Spicy blast from the past
This 14th-century chicken recipe stands the test of time
AWARD-WINNING WRITER Eleanor Ford's recipes and stories explore how centuries of spice trading and cultural diffusion changed the world's cuisine. A unique and enlightening guide to cooking with spice, the book looks at their flavour profiles and how they can be used, combined and layered — how some bring sweetness, others fragrance, heat, pungency, sourness or earthiness.
There are 80 spice-infused recipes in this collection following the trails of ancient maritime trade through Indonesia,
Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Iran and the Emirates. Eleanor combines historical research with a travel writer's eye and a cook's nose for a memorable recipe.
Interwoven are stories that explore how spices from across the Indian Ocean — the original cradle of spice — have, over time, been adopted into cuisines around the world.
VENETIAN CHICKEN with ALMOND MILK & DATES
The Persian and Arab fondness for using sugar, spice and ground almonds in savoury dishes spread both East, notably to Indian Mughal cuisine, and West to medieval European cookery. This recipe is based on one handwritten in a 14th-century cookbook from Venice. At the time, the city lay at the end of the fabled spice route, the European hub of spices and silks arriving from the East. Just as Venetian art and architecture drew on Islamic influence, so too does this sweetly spiced braise.
A heavy hand with spice continued for centuries in northern Italy and the Renaissance chef Cristoforo di Messisbugo included spices in almost every recipe. A ravioli dish for 10 used a heady ounce of cinnamon and half an ounce of ground ginger. There was little distinction between sweet and savoury, dishes freely mingling together and pasta doused in sugar and scented with cloves, pepper and saffron. This recipe has only a gentle sweetness and stands the test of time.
Ingredients
8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs 1 Tbsp plain flour
3 Tbsp olive oil 2 small onions, finely chopped
60g ginger, peeled and finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of ground cloves
2 bay leaves
400ml (1 1⁄2 cups) unsweetened almond milk
2 Tbsp verjuice
Pinch of saffron strands
2 Tbsp date syrup
4 medjool dates, stoned and quartered 2 Tbsp toasted almond flakes
Handful coriander leaves
Rice or polenta, to serve (optional)
Method
Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper, then dust with the flour. Set a large casserole pan over a medium– high heat and when hot, pour in the olive oil. Add the chicken thighs and brown to a deep golden on all sides. Remove to a plate, leaving the oil behind.
Add the onion to the pan and cook to soften but not colour. Stir in the ginger, garlic, spices and bay leaves and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Return the chicken to the pan in a single layer.
Pour in the almond milk and verjuice, scrunch in the strands of saffron and add the date syrup and dates. Season with salt. Bring to a bubble, then lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. The chicken should be tender and falling from the bone.
Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and turn up the heat. Bubble the sauce until it has reduced and thickened. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Serve the chicken in the sauce, scattered with almonds and coriander, alongside rice or
polenta. — Serves 4