Cold Spiced Chicken¹

^{Vynd de Ciprysse Ryalle}

^{This dish was served at the coronation feast of Henry IV at Westminster on 13 October 1399.  It is a delicious relish, rather like a chutney, and should be eaten as a garnish for roast chhicken rather than as a dish by itself (Two Fifteenth-century Cookery Books)}

Serves 4

1/2 pint (1 cup) white wine

4 ounces (1/2 cup) sugar

6 ounces (1/2 cup) honey

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 ounce (1/4 cup) raisins

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

3 egg yolks

1 1/4 pound (2 1/2 cups) cooked chicken, finely chopped

2 egg whites (optional)

Make a syrup of the wine and sugar and boil for 10 minutes, until thickened.  Reserve 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup).  Add the honey, cloves, raisins and lemon peel, then bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.  Beat the egg yolks in a bowl and stir in the syrup.  Pour back into the saucepan and cook, stirring over low heat, without boiling, until thickened.  Stir in the chicken.  Pour into a 3 pint dish and pour the reserved syrup over the top.  Chill thoroughly.

If you prefer a fluffier texture, fold in 2 whipped egg whites at the end before pouring into the dish.

Galantine of Capon¹

To make two capons of one, take a capon and scald him clean and keme off the skin by the back.  Then flay off the skin but keep it whole.  Then grind figs and fresh pork with powder of ginger and cinnamon and stuff the skin and sew it fast and roast it sokingly and serve it (Two Fifteenth-Century Books)

Serves 4 -6

A 5 pound capon

1/4 pound (1/2 cup) minced (ground) pork

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) butter

1/4 pound (1 cup) dried figs, chopped

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Gently loosen the skin at the breast of the capon, using your fingers.  Cut out the breasts and chop.  Saute' the pork in butter until tender.  Combine the chicken, pork, chopped figs, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Stuff the breast cavities with the mixture, on each side, under the skin.  Sew down, o secure the skin with a small skewer.  Rub the outside of the chicken with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Put in the over at 350 degrees (Mark 4) with butter and roast for 2 1/2 hours, basting frequently.

Serve hot or cold.

Roast Goose with Sauce Madame¹

Take sage, parsley, hyssop and savoury, quinces and pears, garlic and grapes and fill the geese therewith and sew the hole that no grease come out and roast them well and keep the grease that falleth thereof -- take gallantyne and grease and do in a possynet when the geese be roasted enough: take and smite them in pieces and that that is within and do it in a possynet and put therein wine if it be too thick, do thereto powder of galiingale, sweet aromatic powder and salt and boil the sauce and dress the geese in dishes and lay the liquor thereon. (The Forme of Cury. 1378)

Serves 4-6

1 5-6 pound goose

1/2 teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon hyssop

1/2 tespoon savoury

4 tablespoons quuince jelly

2-3 (1 cup) pears, peeled, cored and chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 ounces (1/2 cup) grapes, peeled and seeded

1/4 pint (1/2 cup) jellied chicken or veal stock

1/2 pint (1/2 cup) red wine

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon galingale (optional)

Stuff the goose with the herbs, quince jelly, pears, garlic, grapes and seasoning to taste.  Roast the goose.

Carve it and put the pieces and the stuffing in a saute' pan with the gravies and stock.

Cook unti lreduced a little and add the wine and spices with salt to taste.  Simmer for a few minutes until the wine has been absorbed and serve.

^{1Seven Centuries of English Cooking, A Collection of Recipes by Maxime de la Falaise, Grove Press, New York}