SC - Filet of Whiting

[Decker, Terry D.]

Filet of Chicken in Orange Sauce

To boyle a Capon with Orenges after Mistres Duffelds Way.    Take a Capon
and boyle it with Veale, or with good marie bone, or what your fancy is.
Then take a good quantitie of that broth, and put it in an earthen pot by it
selfe, and put thereto a good handfull of Currans, and as manie prunes, and
a few whole maces, and some Marie, and put to this broth a good quantitiie
of white Wine or of Calarret, and so let them seeth softlye together;  Then
take your Orenges, and with a knife scrape off oll of the filthinesse of the
outside of them.  Then cut them in the middest, and wring out the juyce of
three or four of them, put the juyce into the broth with the rest of your
stuffe.  Then slice your Orenges thinne and have uppon the fire readie a
skillet of faire seething water, and put your slice Orenges into the water
and when that water is bitter, have more readie, and so change them still as
long as you can find the great bitternesse in the water, which will be five
or seven times,  or more.  If you find need:  then take them from the water,
and let that runne cleane from them:  then put close orenges into your potte
with your broth, and so let them stew together till your Capon be readie.
Then make your sops with this broth, and cast on a little Sinamon, Ginger,
and Sugar, and upon this lay your Capon, and some of your Orenges upon it,
and some of your Marie, and toward the end of the boyling of your broth, put
in a little Vergious, if you think best.

			The Good Huswives Handmaid, 1588

1 quart beef or veal stock or broth 
8 chicken breasts (or 1 capon)
1/4 cup currants (raisins)
1/4 cup prunes
2 blades of mace or 1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1/8 teaspoon ground rosemary
1/4 cup dry white wine (or claret)
1 cup orange juice
1 orange sliced thin, seeds removed
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar

Place 1 cup of stock  in a sauce pan.
Put remaining stock in a pot.  Add chicken.  Bring to a low boil, reduce
heat and simmer until the chicken is done and fork tender.
Add currants, prunes, mace, rosemary, and wine to the cup of stock.  Simmer
for about 10 minutes, then add orange juice and orange slices.  Cover and
let simmer on low heat until the chicken is ready.  Add water if necessary,
to keep from cooking dry.
When the chicken is ready, remove it to a platter.
Stir the cinnamon, ginger, and sugar into the sauce.
Pour the sauce on the chicken or serve it on the side.

Notes:  I was trying for a specific effect, filets of chicken and filets of
fish, which wasn't to successful.  The chicken breast was too dry to some
people taste and the white looked strange.  I believe whole chicken or cut
up whole chicken would be best.

I would also brown the chicken before committing it to the pot for a
pleasant visual effect and I would steam rather than boil.  Gunthar suggests
that a slow braise might be effective.