Capon in orange sauce

Yield: 8 servings

Measure Ingredient

To boule a Capon with Orenges after Mistres Duffields Way--Take a Capon and boyle it with Veale, or with a marie bone, or what your fancy is. Then take a good quantitie of that broth, and put it in an earthen pot by it selfe, and put thereto a good handfull of Currans, and as manie Prunes, and a fewe whole maces, and some Marie, and put to this broth a good quantitie of white Wine or of Clarret, and so let them seeth softlye together: Then take your Orenges, and with a knife scrape of all the filthinesse of the outside of them. Then cut them in the middest, and wring out the juyce of three or foure of them, put the juyce into your broth with the rest of your stuffe.

Then slice your Orenges thinne, and have uppon the fire readie a skillet of faire seething water, and put your sliced Orenges into the water and when that water is bitter, have more readie, and so change them still as long as you can find the great bitternesse in the water, which will be five or seven times, or more. If you find need: then take them from the water, and let that runne cleane from them: then put close orenges into your potte with your broth, and so let them stew together till your Capon be readie. Then make your sops with this broth, and cast on a little Sinamon, Ginger and Sugar, and upon this lay your Capon, and some of your Orenges upon it, and some of your Marie, and towarde the end of the boyling of your broth, put in a little Vergious, if you think best.--The Good Huswives Handmaid The only thing I know about Mistress Duffield is that she was a genius when it came to cooking capons. Here is Renaissance England's version of orange sauce, served to best advantage over rice, noodles, or buttered toast. The original was made with the Seville orange, therefore the concern for boiling and changing water to eliminate bitterness.

1 4-5 pound fowl (capon or chicken), cut into 12-15 pieces, bones intact Salt to taste ⅓ cup flour 2-3 tablespoons buter ¾ cup chicken broth or stock ½ cup dry white wine 1½ cups orange juice 2 ½ teaspoons dried orange peel Generous pinch mace ⅛ teaspoon ground rosemary ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon sugar 1 cup pitted prunes ½ cup currants Garnish: orange slices

1. Sprinkle pieces of fowl lightly with salt; then dredge them in flour. 2. In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Brown fowl, adding more butter if needed. Set aside. 3. In a large enameled pot, combine remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce flame to simmer. 4. Add browned fowl. Cover and simmer about 1 hour or until fowl is tender. Check seasoning. 5. Skim off fat or, if time permits, place pot in refrigerator for a few hours; then remove solidified fat. 6. Reheat if necessary. Arrange pieces of fowl attractively on a bed of rice, noodles, or buttered toast, and spoon orange sauce on top. Garnish with orange slices.

Serves 6-8

from To The Queen's Taste by Lorna J. Sass "Entrees" posted by Tiffany Hall-Graham From: Tiffany Hall-Graham Date: 06-05-94 Submitted By DALE SHIPP On 04-20-95

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