Six to eight servings

This dish is a relic of Elizabethan times, when Sherry was first imported into England. Originally it was made from an old stewing hen. Stewing chickens no longer being readily available, you can use any chicken you can find.

1 (3 ½ to 4-pound) chicken

1 large onion, quartered

6 to 8 cloves of garlic

1 sprig each, rosemary, thyme, sage

2 bay leaves

1 medium size yellow onion, cut into thin rings

6 to 8 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon Sweet and Hot Brown Mustard

Inexpensive cream Sherry

Salt and fresh coarse ground black pepper to taste

Remove the back from the chicken. Using a kitchen cleaver, chop the rest of the chicken into approximately two inch pieces. (You may wish to have the butcher do this.) Put all of the chicken into a large heavy pot along with the quartered onion, garlic, sprigs of rosemary, thyme, and sage, and the bay leaves. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer, cover and continue to cook until the chicken is tender. Allow to remain in the pot until cooled. When cool enough to handle, remove the meaty pieces, (leave the back in the pot). Put the chicken in alternate layers with the onion rings and crushed garlic into a non-reactive (glass, ceramic or plastic) container. Add the bay leaf. Mix the mustard with one-half cup of the broth the chicken was cooked in and pour over the chicken. Add enough cream Sherry to completely cover the chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least one day before using. This makes a delicious party snack or addition to a summertime buffet table. To serve remove from it’s container and place on a serving plate. Garnish with sprigs of fresh watercress and wedges of lemon. It is also a nice thing just to have around for snacking.