Sixteenth Century Orange Chicken
Description
Chicken breast braised in a sauce of oranges, prunes, dates, currants and cloves simmered with rose water and white wine; there is a fruity, delicate sweetness to this recipe from a 1594 kitchen guide.
Ingredients
•
2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
•
1/2 cup chicken stock
•
2 oranges, peeled and segmented
•
4 pitted prunes
•
4 pitted dates
•
1/2 cup dried currants
•
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
•
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
•
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
•
2 tablespoons white sugar
•
1 tablespoon rose water
•
3/4 cup white wine
Directions
1
Place chicken stock in a large saucepan over high heat. Add oranges, prunes, dates, currants and cloves and boil until the fruit has broken down a bit, about 7 to 10 minutes.
2
Stir in peppercorns, mace, sugar, rose water and wine; reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and set aside.
3
Brown chicken in a large skillet until lightly browned on both sides; add reserved sauce and cook together, turning and basting, until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, about 20 to 25 minutes.