Part 2/9:
Henry VIII had an undeniable fondness for strawberries, even utilizing strawberry juice as a treatment for his open leg ulcer—an intriguing culinary footnote in his reign. While our focus is on gastronomy rather than medical history, it’s reflective of how integral strawberries were to life and health in that era. The tart recipe we follow is from the year 1545, documented in A Proper New Book of Cookery. This recipe calls for straining strawberries with egg yolks and breadcrumbs, sweetened with sugar and butter, creating what resembles a strawberry custard rather than the modern expectations of a tart.