Easter Tansy is a traditional British recipe for a traditional Easter omelette, based on a 15th century original that's coloured green with spinach juice, thickened with breadcrumbs, sweetened with sugar and flavoured with mixed herbs and a touch of bitter tansy juice. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Easter Tansy.
A 'Tansy' is a 15th century name for a dish that's basically an omelette flavoured with herbs. These days 'tansies' are generally fruit omelettes served as desserts. The original tansy gets its name from the rather bitter tansy plant that was used as a flavouring.
Originally tansies were eaten at Easter to celebrate the end of Lent and the return of eggs to the diet. Previously the diet would have consisted almost entirely of fish, many of which were probably worm-infested. Bitter tansy leaves actually act as a worming agent and may have been beneficial. For the most part, tansy is far too bitter for the modern palate but this variant on the traditional tansy (based on an Elizabethan recipe, hence the addition of sugar) is actually quite tasty.
240ml (1 cup) single cream
180ml (3/4 cup) spinach juice (boil the spinach in 200ml (4/5 cup) water, puree and pass through a fine sieve)
1 tbsp tansy juice (crush tansy fronds in a pestle and mortar and strain)
1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp marjoram leaves, shredded
1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
150g (5 oz) breadcrumbs
100g (1/2 cup) golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
Pour into a well-buttered dish and bake in an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (350ºF) for about 25 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden on top. Serve in slices, with a little lemon juice and salt sprinkled on top.
Here the tansy was baken in an earthenware dish to approximate how it would have been cooked in the past. Of course, then it would have been placed to bake to the side of the roasting fire.
Common Comfrey [Tansy] (Symphytum officinale)
Common Name: Common Comfrey
Other Names: Comphrey; Tansy
Physical Characteristics: Symphytum officinale is a hardy Perennial plant, growing to 1.2m (4 ft) by 0.6m (2 ft) in size. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from May to June and the seeds ripen from June to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees.
Family: Boraginaceae
Edible Parts: Leaves, Shoots, Stalks, Roots
Edibility Rating: 3
The image, above, shows the full common comfrey plant (Symphytum officinale), left, with flowers. The image, top right, shows the leaves of the young plant. In the centre, right panel, a young flowering plant is shown. In the panel, bottom right, the plant is shown in full flower.
Typically, comfrey grows in moist, damp, places, often beside streams, rivers and ditches. The leaves are large and pointed, have a soft thick texture and are covered in slightly prickly hairs.
The leaves of comfrey are used in cooking. They can be boiled like spinach and when seasoned well make a good accompaniment to most meats. In contrast with other wild plants it's not important to just pick the young leaves, as the older leaves of his plant (as long as they are still fresh) contain more flavour. It's also possible to pick the young leaf spears (generally in March) and when chopped they have a flavour reminiscent of cucumber and work wonderfully in any salad.
It should be noted that though I list comfrey in this directory and I provide comfrey recipes, comfrey should only be eaten with some caution and in small quantities. This is because comfrey contains hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and the use of comfrey can, because of these PAs, lead to veno-occlusive disease (VOD). VOD can in turn lead to liver failure, and comfrey, taken in extreme amounts, has been implicated in at least one death. However, the levels of these compounds in very young leaves is negligible.
Due to their hairy nature, whole leaves are not palatable to most people. The leaves are best finely chopped, either before adding to salads or after steaming or boiling. The young shoots can be cooked and served as an asparagus substitute. The plant's stalks, particularly if blanched under a pot can also be used as an asparagus substitute. The older leaves can be dried and infused in water as a tisane. The roots have also been eaten in the past (but take note of the health warning, above). Once peeled the roots can be chopped and added to soups and stews. The roasted leaves can also be mixed with dandelion and chicory roots in the preparation of a coffee substitute.
For more Easter recipes and a little about the history of Easter go to my Easter information and Easter Recipes page.
A 'Tansy' is a 15th century name for a dish that's basically an omelette flavoured with herbs. These days 'tansies' are generally fruit omelettes served as desserts. The original tansy gets its name from the rather bitter tansy plant that was used as a flavouring.
Originally tansies were eaten at Easter to celebrate the end of Lent and the return of eggs to the diet. Previously the diet would have consisted almost entirely of fish, many of which were probably worm-infested. Bitter tansy leaves actually act as a worming agent and may have been beneficial. For the most part, tansy is far too bitter for the modern palate but this variant on the traditional tansy (based on an Elizabethan recipe, hence the addition of sugar) is actually quite tasty.
Easter Tansy Recipe
Ingredients:
4 eggs, lightly beaten240ml (1 cup) single cream
180ml (3/4 cup) spinach juice (boil the spinach in 200ml (4/5 cup) water, puree and pass through a fine sieve)
1 tbsp tansy juice (crush tansy fronds in a pestle and mortar and strain)
1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp marjoram leaves, shredded
1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
150g (5 oz) breadcrumbs
100g (1/2 cup) golden caster sugar
1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
Method:
Beat together the eggs, cream, spinach juice and tansy juice in a bowl until combined. Add the herbs and mix in well, then add the breadcrumbs, sugar and nutmeg. Mix to combine then allow to sit for 20 minutes for the breadcrumbs to swell.Pour into a well-buttered dish and bake in an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (350ºF) for about 25 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden on top. Serve in slices, with a little lemon juice and salt sprinkled on top.
