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A period dish

Roast Pullet with Bacon

A young hen barded with bacon and roasted with thyme, served with a sauce of its own juices.

Serves 4

A pullet was a young hen, small and tender, and roasting one was a manageable luxury for a modest household. Barding it with bacon kept the lean breast moist and seasoned the drippings.

Ingredients

Meat & Poultry

  • 4 slice bacon

Dairy & Eggs

  • 2 tbsp butter

Spices & Seasoning

  • 1 bunch thyme

Other

  • 3 lb pullet
  • 1/4 cup wine

Method

  1. Season the pullet inside and out and put thyme and a piece of butter in the cavity.

  2. Truss it and lay bacon slices over the breast.

  3. Roast in a hot oven, basting with butter and pan juices, until the skin is golden.

  4. Remove the bacon near the end so the breast can brown. The pullet is done when the juices run clear.

  5. Deglaze the pan with a little wine or stock, spoon the sauce over the bird, and serve with bread.

Served at

The first citizen's table · Florence, Italy

An evening at Bellosguardo · Florence, Italy