To boil a Capon in white broth is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a classic dish of boiled chicken served coated in a thick spiced and herbed almond milk and garnished with boiled dried fruit. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of: To boil a Capon in white broth.
BOyle your Capon by it ſelfe in faire water, then take a ladlefull or two of mutton broth and a little white wine, a little whole mace, a bundle of ſweete hearbs, a little marrowe, thicken it with Almonds, ſeaſon it with ſugar, and a little veriuyce, boyle a fewe currants by themſelues, and a Date quartered, leaſt you diſcolor your broth, and put it on the breaſt of your Capon, Chicken or Rabbet: if you haue no Almonds, thicken it with Creame, or with yolkes of egges, garniſh your diſhes on the ſides with a Lemmon ſliced & ſugar.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 oven-ready capon or large chicken
For the Sauce:
400ml mutton broth
100ml white wine
100g ground almonds
1 blade of mace
1 bunch of sweet herbs, securely tied
50g beef marrow, finely chopped
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp verjuice (or white wine vinegar)
4 tbsp currants
1 date, quartered
Method:
Wash and dry the chicken. Place into a large pot, cover with water (add a halved onion if desired) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Combine the mutton broth and white wine in a small pan. Bring to a boil then take off the heat and pour over the ground almonds. Mix together well, pour the mixture into a food processor and blitz to purée.
Pour the resultant almond milk into a clean pan and add the mace, sweet herbs and marrow. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until thickened and flavoured by the herbs. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse.
About 10 minutes before the chicken is due to be ready, strain the flavoured almond milk and pour into a pan. Stir in the sugar and verjuice and bring to a simmer. In the meantime, combine the currants and date in a small pan. Barely cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes, until the fruit are tender and plumped up. Drain and set aside.
When the chicken is ready, remove from the pan, pat dry and arrange on a serving dish. Pour over the almond milk mixture, garnish with the fruit and serve.
