REPRO OP
Susan Nowak delves into the history of cooking with beer and cider
My passion for great food
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and great beer – preferably combined – takes me down many paths and one of them leads to the past. I’ve always been fascinated by the rich tapestry of our country’s history, but it’s our culinary heritage that grabs me most. Flowing through it from time immemorial is English ale. When the Romans came to conquer, they found us swigging a rather murky beverage made with barley (hops were yet to be discovered). They were not impressed and set about plying us with wine, but we said “Ale, Caesar” and reached for our tankards. It’s no coincidence that Chaucer’s pilgrims set off to Canterbury from a London hostelry and stayed in one every night on the journey. But above all, I love the beer cookery of yore, in evidence before the Middle Ages from the time someone discovered a drop in the pot made the poached pheasant tastier. So, I’ve recreated a few dishes you might have enjoyed 300 years ago, using beers that are probably better now than then, and hope they’ve withstood the test of time. In the Tudor and Elizabethan era, spices brought back from overseas were highly prized and costly, especially saffron (still is!). But the colour and subtle flavour make this first centrepiece a showstopper.
TUDOR SAFFRON GILDED CHICKEN WITH HONEY ALE SAUCE (serves 4–6) 1 tsp each of powdered nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and cloves mixed together; around half a pint (300ml) of honey beer; 50g butter; 1 large chicken; a few strands of saffron soaked in a little warm water until it turns yellow (then discard strands); cornflour; runny honey. I used a fine honey beer from a brewery near me, Atlantic (4.5 per cent ABV), described as “rich amber ale suffused with Cornish wild honey… a lovely version of traditional braggot” – a Celtic tipple of beer mixed with mead.
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BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN
Pre-heat oven to 220˚C, gas mark 7. Mix half the spices with a drop of the honey beer of your choice to make a paste, then mix that into the soft butter. Place the chicken in an oven dish, then spread the spiced butter over it. Roast in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes to crisp, then turn the heat down to 180˚C, gas mark 4, cover with a piece of foil and continue roasting for 20 minutes per pound, depending on the weight of the chicken. From time to time, baste with a drop of the beer followed by the saffron liquor. For the final 15 minutes, turn up the heat again and remove foil to crisp the skin. You’ll find
the breast meat stays moist and tender instead of drying out, as often happens with roast chicken. Make the sauce by mixing the rest of the spices with a level dessertspoon of cornflour in a small pan, stir in a drop of the beer to form a roux, slowly pour in the rest of the beer, stirring all the time to make a sauce. Finally, add about a dessertspoon of runny honey. The beer alone will not provide enough honey taste. Serve the carved chicken with the sauce. Accompany with colourful leaves and edible flowers, which we now regard as a modern trend but which also dates back to the Tudors!
FRAN NOWAK
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Culinary heritage
