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Cockentrice (a marvelous beast)

Artist: _ Yield: 1
Categories: Cereals, Chicken, Medieval, Pork, Poultry Rating: 0
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Ingredients:
7 lbsSuckling pig
6 lbsRoasting chicken
6 Egg yolks
1/4 tspPowdered saffron
1/2 cupAll-purpose flour
1/4 cupWhite wine
1 tbspFresh parsley leaves, very
-finely chopped
1 tbspFlour
Procedures:
1"the extraordinary "beasts" created by these instructions never were seen on land or sea.
2A bestiary pair, these chicken and pork visual as well as edible delights were intended to startle as well as feed.
3The creation of such illusion foods was an important contribution of the medieval cook to the flamboyant art forms of the medieval feast." bake the chicken and the suckling pig separately at 375°F until tender; the chicken ought to take 2 hours, the suckling pig closer to Cut the chicken in half with the incision running around the body behind the wings.
4The forward half is thus separated from the hindparts.
5Similarly cleave the pig so that the "head and shoulders" are cut from the back half of the animal.
6With a strong butcher"s thread or "carpet" thread sew the forward half of the chicken to the back half of the pig; sew the pig"s "head and shoulders" to the hind half of the capon.
7Each is now a cockentrice.
8Turn oven up to 400°F.
9Lightly beat the egg yolks.
10Mix in the saffron and flour to make a thick fluid.
11Paint this on the suture lines as well as various parts of either the "face" or appendages--gold snout and gold nails were typical adornments.
12Return these marvelous animals to the oven so the gold "endoring" may set and the final creatures appear resplendent.
13Mix the parsley in white wine with flour until the green color well permeates the fluid.
14If not a bright green, add two drops of green food coloring.
15Paint on "feathers" or designs for final embellishing of the cockentrice, your fancy guiding your hand