present this to the table, then return it to the kitchen, from where you now serve the real peacock without any risk of contamination from the raw skin. Traditionally, the peacock was accompanied by finely ground ginger or sauce ginger.
SAUCE GINGER (FOR PEACOCK) 27
100g (4oz) fresh white
5–10ml (1–2 tsp) ground
breadcrumbs
ginger
150ml (¼ pt) white wine vinegar
Liquidise together to form a smooth paste.
SERGEANT OF THE KING’S CHICKENS FARCED 28
1 large oven-ready chicken
1 small tin chopped pork
3 hard-boiled egg yolks
5ml (1 tsp) each of parsley, sage
1 large egg, beaten
and thyme
25g (1oz) currants
1. Scald the herbs, drain immediately, and leave to cool.
2. Create a space between the body and the skin of the chicken by inserting the fingers from both ends.
3. Mix the egg yolks, raw egg, currants, pork and herbs together to form a smooth forcemeat, and pack this evenly between the skin and the flesh. Then truss the chicken for roasting.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Plunge the chicken into a large pan of boiling water for 15 minutes, then remove. Place immediately on a grid in a roasting tin, and roast for 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) uncooked chicken, plus 20 minutes.
5. The chicken may be dredged with flour and basted with butter about 30 minutes after it has been put in the oven.
CHICKEN PIE WITH FINE PASTRY 29
900g (2lb) lean chicken meat 25g (1oz) currants
50g (2oz) butter
pastry: 450g (1lb) plain flour
20ml (4 tsp) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
2.5ml (½ tsp) ground mace
45ml (3 tbs) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) ground
100g (4oz) butter
cinnamon
pinch ground saffron
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
175ml (6 fl oz) ale
50g (2oz) chopped prunes
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g (2oz) raisins
50g (2oz) chopped dried figs
1. First make the pastry. Place the sugar, salt, butter, saffron and ale in a saucepan, bring them to the boil, stirring to melt the butter.
2. Put the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in the hot liquid, and quickly beat it in with a wooden spoon, while pouring in the egg, to form a dough.
3. Knead the dough, cut off a quarter, and use the remainder to make either a 17.5cm (7in) pie case, or to line a loose-bottomed cake tin of the same size, carefully pinching the pastry up the full height of the sides.
4. Now cut the chicken meat into large pieces, mix with the remaining ingredients and the butter cut in small pieces, and pack into the pie case.
5. Roll out the remaining pastry to form the lid, moisten the edges, and seal in place. Now trim the edges and cut a small hole in the centre of the lid and surround it with a ring of pastry made from the trimmings.
6. Bake at 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6) for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4) for a further 1 hour 30 minutes.
TO MAKE A MORTIS 30
Half a chicken
15ml (1 tbs) sugar
50g (2oz) ground almonds
15ml (1 tbs) rosewater
150ml (¼ pt) milk
1. Put the chicken into a saucepan, cover it with water, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Now blend the almonds with the milk to form a smooth cream.
2. Drain the chicken, pick off the flesh, chop it, then blend it with the almond cream and the sugar. Place it in a saucepan and cook over a gentle heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring continuously as it thickens.
3. Cool the saucepan in a bowl of cold water, beat in the rosewater, then fork the resulting paté into a deep bowl or make a round shape on a plate. Serve it when entirely cold.
SHORT PASTRY FOR TARTS 31
175g (6oz) flour
pinch of saffron
100g (4oz) butter
1 egg yolk
1. Grind the saffron to a powder, mix with the flour, then rub in the butter.
2. Work in the egg yolk with a fork, knead lightly, roll out on a floured board, and use the pastry to line a 20 cm (8in) flan ring.
3. Line the inside of the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill it with baking beans, then bake at 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6) for 10–15
SAUCE GINGER (FOR PEACOCK) 27
100g (4oz) fresh white
5–10ml (1–2 tsp) ground
breadcrumbs
ginger
150ml (¼ pt) white wine vinegar
Liquidise together to form a smooth paste.
SERGEANT OF THE KING’S CHICKENS FARCED 28
1 large oven-ready chicken
1 small tin chopped pork
3 hard-boiled egg yolks
5ml (1 tsp) each of parsley, sage
1 large egg, beaten
and thyme
25g (1oz) currants
1. Scald the herbs, drain immediately, and leave to cool.
2. Create a space between the body and the skin of the chicken by inserting the fingers from both ends.
3. Mix the egg yolks, raw egg, currants, pork and herbs together to form a smooth forcemeat, and pack this evenly between the skin and the flesh. Then truss the chicken for roasting.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Plunge the chicken into a large pan of boiling water for 15 minutes, then remove. Place immediately on a grid in a roasting tin, and roast for 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) uncooked chicken, plus 20 minutes.
5. The chicken may be dredged with flour and basted with butter about 30 minutes after it has been put in the oven.
CHICKEN PIE WITH FINE PASTRY 29
900g (2lb) lean chicken meat 25g (1oz) currants
50g (2oz) butter
pastry: 450g (1lb) plain flour
20ml (4 tsp) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
2.5ml (½ tsp) ground mace
45ml (3 tbs) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) ground
100g (4oz) butter
cinnamon
pinch ground saffron
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
175ml (6 fl oz) ale
50g (2oz) chopped prunes
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g (2oz) raisins
50g (2oz) chopped dried figs
1. First make the pastry. Place the sugar, salt, butter, saffron and ale in a saucepan, bring them to the boil, stirring to melt the butter.
2. Put the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre, pour in the hot liquid, and quickly beat it in with a wooden spoon, while pouring in the egg, to form a dough.
3. Knead the dough, cut off a quarter, and use the remainder to make either a 17.5cm (7in) pie case, or to line a loose-bottomed cake tin of the same size, carefully pinching the pastry up the full height of the sides.
4. Now cut the chicken meat into large pieces, mix with the remaining ingredients and the butter cut in small pieces, and pack into the pie case.
5. Roll out the remaining pastry to form the lid, moisten the edges, and seal in place. Now trim the edges and cut a small hole in the centre of the lid and surround it with a ring of pastry made from the trimmings.
6. Bake at 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6) for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4) for a further 1 hour 30 minutes.
TO MAKE A MORTIS 30
Half a chicken
15ml (1 tbs) sugar
50g (2oz) ground almonds
15ml (1 tbs) rosewater
150ml (¼ pt) milk
1. Put the chicken into a saucepan, cover it with water, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Now blend the almonds with the milk to form a smooth cream.
2. Drain the chicken, pick off the flesh, chop it, then blend it with the almond cream and the sugar. Place it in a saucepan and cook over a gentle heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring continuously as it thickens.
3. Cool the saucepan in a bowl of cold water, beat in the rosewater, then fork the resulting paté into a deep bowl or make a round shape on a plate. Serve it when entirely cold.
SHORT PASTRY FOR TARTS 31
175g (6oz) flour
pinch of saffron
100g (4oz) butter
1 egg yolk
1. Grind the saffron to a powder, mix with the flour, then rub in the butter.
2. Work in the egg yolk with a fork, knead lightly, roll out on a floured board, and use the pastry to line a 20 cm (8in) flan ring.
3. Line the inside of the pastry with greaseproof paper and fill it with baking beans, then bake at 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6) for 10–15
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