Chauden

PERIOD: England, 14th century | SOURCE: MS Sloane 468 | CLASS: Authentic

DESCRIPTION: Giblet Sauce for Fowl

ORIGINAL RECEIPT:

Tak the issu of the swan & wasch it wel, & scoure the guttes wel with salt, & seth the issu al togedere til it be ynow. & than tak it vp and wasch it wel & hew it smal, & tak bred & poudere of gyngere & of galyngale & grynde to- gedere & tempere it with the broth, & coloure it with the blood. And when it is ysothe & ygrounde & streyned, salte it, & boyle it wel togydere in a posnet & sesen it with a litel vynegre.

- Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglish: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth-Century (Including the Forme of Cury). New York: for The Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1985.

MODERN RECIPE:

• 1 fifteen- to twenty-pound swan, goose or turkey, or several ducks or chickens
• Giblets, including gizzard, heart and liver from the bird or birds
• 1 C water
• 1 C drippings from roasted fowl
• 2 C white bread crumbs
• 2 tsp powdered ginger
• 1/4 tsp galingale
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 C wine vinegar

2. Prepare bird for roasting, place on a rack in a pan, and put it in the oven. Reduce heat to 350°, and roast for twenty minutes per pound, or until the bird is cooked through.

3. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine giblets and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about thirty minutes, or until gizzards are tender. Remove from heat, remove giblets from pan and allow to cool. Reserve the broth.

4. Mince the gizzard and heart small. In a bowl, mash the liver to paste with a fork.

5. With a ladle or basting nozzle draw off at least one cup of drippings from the roasting bird. Add this to the broth in the saucepan. Stir in giblets, bread crumbs, and spices. Return to heat, and simmer for about ten minutes.

6. Remove from heat, and stir in wine vinegar. If sauce is too thick, add more drippings or vinegar. Serve with the roasted bird.

Yields two cups of sauce. Serves six to eight.

NOTES ON THE RECIPE:

I have yet to see fresh-frozen, oven-ready swans in my supermarket meat department. A goose would be a good substitute.

In this sauce I substitute the gizzard and heart of the chosen bird for the swan guts of the original. In place of blood, I use the liver.

If galingale is not available, add extra powdered ginger.