Mortis (Chicken Paté)

Mortis is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for what is, effectively, a chicken paté. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of Mortis.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

55 minutes

Total Time:

75 minutes

Serves:

4–6

Rating:

Tags : Chicken Recipes Fowl Recipes British Recipes

Original Recipe

Mortis (The Good Huswifes Jewell)

To make a mortis:Take almonds and blanche them, and beat them in a morter, and boyle a Chicken, and take al the flesh of him, and beate it, and straine them together, with milke and water and so put them into the pot, and put in Suger and stirre them still, and when it hath boyled a good while, take it of, and set it a cooling in a payle of wate, and straine it againe with Rose water into a dish.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (or 8 chicken thighs)
60g blanched almonds
120ml milk
large pinch of salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rose water

Method:

Place the chicken in the bottom of a saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender (about 45 minutes). Drain and if using thighs pick all the meat from the bones.

Whilst the chicken is cooking you have time to grind the almonds and milk together to form a smooth past. Add the chicken meat to this and again grind until it forms a smooth paste (you can use a food processor if you wish).

Place this mixture in a saucepan, add the sugar and heat gently for about 15 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent the mixture from sticking to the saucepan's base. At the end of this time immediately cool the saucepan in a bowl of water, beat in the rosewater and spoon the resulting paté into individual ramekins. Chill for about 10 minutes into the fridge and serve.