A Noble Boke off Cookry (England, 1468)
To mak composte tak chekins and halve them then tak saige parsly lekes and other good erbes and chop them small then tak a pint of hony and som of the erbes and lay in the botom of the pot and som of the chekyn then tak lard of pork smale mynced and lay it on and cast ther to pouder of guingere and canelle and boille it and serue it.
Preheat your oven to 160°C, you can do this just on the hob too, I just prefer to use the oven.
Have a big pot ready, large enough so you can cover the whole chicken with water, but small enough so it fits snugly.
In a frying pan, melt a generous the lard and brown your chicken slightly on each side. You just want some color, no crust or full browning. A medium flame on the hob is fine for this.
Place half the herbs and leek on the base of your pot, place your chicken on top and add the rest of the herbs.
Smear your chicken with the honey, doesn't have to be neat.
Fill the pot with water so the chicken is completely covered, add the spices and give it a stir.
Bring to the boil and let it boil for 5-10 minutes without the lid.
Close the lid and transfer to the oven (or leave on the hob on a small flame) for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
Phoenix Rise