Roman Stuffed Chicken
1 chicken, with the feet and head still attached
450g (1lb). Mutton, Veal, and Chicken dark-meat, or any combination, cooked and diced or minced
6 Eggs, beaten
225g (8oz) Chestnuts, cooked (whole or ground)
225g (8oz) Goats Cheese, grated
2 Egg Yolks
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Savory
Few threads Saffron
Salt (or to taste)
Few drops Yellow and Green Food Colouring
Breadcrumbs (optional)
Combine all ingredients except chicken in a large bowl, mix well.
Stuff the chicken with this mixture.
Shape the leftover stuffing into small egg shapes.
Rub olive oil over the chicken, then place on foil on a baking sheet adding the stuffing eggs.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover the delicate areas of the feet, head, and wings with foil to prevent overcooking.
Preheat oven to 180°C: 350°F: Gas 4
Roast until the skin begins to turn golden brown.
Do not to overcook the chicken.
Remove from oven and very carefully remove the foil from the wings, etc.
Immediately brush the entire bird with egg yolk which has been dyed either gold or green, or use a combination of colours.
Return to the oven for just a few seconds, to set the glaze - be careful not to overheat
Remove from oven, place on a serving platter, and garnish with "eggs" made from the leftover stuffing.
Poullaille Farcie
Take your hens, cut their necks, scald and pluck them, and be careful that the skin remains undamaged and whole, and do not plump the birds, then take some sort of straw and push it between the skin and the flesh, and blow, then cut the skin between the shoulders, not making too large a hole, and leave the legs with the feet, wings, and neck with the head still attached to the skin.
Then stuff your chickens and sew up the hole again.
With any leftover stuffing make hard balls, using a great deal of saffron, the size of packets of woad, and cook them in beef broth and boiling water gently, so they do not fall apart.
Then mount your chickens and the balls on very slender iron spits.
To glaze them or cover them with green or yellow: for the yellow, take a great quantity of egg yolks, beat them well with a little saffron, and set this glazing in a dish of some sort, and should you want a green glazing, grind the greenery with the eggs without saffron, and put this through the strainer and apply it, after your poultry and your balls of stuffing are cooked, place your spit in the dish with the glazing mixture two or three times and cast your glazing the full length of the spit, then put it back on the fire so that your glazing will take, and watch that your glazing does not have so hot a fire that it burns.
from The Viandier of Taillevent
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