Tag Archives: clove

Poultry ala Sunbird – Fragile Things

Thoughts:

This plate is full of exotic, old world flavors. The chicken is soft and tender, and the meat falls from the bone, gently infused with the ingredients in the cider can. Flavors from the herbs are just barely present, but there, and the lavender mostly fades to the background, except for a hint of aroma.

The sauce is out of this world. Vanilla bean might seem counter-intuitive  but it blends with the other flavors surprisingly well. I wondered how the garlic and the sweeter flavors would meld, but the whole thing came together wonderfully. The grains of paradise, which were my own addition, give the sauce a little bit of a kick. The final squeeze of citrus in the sauce gives the whole a little zip, and helps to round out the feeling of the sauce on the tongue.

I’d love to try this same recipe with a pheasant, but until one happens my way, I’ll be more than happy to enjoy this with chicken again and again.


Poultry ala Sunbird Recipe

Cider Can with Herbs | Food Through the PagesIngredients:

  • 1 chicken
  • 1 can of cider, 1/3 filled
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 sprig sage
  • 1/2 tsp. dried lavender
  • 1 tsp. cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp. coriander seed

Fill the can of cider with the spices and herbs. Place the can inside the chicken, and stand it up in a pot. Cover with aluminium foil, and cook for around 1 hour. While it’s cooking, make the sauce (below).

Remove the chicken from the oven, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Discard the can and carve the bird. Drizzle with sauce, and serve hot.

Sauce:

Cook’s Notes: Of all the quirky ingredients that went into the description of this dish, patchouli was the only one I didn’t have on hand. Feel free to improvise according to what’s in your own pantry!

  • 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2/3 can cider
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. honey
  • 1/2 tsp. red sandalwood powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground grains of paradise
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • pinch of cloves
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 Tbs. molasses
  • 1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbs. fresh orange or lemon juice

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and sautee until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for around 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened. Turn off the heat, add the citrus juice, and stir to incorporate. Serve immediately.

Spiced Plum Mousse w/Honey

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox 

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast 

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

-William Carlos Williams, 1934

Thoughts:

Ohmygoodness, but this is GOOD.  Like, crazy delicious.  This is an instant favorite, and will probably be made several times during every holiday season for the rest of our lives.  The recipe is simple, the texture is smooth, and the flavor can’t be beat. The strong spice mixture leaves just a slight tingle on the lips. And with the onset of summer, and with it fresh fruits, this dish is a must!

Why it should be in the Next Book:

Didn’t you read that?  Or look at the photo?  This is a phenomenally good dish, one that is authentically medieval, yet interesting and exotic enough that any character in Westeros would be delighted to partake.  We imagine it in Highgarden, down on The Arbor, or over in Pentos.

 

Spiced Plum Mousse with Honey- Recipe

Take bolas and scald hem with wyne, and drawe hem thorow a straynour; do hem in a pot.  Clarify hony, and therto with powdour fort and flour of rys.  Salt it & florissh it with whyte aneys, & serve it forth. -Forme of Cury, 1390

Prep time: 15 minutes     Cook time: 10 minutes

Makes around 4 servings

Cook’s Notes: Yellow plums and white wine yield a golden-colored mousse, while purple plums and a red form a quite different but equally delicious mousse.  We opted to leave the anise out of our mousse, but have included it in the ingredients to keep consistent with the original recipe.  We also think that some candied orange peel garnish would be a fantastic addition to this dish.

Ingredients:

  • ~1 pound of plums, purple or yellow
  • 1 1/3 cups wine, red for purple plums, white for yellow plums (we used a syrah)
  • 4 Tbs. honey
  • 1 Tbs. rice flour
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of Powder Forte (see below)
  • 1 Tbs. candied anise seeds (optional)

Candied anise seeds can be purchased inexpensively in Indian groceries or, at great cost, in fancy French groceries as anis de Flavigny.

Wash and pit the plums, cutting them in half, or pieces. Meanwhile, bring the wine to the boil in a stainless steel or other nonreactive pan. Add the plums and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the plums are very soft. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the wine.

Press the plums through a sieve into a heavy saucepan. Place this saucepan over low heat and stir in the honey. Stir the rice flour into the 1/4 cup of the reserved wine, then stir this mixture into the plum puree and add the salt and spices. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until thickened. Pour into a serving bowl and cool slightly before serving. If you like, decorate with the candied anise seeds just before serving. 

Powder Forte: 
Mix equal parts black pepper, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.  You may also include long pepper, but it is very hard to come by.  The most determined of cooks may find it in Indian markets.