Original Recipe
Rib kese, menge den mit eyern vnd scharbe gesoten spec dar zvo, mache ein schoenen derben teyc vnd fuelle den kese vnd die eyer dor in vnd mache krepfelin vnd backe sie in butern oder in smaltze noch der zit vnd gib sie warm hin.
Translation
Grate the cheese. Mix it with eggs and add chopped cooked bacon. Make a stiff batter using fine flour. Incorporate the cheese and egg mixture into the batter and form fritters. Fry them in butter or lard, depending on the time. Serve warm.
Recreation
This is a savory Krapfen (doughnut/fritter) dish. In historical cookbooks, Krapfen are defined as dough-based items fried in lard or butter. Today, the term usually refers to—usually sweet—deep-fried pastries that vary greatly by region. While the meaning of the word has shifted somewhat, it still denotes a rather decadent festive pastry—a special treat one likes to indulge in.
As the previous dish (No. 43, Apple Fritters) demonstrates, Krapfen can be savory or sweet, filled or resembling thick pancakes. This particular version consists of filled dough pockets. This approach is necessary because, unlike in recipe 43, the cheese would otherwise melt and run out into the oil during frying. The recipe explicitly notes that the dough should be fine (made with white flour) yet robust (tough or firm)—making it suitable for rolling out.
However, the addition “noch der zit”—meaning “after the time”—is peculiar. Lard or butter was typically used depending on whether it was a “regular” day or a fast day: lard on days when animal products were permitted, and butter on fast days. This distinction is odd in itself, given that butter—being of animal origin—was not actually permitted on fast days. Yet, this classification appears frequently in the book Von guter Speise (butter was not authorized for fast days by papal decree until about a century later). In any case, the ingredients—especially the bacon—preclude use on fast days regardless. That makes the added note strange. Perhaps it relates to the seasons? Who knows.
Recreating the recipe
Naturally, the “dough” raises questions. I assume the dough contains eggs to ensure it becomes somewhat fluffy during frying. But the rest of the recipe is easy to follow: grate the cheese, scrape (or chop) the cooked bacon, mix with egg, fill the mixture into dough pockets, and fry.
So, here is a recipe that wouldn’t look out of place today: savory filled pastries—featuring a timeless combination of bacon, eggs, and cheese—that make an excellent side dish for a wide variety of meals. Personally, I would prefer to fry the bacon rather than boil it, though boiling does keep the texture softer, which might well have been the intended effect.
In terms of flavor, these fritters are quite mild. Of course, that depends partly on the cheese used; however, since no spices are mentioned and the bacon is boiled beforehand (which mutes its flavor), I assume they were meant to be subtle rather than overpowering—serving as a side dish rather than a main course.
It is a dish that likely wasn’t served on its own, but rather as a lovely accompaniment to more heavily spiced dishes. Medieval upper-class meals often featured many dishes served simultaneously, so these fritters would surely have been a welcome addition to all sorts of menus.
Ingredients
Method
- Boil the bacon in water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then chop finely.
- Grate the cheese and mix it with the egg and the chopped bacon.
- Mix the flour, egg, oil, salt, and water into a firm dough. Add only enough water to create a dough that is firm but not sticky.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 5 mm. Cut out four circles or rectangles, each 10–14 cm in diameter. Place a quarter of the bacon-cheese-egg mixture onto each piece and shape them into parcels or pockets. Moisten the edges to help them seal properly.
- Heat a generous amount of lard, oil, or butter (0.5–1 cm deep) in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the dough pockets until golden brown on all sides. Serve warm.
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