Life has been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. Right now, my house looks like it’s been mugged by a grocery store as I get ready to feed 150 people at the Bryn Gwlad fall event. Excited but exhausting. No helpers, as my kitchen is sized for 1 and .5 butts. Luckily the meat is mostly done now I’m just down to the pilaf and stewed fruits. However I do have a few moments to post this wonderful little gem of a dish. One of many quick easy sauces that is absolutely divine!
Raisins of Corinth (Currant Sauce)
Translation:
…make a syrup of wine, raisins of Corinth, sugar and saffron, and boil it a little; mix powder of Ginger with a little of the same wine, and put thereto; then put away the fat of the stew of the capon and put the syrup of the stew and pour it on the capon and serve it forth. (Renfrow, pp. 94)
Ingredients:
1 C. wine
1 C. broth
1.5 tsp ginger
4 tsp raisins
1.5 tsp cinnamon
Or
2 C. broth and NO wine.
Redaction:
I used a white wine from a previously opened bottle with chicken stock. The spices were all gathered with the stock and wine.
The liquid poured into a pot, set on high. The spices were added with the raisins. The spiced stock was then boiled for roughly 20 minutes (or until reduced to half).
At this point the sauce tasted excellent but was not very thick. I would suggest grinding the raisins prior to adding to the wine and stock or you can reduce the sauce then hit frappe in the blender. This sauce is nicely sweet and savory all at once with a touch of alcohol. If you don’t have a white wine, use a red or mead. Whatever your preference is or is on hand. Should alcohol (wine mead or beer) be an issue use 2 C. of broth, reducing down to one cup with all the spices included.
The sauce is just that easy. Minimal muss and fuss. Period sauces were use what you have and make it quickly but well.
The sauce was tested not on capon or roasted hen but on wine cooked tongue. The sauce and tongue were a great hit. Chicken is the next meat to be dipped into this sauce.