Recipe Manuscript

To Make A Good Tansey

Name: To Make A Good Tansey
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT30M
Yield: 12
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 24 eggs; 470 ml double cream; 470 ml whole milk; 100 g fresh spinach leaves; 10 g fresh strawberry leaves (or extra spinach as substitute); 10 g fresh primrose petals; 10 g violet flowers; 10 g bindweed (substitute with young purslane or more spinach, if unavailable); 5 g fresh sage leaves; 5 g tansy leaves (use sparingly, as tansy is potent and can be toxic in large amounts); 2–4 tablespoons sugar (to taste); 1 whole nutmeg, grated; 125 g unsalted butter (for frying); Extra butter for greasing plate; 1–2 oranges, cut in quarters, for garnish

1698

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Ann Smith, Reading

Written by Ann Smith

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert

Original Recipe • 1698

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make A Good Tansey

"Take 24 Eggs beats. them well & Strain them & putt to them one Pint of good Creame & one Pint of Milk & just so much Herbs: as Spinage Strawberry leaves primrose Violetts Collinbind Sage & Tansey but most of of Spinage to Collour it & what other herbs you Like Sweeten it with Sugar & Butter it a great nutmege & have ready a great frying Spann molten in it halfe a Butter & whon it is hott & youred in you Tansey & hold you spann over the fire but not to the fireing it gently from the Sids that it may not Stick & when it is come all Like fierme Custard gather it up with you Spoone into the mids of you spane have Ready a plate that is fitt for you spann. Butter. it & Lap it up on it & Turn it up on that you Tansey may Remaine upon the Plat & sett it upon A Chaffindish of Coales & putt a nap kin Close upon it to Dry up The whoy & soe Left it stand about 1 an houre then throw on sugar and Lay on oranges Quarters & soe eat it with"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in a stream-of-consciousness style common for 17th-century manuscript cookbooks—ingredients and method run together, lacking standardized spelling or punctuation, and often omitting quantities for herbs beyond broad indications. The spelling reflects contemporary English ('spane' for 'pan', 'buttr' for 'butter', and 'whoy' for 'whey'), and irregular capitalizations abound. Such texts assumed a knowledgeable reader accustomed to improvisation and to cooking by eye and feel rather than precise measurement. This playful, almost poetic writing offers both a fascinating glimpse of period language and a challenge for modern cooks, requiring careful interpretation for contemporary kitchens.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Ann Smith, Reading - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Ann Smith, Reading (1698)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Ann Smith

Era

1698

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the sumptuous kitchens of 17th-century England with Ann Smith’s culinary treasury, where traditional recipes and time-honored techniques invite you to savor the flavors of history. Each page promises a feast of inspiration and a glimpse into the artful dining of a bygone era.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from 'Smith, Ann, fl. 1698', and is recorded in manuscript V.a.434, dating to 1698. It is an English household recipe typical of the late 17th-century gentry, when elaborate egg dishes were fashionable for festive meals. The tansey (or tansy) pudding draws its name from the inclusion of the aromatic and bitter tansy herb, originally prized for both flavor and as a spring tonic. The dish was often featured at Easter, possibly tied to traditions of eating fresh greens and eggs in spring, and to the use of colored herbs for visual appeal, reflecting both the health trends of the time and the desire to display luxury through exotic ingredients like nutmeg and sugar.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

The original cook would have used a large two-handled frying pan (termed a 'spann') over a chafing dish of hot coals, employing a metal or wooden spoon for stirring. A fine sieve or cloth would have strained the eggs. Plates would be pewter or ceramic, and a linen napkin used to wick away excess moisture. A small hand-grater prepared whole nutmeg. No precise temperature control was possible; cooks relied on feel, gentleness, and experience to set their delicate custard.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Servings

Ingredients

24 eggs
2 cups double cream
2 cups whole milk
3.5 oz fresh spinach leaves
0.35 oz fresh strawberry leaves (or extra spinach as substitute)
0.35 oz fresh primrose petals
0.35 oz violet flowers
0.35 oz bindweed (substitute with young purslane or more spinach, if unavailable)
0.18 oz fresh sage leaves
0.18 oz tansy leaves (use sparingly, as tansy is potent and can be toxic in large amounts)
2–4 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
1 whole nutmeg, grated
4.5 oz unsalted butter (for frying)
Extra butter for greasing plate
1–2 oranges, cut in quarters, for garnish

Instructions

Begin by cracking 24 eggs into a large bowl, beating them thoroughly, and straining to remove any shell fragments.
Add 2 cups of good-quality cream and 2 cups of milk.
Gather fresh herbs: predominantly spinach for color (about 3.5 oz), along with smaller handfuls (roughly 0.35–0.5 oz each) of strawberry leaves, primrose, violets, bindweed (use young purslane or more spinach if unavailable), sage, and tansy.
Finely chop all herbs and add them to the egg and dairy mixture, choosing more spinach as your base.
Sweeten to taste with sugar (about 2–4 tablespoons) and grate in a whole nutmeg.
Melt half a block (4.5 oz) of butter in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat.
When hot, pour in the mixture.
Hold the pan a little above the flame or heat source rather than directly on it—think gentle, indirect heat—and using a spoon, scrape the sides, so the custard cooks evenly and does not stick.
When it sets through with a consistency akin to thick custard, draw it to the center of the pan.
Flip it onto a buttered plate, so the tansey holds shape, and cover with a napkin to absorb excess moisture.
Let stand an hour, then sprinkle with sugar and decorate with orange quarters before serving.

Estimated Calories

375 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparation involves chopping herbs and mixing ingredients, which takes about 30 minutes. Cooking takes about 20–30 minutes using gentle heat until the custard sets. The recipe serves about 12, as it uses 24 eggs and plenty of dairy, so each portion is generous. Each serving is estimated to have around 375 calories, considering all the ingredients like eggs, cream, milk, and butter.