Test 1 - Boiling Fowl - Braised Chicken

Food in England, Dorothy Hartley, p 186

I suppose by 'fowl' it can be any bird: chicken, goose, duck?

"A fowl of uncertain age is better boiled.

"Truss as if roasting, but instead of stuffing, put the liver and gizzard inside with two large onions stuck with a clove. Flour the bird thoroughly and put into a pan full of boiling water, immediately draw from the fire, and never again allow to come above simmering point.

"After the bird has been in a few minutes, skim the pan very carefully, and after it has cooked a little, shred in a really good mixture of nicely prepared vegetables, carrot, turnip, one stick of celery (don't overdo this, as it is very strong flavouring), and a good bunch of herbs.

"Simmer till, when you lift the drumstick, the joint gives way easily.

"If the bird is to be eaten hot, lift out, drain and serve on a hot dish with the vegetables around it. Remove the trussing string and skewers, and sprinkle just enough finely chopped parsley over it to look appetising, or coat with thick sauce (for boiled fowl has a pallid look). Serve with hot onion or parsley sauce made with the broth, plain boiled potatoes, and the mixed vegetables which have been cooked in the broth.

"It will be very tender and juicy. The best gravy is its own clear broth.

"If it is to be eaten cold (and a cold boiled fowl is less dry than a cold roast one), leave it to grow cold in the broth. Then drain and pour a very thick lemon sauce over it. A little green parsley also sprinkled on the bosom makes it decidedly better looking; so do cut vegetable shapes laid on it.

"Garnish around with watercress and the red carrots in alternate piles.

"Cold boiled fowl can be a very decorative dish, as well as a very succulent one.

"Note. The reason people do not like boiled fowl is that it is usually watery when served. This is a pity, for a well-boiled fowl should be juicy and succulent. The secret is to drain it very carefully. When lifted from the pot, let it hang upright in a warm place for several minutes. It is quite a good trick to hang it from the hook in the resting jack or warm oven. When it has ceased to drip and is steaming, put it on to a slice of hot toast. Then you may mask it with sauce, decorate it with vegetables, and serve it upon a triumphantly dry, hot dish."

0 - Originally I decided to try this recipe with a young rooster we dispatched this fall. He was very aggressive with us and with his chickens, so we didn't want his genes to propagate and create an ill-tempered flock of birds. I was looking for a recipe for an old, strong-tasting bird, but now I have my doubts - even though he's a young bird, the testosterone would be very strong-and-foul-tasting in the meat, making an unpleasant dish. But is braising the correct method to make the meat palatable? Well, here's someone who agrees that it's a good way of dealing with a rooster: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/07/cook-old-chicken.html

And then there's this: https://sunstonefarmandlearn.com/2009/05/26/favorite-rooster-recipes/

It is a stronger-tasting recipe, but also requires a long braising period. Hmmm. This last one isn't historical, but I may put it on the Experimental Mouffette!

Ok, here goes - I will braise Chicklett as a poule-au-pot as described by Dorothy.
1 - It worked! I put in way too much salt, but it worked! I cooked it way too long, but it worked! I'm not sure what the flour is supposed to do, so I'm gonna cross it out.

1 rooster, whole or in pieces

2 onions

21 cloves

1/4 cup flour

Optional - liver and gizzard

A mix of herbs, such as:

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

1 sprig tarragon

Salt (lots)  2-3 Tbsps

11 peppercorns

6 cloves garlic peeled

A mix of vegetables such as: 

2 large leeks or 4 small, cleaned, trimmed and thickly sliced

4 carrots, scraped and cut into chunks

3 celery stalks, cut into finger lengths

1 small turnip, sliced

3 parsnips, scraped and sliced

A few sprigs of parsley

1. Allow the rooster carcass to season in your refrigerator for up to four days, depending on age - this will allow the muscle tissue to start softening.
2. Preheat oven to 425F.
3. Stick the onions with the cloves.
4. If using a whole rooster, stuff the onions inside along with the liver and gizzard, if using.
5. Dredge the bird or pieces in flour.
6. Put bird in large oven-ready pot - cover with water or chicken broth.
7. Bake in the oven for about an hour. 
8. Reduce temperature to 250F(is this right? it should continue to barely simmer) (it could also be brought to a boil and then simmered gently on the stove-top).
9. If there is scum on top, remove this before adding the herbs and veg.
10. Return to the oven and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the thigh near the bone reads 180F, or "till, when you lift the drumstick, the joint gives way easily."
11. IF the chicken is meant to be eaten cold, leave it in the hot broth and take it out of the oven. Allow it to cool in the liquid and it will be succulent and not dry. Dorothy recommends a lemon sauce for cold chicken.
12. For a HOT chicken, Dorothy recommends to "let it hang upright in a warm place for several minutes. It is quite a good trick to hang it from the hook in the resting jack or warm oven. When it has ceased to drip and is steaming, put it on to a slice of hot toast." I'm not sure what the function of the 'hot' toast might be other than as a sponge to soak up any liquid that might continue to escape and keep the serving plate dry!
13. Anyway, arrange vegetables around the bird or pieces, along with some cress to add some vibrant colour.