Here the tansy was baken in an earthenware dish to approximate how it would have been cooked in the past. Of course, then it would have been placed to bake to the side of the roasting fire.
england, traditional, tansy, common comphrey, sweet pancake, herbs, sugar, eggs, easter
Herbs
Britain
Easter Tansy
https://fabulousfusionfood.blogspot.com/2019/04/easter-tansy-recipe.html
Easter Tansy. This is a traditional English recipe for a classic sweet herbed pudding made with tansy and thickened with breadcrumbs. This is a traditional Easter recipe which has been consumed in various forms to almost 800 years.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFbVyWTXQ2t5QvtJU5_doOFdL4OT0NezoKaRE7Q-84pXoYl-X1Js-rtnMlTM9cM2strbITJLh-PWOF3E0onmfLEu1iZE6RkXwTeHFfJ9N3qs1gLaO8BglYIQIfyXmf5f-B4ck_1qcjQw/s1600/baked-easter-tansy.png
2019-04-13
Yield: 6
Easter Tansy
Easter Tansy. This is a traditional English recipe for a classic sweet herbed pudding made with tansy and thickened with breadcrumbs. This is a traditional Easter recipe which has been consumed in various forms to almost 800 years.
prep time: 10 mins
cook time: 30 mins
total time: 40 mins
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 240ml (1 cup) single cream
- 180ml (3/4 cup) spinach juice (boil the spinach in 200ml (4/5 cup) water, puree and pass through a fine sieve)
- 1 tbsp tansy juice (crush tansy fronds in a pestle and mortar and strain)
- 1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp marjoram leaves, shredded
- 1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
- 150g (5 oz) breadcrumbs
- 100g (1/2 cup) golden caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
Method:
- Beat together the eggs, cream, spinach juice and tansy juice in a bowl until combined. Add the herbs and mix in well, then add the breadcrumbs, sugar and nutmeg. Mix to combine then allow to sit for 20 minutes for the breadcrumbs to swell.
- Pour into a well-buttered dish and bake in an oven pre-heated to 180ºC (350ºF) for about 25 minutes, or until firm and lightly golden on top. Serve in slices, with a little lemon juice and salt sprinkled on top.
- Here the tansy was baken in an earthenware dish to approximate how it would have been cooked in the past. Of course, then it would have been placed to bake to the side of the roasting fire.
© Dyfed Lloyd Evans
Common Comfrey [Tansy] (Symphytum officinale)
Other Names: Comphrey; Tansy
Physical Characteristics: Symphytum officinale is a hardy Perennial plant, growing to 1.2m (4 ft) by 0.6m (2 ft) in size. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from May to June and the seeds ripen from June to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees.
Family: Boraginaceae
Edible Parts: Leaves, Shoots, Stalks, Roots
Edibility Rating: 3
The image, above, shows the full common comfrey plant (Symphytum officinale), left, with flowers. The image, top right, shows the leaves of the young plant. In the centre, right panel, a young flowering plant is shown. In the panel, bottom right, the plant is shown in full flower.
Typically, comfrey grows in moist, damp, places, often beside streams, rivers and ditches. The leaves are large and pointed, have a soft thick texture and are covered in slightly prickly hairs.
The leaves of comfrey are used in cooking. They can be boiled like spinach and when seasoned well make a good accompaniment to most meats. In contrast with other wild plants it's not important to just pick the young leaves, as the older leaves of his plant (as long as they are still fresh) contain more flavour. It's also possible to pick the young leaf spears (generally in March) and when chopped they have a flavour reminiscent of cucumber and work wonderfully in any salad.
It should be noted that though I list comfrey in this directory and I provide comfrey recipes, comfrey should only be eaten with some caution and in small quantities. This is because comfrey contains hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and the use of comfrey can, because of these PAs, lead to veno-occlusive disease (VOD). VOD can in turn lead to liver failure, and comfrey, taken in extreme amounts, has been implicated in at least one death. However, the levels of these compounds in very young leaves is negligible.
Due to their hairy nature, whole leaves are not palatable to most people. The leaves are best finely chopped, either before adding to salads or after steaming or boiling. The young shoots can be cooked and served as an asparagus substitute. The plant's stalks, particularly if blanched under a pot can also be used as an asparagus substitute. The older leaves can be dried and infused in water as a tisane. The roots have also been eaten in the past (but take note of the health warning, above). Once peeled the roots can be chopped and added to soups and stews. The roasted leaves can also be mixed with dandelion and chicory roots in the preparation of a coffee substitute.
For more Easter recipes and a little about the history of Easter go to my Easter information and Easter Recipes page.
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