem not to smale, an sethe in fayre Water : J'an take hem vp, an take a gode quantite of Stale Ale, as .iij. galouns, an J'er-to take a pynte of Oyle fryid, an caste J^e Oynonys J'er-to, an let boyle alle to-gederys a gode whyle ; then caste J'er-to Safroune, powder Pepyr, Sugre, an Salt, an serue forth alle bote as tostips, 'as in J'e same maner for a Mawlard & of a capon, & hoc qiicsre^

33 Oil Sops - Take a good quantity of onions, an mince them not to small, an boil in fair water: Than take them up and take a good quantity of Stale Ale, as 3 gallons, and there-to take a pint of oil **cold, an cast the onions there-to, an let boil all together a good while: then caste there-to saffron, powder pepper, sugar, an salt, an serve forth all about as toast tips, as in the same manner for a mallard & a capon, and see this.

**Note: I have chose to use the interpretation of cold for the word fryid, which is similar in spelling to fride in the recipe Harleian MS 279 xij - Fride Creme of Almaundys.  The word is similar to Froid, in French, which means cold.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                 

1 C. sliced onions
1 C. beer
2 tsp. oil (I used olive oil)
Pinch of sugar and saffron
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Slices of bread cut into rounds

Boil the onions in the water until tender.  While the onions or boiling heat the beer, saffron, salt, pepper and onion.  Drain the onions and add them to the beer. Let these cook together approximately ten minutes or so.  Meanwhile, toast the bread, put one full slice of bread into your bowl. Pour your soup over the bread, and garnish with the second round, cut into triangles.

I *liked* this soup, although I found it a bit bland.  My teenage non-SCA taste testers also enjoyed it, and as I am typing this up they are finishing it. The one thing I would do differently is to cook the onions in the beer directly and skip the boiling in the water first, but I like the taste of onions, and I missed that.

This would be a very economical dish to serve at an event.

Kitchen Adventures – Harleian MS 279 Whyte wortes (~1430) White Wortes- Greens Creamed with Almond Milk

Whyte Wortes

Whyte Wortes is the last in the series of vegetable pottages that do not include additional meat. I did not use the plethora of herbs for iij. Joutes which the recipe refers to, but instead chose to use the common greens referred to in .j. Lange Wortys de chare. Once again, we are instructed to boil the greens before adding them to the broth component, in this case, almond milk thickened with rice. Boiling the greens before adding them to the broth removes the bitter properties and makes it very easy for the pottage to come together after they have been drained.

My teen age non SCA taste testers were unsure if they wanted to try this dish. Many of them expressed a dislike of cabbage and kale.  However, after coaxing them into taste testing a spoonful I received comments such as "This is GOOD!" and "I wish my mom would cook cabbage like this". When asked if they would eat it again, there was a resounding "yes". This definitely goes to my list of "things to make at a future feast" for the SCA.

Recipe retreived from "Two fifteenth-century cookery-books. Harleian ms. 279 (ab. 1430), & Harl. ms. 4016 (ab. 1450), with extracts from Ashmole ms. 1429, Laud ms. 553, & Douce ms. 55" Thomas Austin

.v. Whyte wortes.—Take of þe erbys lyke as þou dede for jouutes, and sethe hem in [supplied by ed.] water tyl þey ben neyshe; þanne take hem vp, an bryse hem fayre on a bord, as drye as þow may; þan choppe hem smale, an caste hem on a potte, an ley hem with flowre of Rys; take mylke of almaundys, an cast þer-to, & hony, nowt to moche, þat it be nowt to swete, an safron & salt; an serue it forth ynne, ryȝth for a good potage.

5. White wortes --Take of the herbs like as thou did for Joutes, and boil them in water till they be soft; then take them up, an bruise them fair on a board, as dry as you may; than chop them small, an cast them on a pot, an lay them with flour of Rice; take milk of almonds, an caste there-to, and honey, not too much, that it be not too sweet, an saffron & salt; an serve it forth in, right for a good pottage.


Interpreted Recipe                                                             Serves One as a Main, 2-3 as a Side

Handful of herbs and greens per iij. Joutes or .j. Lange Wortys de chare (I used cabbage and kale)

Rice flour, Almond milk, Cabbage, Kale.
Not Pictured: Salt, Saffron, Honey  

1 cup Almond Milk
2-3 Tbsp. Rice flour (I like my pottages a bit thicker)                

1/2 tsp. Honey
Pinch of Saffron
Salt to taste

Wash, pick, dry and chop your greens into bite sized pieces. Boil them in water until tender (approximately ten minutes), then drain and press them in a dry towel until dry.  Greens tend to act like little sponges, so do not be surprised at the amount of water that will be released.  

While the greens are cooking in the plain water, heat the almond milk on medium heat, add saffron, salt, honey and rice flour.  Thicken to taste.  Add drained greens to almond milk, cook for a few more minutes and serve. 

Whyte Wortes