Hindle Wakes is a traditional English recipe (from Lancashire) for a classic dish of chicken filled with a mix of prunes, breadcrumbs, nuts, suet and herbs that's boiled until done and served cold with a lemon sauce coating. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic English dish of: Hindle Wakes.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
A Hindle Wake is a traditional Lancashire dish of exotically stuffed boiled poultry that is thought to have been introduced to the region by Flemish weavers at Bolton-le-Moor, (Bolton), in 1337. The original recipe used the blood of the fowl for binding the stuffing mix. The night before the fowl was stuffed with a mixture of prunes, nuts, suet, spices and red wine, then simmered slowly until tender. The next day the bird was removed from the stock, coated with a lemon and cream sauce and decorated with prunes and lemon slices and served cold. The name of the dish may derive from 'Hen de la Wake' ... in Lancashire dialect a 'wake' was a fair, at which time the dish may have been eaten.
Ingredients:
For the Stuffing:
450g prunes, soaked in water mixed with a little red wine for 4 hours
225g fresh white breadcrumbs
50g blanched almonds, chopped
50g shredded suet
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tbsp sage, chopped
1 tbsp thyme, chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
For the Chicken:
1 boiling chicken (about 1.8kg)
150ml malt vinegar
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
For the Lemon Sauce:
450ml chicken stock
30g plain flour
30g butter
2 eggs, beaten
freshly-grated zest of 2 lemons
juice of 2 lemons
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Garnishes:
slices of lemon
fresh parsley
Method:
Begin with the stuffing: Drain the prunes (reserve six for garnish) then pit and chop the remainder. Place in a bowl and mix with the remaining stuffing ingredients. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
Wash the chicken and pat dry with kitchen paper. Stuff the neck and the body cavity of the bird with the stuffing. Secure the openings with a skewer or butcher's twine. Place the chicken in a large heavy-bottomed pot then add the vinegar and sugar. Pour over enough cold water to cover the bird. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer then cover and cook for about 3 hours, or until the chicken is tender.
Take the pot off the heat and leave the chicken in the stock to cool naturally over night. The following day, skin the chicken and place on a serving dish. Strain and skim the stock and reserve 450ml and warm this in a saucepan.
Now prepare the sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan and scatter the flour over the top. Stir to combine then cook gently for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the warmed stock to the butter roux, whisking constantly. When all the stock has been added bring to a boil then take off the heat.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl then add a few tablespoons of the hot stock to the eggs to temper them. Strain the egg mix back into the main body of the sauce, again whisking constantly. Take off the heat then add the lemon juice and half the lemon zest. Adjust the seasonings to taste then set aside to cool.
Once the lemon sauce has cooled use to coat the chicken then sprinkle the remaining grated lemon over the top. Decorate with the reserved prune halves, slices of lemon and sprigs of parsley. Serve cold.
Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.