- Wilt du machen ein spise von hüenren (How you want to make a food of hens)
Diz heizznt küneges hüenre. Nim junge gebratene hüenre. hau die an kleine mursel. nim frische eyer und zu slahe die. menge daz zu gestozzen ingeber. und ein wenic enys. giuz daz in einen vesten mörser. der heiz si. mit dem selben crute. daz tu zu den eyern. damit bewirf die hüenre. und tu die hüenre in den mörser. und tu dar zu saffran und saltz zu mazzen. und tu sie zu dem viur. und lazze sie backen glich heiz mit ein wenic smaltzes. gib sie gantz hin. daz heizzent küniges hüenre.
(Ein Buch von guter spise)
This is called King’s Hens. Take young roasted hens. Cut them in small pieces. Take fresh eggs and beat them. Mix thereto pounded ginger and a little anise. Pour that in a strong pot, which will be hot. With the same herbs, which you add to the eggs, sprinkle therewith the hens and put the hens in the pot. And do thereto saffron and salt to mass. And put them to the fire and let them bake (at the) same heat with a little fat. Give them out whole. That is called King’s Hens.
(Translation, Alia Atlas).
A rich, spiced dish truly fit for a king: ginger, anise, saffron, and young roasted hens? A young hen still has years of egg-laying potential, so to eat one in medieval times would be truly extravagant! The text of the recipe calls for preparing and serving in a hot mortar as sort of an egg and chicken casserole. However, this preparation is aimed for a hospitality day-board, prepared ahead of time, and thus will be served cold and in a form more like that of a frittata.
Ingredients
- 2x chicken thighs
- 3-4x eggs
- 3 Tbsp fresh, smashed ginger root (approximately a 3” lobe)
- 1 tsp anise seeds, ground
- 5 threads of saffron
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp tallow
Directions
Bake the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove skin from ginger root, slice fine across the grain, chop fine, and then smash in a mortar. When the chicken is cooked, remove any skin and bones and chop small. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Take half of the ginger, half of the anise, and the salt and mix well with the chicken. Beat the eggs and mix in the other half of the ginger and anise. Crush the saffron threads into a powder and set aside. Put a medium non-stick pan on the stove and heat at medium. Add 1 Tbsp of tallow to the pan and let it melt. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. When the eggs are just starting to cook, add the chicken and spread as evenly as possible. Take the second Tbsp of tallow and scatter small bits over top. Take the powdered saffron and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold, sliced however you like.
Source
Atlas, Alia “Ein Buch von gutter spise”
Medieval Cookery 1993. Web. http://www.medievalcookery.com/etexts/buch.html