Sixteenth Century Orange Chicken

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.

• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 442 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ½ cup dried currants
• ¾ cup white wine
• ½ teaspoon ground mace
• ½ cup chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 2 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
• 2 oranges, peeled and segmented
• 4 pitted prunes
• 4 pitted dates
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Recipe Instructions

Step 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.

Step 2

Stir in peppercorns, mace, sugar, rose water and wine; reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and set aside.

Step 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.