Hindle Wakes (England)

A very old recipe from Lancashire, England. It's served at room temperature. Serves 6


1 large or 2 small chickens (5-6 lb total)
Giblets from the chicken
2 tablespoons salt
1 large onion, stuck with 3 cloves
1 bayleaf
3 parsely sprigs
4 cups of water
1 cup malt vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
15 large pitted prunes
3 cups cold tea
1.25 cups toasted breadcrumbs
0.5 teaspoons each of sage, parsley, marjoram and thyme
Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons
2 ounces butter
0.5 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 lemon cut into slices

In a deep saucepan, put the chicken, giblets, salt, onion, bayleaf, parsley sprigs, water, vinegar and brown sugar. The water should just cover the chicken pieces; add a little more water if necessary. Bring to a boil and skim. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour. Remove the chicken and allow it to cool; reserve the stock.

Meanwhile, soak the prunes in the tea for at least 3 hours. Mix the breadcrumbs with the sage, parsley, marjoram, thyme and the juice and rind of one of the lemons. Cut each prune lengthwise and stuff them with the breadcrumb mixture. Put the stuffed prunes in an ovenproof pan and bake at 300F for 30 minutes.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over a low heat, stir in the flour and cook for 5 minutes. Strain the chicken stock and add 2 or 3 cups of it to the flour, stirring until it forms a thick sauce. Add the rest of the lemon juice and rind, and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then stir in the cream. Skin the chicken and remove the bones. Cut into bite-sized pieces and place on a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken, arrange the prunes around the edge of the plate and decorate with the lemon slices. Serve at room temperature.