Modern Spinach and potato fritters.
Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for Observer Food Monthly http://www.theguardian.com
Original Receipt in 'The Good Huswifes Handmaide for the Kitchin' 1594 by Thomas Dawson, (Huswife 1594)To make Frittors of Spinage.
TAKE a good deale of Spinnage, and wash it cleane, and boyle it in faire water, and when it is boyled, put it in a Collender, and let it coole. Then wring all the water out of it as neere as þe can, lay it vpon a board, and chop it with the back of a chopping knife verie smal, and put it in a platter, and put to it four whites of Egs, and two yolks, and the crums of halfe a manchet grated, and a litle Synamon & Ginger, and styrre them well together with a spoon and take a frying pan and a dish of sweete Butter in it, when it is molten put handsomly in your pan halfe a spoonefull of your stuffe, and so bestowe the rest after, fry them on a soft fyre, and turn them when time is, lay them in a platter and cast sugar on them.
Original Receipt in the 'Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser' - Thursday 11 May 1911Spinach Fritters.-Cook half a peck of spinach till soft. Then strain the water, squeezing it well, and chop with a sharp knife. Melt ounce butter, stir in the spinach, nth a gill milk, a little salt and pepper, the juice of half a small lemon, and a teaspoonful finely chopped Indian chutney. Simmer the spinach very gently, and after a quarter of hour spread it on plate and set aside to cool. Beat up two eggs to a froth, and work them into heaped-up tablespoonful of flour. Stir this into the spinach, and roll into balls. Toss in egg, and then put in bead-crumbs, and fry a nice brown in deep fat.