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heat, add the white wine and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Boil to reduce the wine by half, add the maple syrup, mustard, and any juices from the birds and continue to boil until syrupy. Taste the glaze, adding a little more lemon juice or maple syrup if necessary. Remove from the heat and add the herbs.

5. Place the birds, either whole or cut in half, on dinner plates, and brush with the glaze.

Variation

ο Chicken, capon, and turkey can all be substituted in this recipe. This is enough marinade and glaze for a 4-pound (1.8-kg) chicken. Increase the recipe by half again for a capon and double it for a small turkey. Don’t forget to increase the roasting time as necessary.

THE BIGGEST WISHBONE

The biggest wishbone of all is in Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History, and belongs to Tyrannosaurus Sue. Sue’s is one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons discovered. She’s big at 42 feet (12.6 m) long and old, some sixty-seven million years old. But it’s not her size or age that impresses, it’s the fact that Sue has a furcula. She is the first T. rex ever found with a wishbone. This gives credence to the theory that birds evolved either directly from dinosaurs or from a common ancestor. (By the way, no one really knows if Sue is female; she is named after Sue Hendrickson, who found her.)

Poached Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables

Chicken was once a luxury item and the subject of promises of kings and presidents from Henri IV of France to President Herbert “A chicken in every pot” Hoover. This is a classic dish that crosses cultures, and is infinitely adaptable depending on the vegetables used. I have suggested a spring/summer combination, but if you make this in autumn/winter, try celeriac (celery root), parsnip, and rutabaga. Stay away from potatoes, though, which would break up and cloud the stock. If you fancy adding a green vegetable—favas, green beans, or Brussels sprouts—cook it separately and add it at the end. As well as changing the vegetables, play around with the herbs and seasonings. Adding fresh ginger and lemongrass gives the dish an Asian twist. Serve the broth first, then the chicken and vegetables if you’d like, or keep the broth for the next day and add the diced left-over chicken and vegetables to it. The size of the chicken and the amount of vegetables will depend on the size of your pot. Once cooked, the chicken is difficult to remove from the pot without losing a wing or two. To make it easier, before placing the chicken in the pot, tie a double strip of cheesecloth around it with a knot over the breast to form a handle.

1 chicken, about 4½ pounds (2 kg)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups (1.51) Poultry Stock (page 130)

4 leeks, trimmed

1 bay leaf

1 onion

1 clove

4 carrots, halved

4 turnips, peeled and halved

1 celery heart, halved 4 garlic cloves

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns

3 large flat-leaf parsley stems

2 tarragon sprigs

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped tarragon

1 tablespoon chopped chervil, optional

Coarse sea salt

1. Pat the chicken dry and season it inside and out with salt and pepper. Truss the bird and tie a length of cheesecloth around it, if using (see the headnote), then place it in a large stockpot. Pour over the stock and add enough water to almost cover the chicken, up to 6 cups (1.51). Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring slowly to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: Tie the leeks together in pairs, and attach the bay leaf to the onion, using the clove as a pin.

3. Once the stock begins to boil, reduce the heat so that it barely simmers and skim well. Add the leeks, onion, carrots, turnips, celery, garlic, peppercorns, parsley stems, and tarragon sprigs and simmer gently, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer; the juices should run clear or