Harleian MS. 279 (ab 1430) - Chykonys in bruette - Chicken in Broth

Add captionChykonys in bruette - Chicken in Broth

With the holidays fast approaching and -all- of the cooking forthcoming I am looking for quick, simple recipes. What could be simpler then pieces of tender chicken in a flavorful broth seasoned with pepper, saffron and ginger? I enjoyed this recipe as did my taste testers. There are many interpretations of this dish available through a search of the internet. I hope you enjoy mine. 

.lxxxxvij. Chykonys in bruette.—Take an [supplied by ed.] Sethe Chykonys, & smyte hem to gobettys; þan take Pepir, Gyngere, an Brede y-grounde, & temper it vppe wyth þe self brothe, an with Ale; an coloure it with Safroun, an sethe an serue forth.

lxxxxvij - Chykonys in bruette. Take an Sethe Chykonys, and smyte hem to gobettys; than take Pepir, Gyngere, an Brede y-grounde, and temper it vppe wyth the self-brothe, an with Ale; an coloure it with Safroun, an sethe an serue forth.

97 - Chicken in Broth - Take and boil chickens, and chop them to pieces; then take pepper, ginger, and bread ground, and temper it up with the self broth, and with ale; and color it with saffron and boil and serve it forth.

Interpreted Recipe                                                                                  Serves 1 as main, 2 as side

1/4 pound chicken (I used bone in, skin on chicken breast)
Water to cover the chicken you use
1/4 cup ale
1/8- 1/4 tsp. each pepper & ginger ( I went a bit closer to the 1/4 tsp.)
Pinch of saffron

I cooked the chicken in the water, then removed it and let it cool. I measured out 3/4 of a cup of the "stock" this created and added 1/4 cup ale to it. I removed the chicken from the bone, cleaned off any remaining fat, gristle and skin and cut it into bite sized pieces. While I cleaned the chicken, I brought the broth and ale to a simmer, added the pepper, ginger and saffron. When it reached the color I wanted I added the bread crumbs to thicken the broth and then returned the chicken to it.

This was beautiful, simple and will find its place at a future event. This could be used as a side dish, or part of a course featuring several variations of similar dishes. For example, I could see serving this dish with Gelyne in Dubbatte (Chicken in Wine Sauce), Henne in Bokenade (Stewed Chicken in an Egg and Broth sauce) and lastly, Hennys in Gauncelye (Chicken in Garlic Cream Sauce) alongside a simple dish of rice cooked in almond milk and perhaps White Wortes (Greens Creamed with Almond Milk), or Lange Wortes de pesoun (Braised Greens with Peas). It would be a very simple yet filling meal for a lunch tavern, royalty luncheon too.

Similar Recipes

Forme of Cury (England, 1390)

VII - HENNYS IN BRUET. Schullyn be scaldyd and sodyn wyth porke and grynd pepyr and comyn bred and ale and temper it wyth the selve broth and boyle and colowre it wyth safroun and salt it and messe it forthe.

Liber cure cocorum [Sloane MS 1986] (England, 1430)

Hennes in brewes. With porke þou sethe þo henne fatte, Grynde brede and peper and be not batte. And comyne also þou schalle grynde, Seson hom with ale, þat is hor kynde. With þo brothe of hennes þou temper hit shalle, Boyle hit, coloure hit, salt hit withalle. Serve hom forthe, as þou may see, Þese er hennes in browet, levys þou me.

A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)

To mak hennes in Bruet sethe hennes and freche pork to gedure then grind pepper bred and comyne and sesson it and temper it with the hennes brothe boile it and colour it with saffron salt it and serue it.