Gehalbirte ayer

PERIOD: Austria, 1451 | SOURCE: The Ambras Recipe-Collection of Cod. Vind. 5486 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Stuffed eggs.

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

Wildu machen gehalbirte ayer, so sewd die ayer hert, vind schel sy, vnd sneid sy von ein ander, vnd nim den totern heraus, vnd hack In, vnd petersily dar vnder, vnd wurez ez, vnd salcz, vnd mach ez ab mit eim ander ay, vnd full es In daz weis, vnd pack sy dann In ein smalcz... oder gib sy pachnew aus strawben taig.

TRANSLATION:

If you wish to make half eggs, hard-boil them, peel them, and cut them in two. Remove the yolk, and chop it and add parsley, spices, salt, and one uncooked egg. Fill this mixture into the egg halves, and fry them in lard... or serve them fried in batter.

- Birkhan, Helmut. "Some Remarks on Medieval Cooking: The Ambras Recipe-Collection of Cod. Vind. 5486." Food in the Middle Ages. A Book of Essays. New York and London: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1995.

INGREDIENTS:

• Eggs, hard-boiled
• Parsley, fresh, minced
• Spices -salt, pepper, & any medieval/period spice that you prefer; suitable seasonings could be a savory blend of such herbs as basil, thyme, savory, etc., or a sweet mixture of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, etc. Keep in mind that whatever you choose needs to be complimented by the freshly chopped parsley.
• Egg, raw
• Butter
• OPTION: Batter - flour, eggs or milk, & a pinch of salt

Slice the eggs in half length-wise. Remove the yolks. Set the whites aside.

In a large bowl, mash the yolks. Combine with the freshly chopped parsley and seasonings. Add enough beaten raw egg to thoroughly moisten the mixture. Spoon the stuffing into the hollow egg whites. Cook as indicated in the next step, or follow the option of batter-coating.

In a skillet or frying pan, melt the butter until sizzling. Fry the eggs, stuffed side up, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Gently turn over the eggs and fry the stuffed sides until lightly browned as well. Remove from the butter & serve.

OPTION: Make a slightly thick batter of flour, eggs or milk, and a pinch of salt. Dip the stuffed eggs in the batter and thoroughly coat. Fry the batter-covered eggs in hot butter until the batter is completely cooked and lightly browned.