Book of Days Tales

Today is the birthday (c .1119) of Thomas Becket (also known as Thomas à Becket), Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He engaged in conflict with Henry II of England over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral. Soon after his death, he was canonized by Pope Alexander III. Pilgrimages to Canterbury have been popular ever since – as Chaucer can attest. 

Until recently there were no 12th century recipes from England available. However, a MS cookery book from 1140 recently showed up in archives in Durham cathedral and promises to shed new light on the cooking of the era. Prior to that, the earliest source was from 1190. However, descriptions are not, as yet, available except for snippets. I’ll go with “hen in winter” which calls for poaching a chicken with garlic, pepper, and sage.

People working with the MS suggest that this is a recipe for an old fowl, as would be typical of winter months. This gives me the opportunity to expound on poaching a boiling fowl. They are not so commonly found any more because the meat is tough, and modern cooks prefer younger birds which are much more easily managed. But old hens can be very tasty if cooked properly. The secret is very slooooow cooking. Put the hen in a big stock pot and cover it with cold water. Then bring it very slowly to a gentle simmer. Do NOT be tempted to speed this part up as you will toughen the meat permanently. Put the pot, covered, on the lowest flame for as long as need be. It may take an hour or longer just to get the surface of the liquid murmuring. Skim off any scum as it rises, and maintain a very gentle simmer. It will take 3-4 hours to cook the bird. For “hen in winter” you should add generous quantities of chopped garlic, whole peppercorns, and chopped fresh sage leaves.

When the hen is cooked, let the pot cool and then refrigerate overnight. In the morning remove the fat from the top of the pot, and reheat – again, very slowly. Remove a few cups of the broth to a fresh pan. Heat over medium-high heat and thicken with white breadcrumbs. Brighten the flavors by adding some fresh garlic, ground black pepper, and chopped sage. Let simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Serve the hen sliced, with the sauce, over thick trenchers of crusty bread.