"The extraordinary "beasts" created by these
instructions never were seen
on land or sea. A bestiary pair, these chicken and pork visual
as well as
edible delights were intended to startle as well as feed. The
creation of
such illusion foods was an important contribution of the medieval
cook to
the flamboyant art forms of the medieval feast."
Bake the chicken and the suckling pig separately at 375 F until
tender; the
chicken ought to take 2 hours, the suckling pig closer to 3.
Cut the
chicken in half with the incision running around the body behind
the wings.
The forward half is thus separated from the hindparts. Similarly
cleave the
pig so that the "head and shoulders" are cut from
the back half of the
animal. With a strong butcher's thread or "carpet"
thread sew the forward
half of the chicken to the back half of the pig; sew the pig's
"head and
shoulders" to the hind half of the capon. Each is now a
cockentrice. Turn
oven up to 400F. Lightly beat the egg yolks. Mix in the saffron
and flour
to make a thick fluid. Paint this on the suture lines as well
as various
parts of either the "face" or appendages--gold snout
and gold nails were
typical adornments. Return these marvelous animals to the oven
so the gold
"endoring" may set and the final creatures appear
resplendent. Mix the
parsley in white wine with flour until the green color well
permeates the
fluid. If not a bright green, add two drops of green food coloring.
Paint
on "feathers" or designs for final embellishing of
the cockentrice, your
fancy guiding your hand.
Makes 1 servings.
