A tricky chicken recipe

While I was reading a recipe book I came across this tricky chicken recipe from the 15th century French cookery manuscript Vivendier. Maybe not one to try for the next dinner party!:


To make a chicken to be served roasted

Get a chicken, or any other bird you want and pluck it cleanly in hot water. Then get yolks of 2 or 3 eggs; they should be beaten with powdered saffron or wheat flour and distempered with fat broth or with the grease that drips under a roast into a dripping pan. By means of a feather glaze and paint your pullett carefully with this mixture so that its colour looks like roast meat.
With this done, and when it is about to be served to the table, put the chicken's head under it's wing and turn it in your hands, rotating until the bird is fast asleep! Then set it down on your platter with the other roast meat. When it is about to be carved, it will wake up and make off down the table upsetting jugs goblets and whatnot.



Oh My Goodness! Can you imagine...