King's Hens redaction: Food challenge nine: A&S 50 Challenge

King's Hens redaction: Food challenge nine: A&S 50 Challenge
Chicken Omelet Recipe 

Cookbook: Ein Buch von guter Spise. Translated by Alia Atlas, copyright 1993. This is a literal translation of Daz buoch von guoter spise. The original manuscript was part of a household manual which Michael de Leone, the proto-notary of the Archbishop of Würzburg, had organized. The original is in the university library of Munich. This manuscript is dated as between 1345 and 1354.

28. Wilt du machen ein spise von hüenren (How you want to make a food of hens)
Chicken Omelet (King's Hens)

Diz heizznt küneges hüenre. Nim junge gebratene hüenre. hau die an kleine mursel. nim frische eyer und zu slahe die. menge daz zu gestozzen ingeber. und ein wenic enys. giuz daz in einen vesten mörser. der heiz si. mit dem selben crute. daz tu zu den eyern. damit bewirf die hüenre. und tu die hüenre in den mörser. und tu dar zu saffran und saltz zu mazzen. und tu sie zu dem viur. und lazze sie backen glich heiz mit ein wenic smaltzes. gib sie gantz hin. daz heizzent küniges hüenre.

This is called King's Hens. Take young roasted hens. Cut them in small pieces. Take fresh eggs and beat them. Mix thereto pounded ginger and a little anise. Pour that in a strong pot, which will be hot. With the same herbs, which you add to the eggs, sprinkle therewith the hens and put the hens in the pot. And do thereto saffron and salt to mass. And put them to the fire and let them bake (at the) same heat with a little fat. Give them out whole. That is called King's Hens.

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Samia's Redaction:

1/2 tsp dried ginger
pinch anise seed, ground
2 pinches salt
pinch saffron
splash olive oil
1/2 lb roasted chicken
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 425 F. Beat eggs together. Add ginger, anise, salt, saffron olive oil. Chop chicken into small pieces and add to eggs. Pour into a greased pie pan. Bake 15 minutes until set.

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Samia's Notes:

I added more eggs and more spices than Ms. Atlas did in her redaction. I have been playing with egg tarts for a time and decided to go with the familiar path when redacting this one. I happened to be out of fresh butter when making this, and substituted olive oil. With the extra eggs it had enough integrity to serve without forks (which was great, since I forgot to bring any!).

I'm not sure how to read "give them out whole". I wonder what shape pot these were cooked in originally. Mine was cooked in a straight-sided pie 8" dish, and I cut wedges to serve it.

To make this healthier, I would substitute 4 egg whites for two of the eggs.