The little hen says yes

PalmThe heat spreads like a viscous sheet. Standing at the stove is almost an act of courage and affection. We crave foods that refresh us and that we can cook quickly or that sit on the stovetop with little supervision, allowing us to leave the kitchen. It's time for stuffed dishes that can be eaten cold, such as eggplant, tomatoes, or zucchini. After a resting time, the flavors consolidate and become even more intense. It's also the time for cold meats, stuffed or not. I've talked about stuffing on other occasions because they're versatile and our recipe books are rich in examples. Parties, weddings, and other important events were important occasions when these types of recipes, which required time and dedication, were consumed. Generally speaking, stuffed meats that are roasted are richer in nuts such as almonds, raisins, or apricots. The cooking process for cold cuts, on the other hand, is usually boiling, and they are made with more compact fillings, wrapped in a boneless animal.

One of the most traditional recipes for cold cuts is stuffed hen, a slow-cooked dish that requires time, patience, and quality ingredients. In the past, it was more common to serve it in wealthy homes because the stuffing could include expensive ingredients that were difficult to access for the lower classes. Poultry was also considered an expensive food, reserved for special occasions or for those who could afford to eat regularly.

A more compact cut of meat

One of the first recipes for cold chicken meat is found in the Llabrés Recipe Book (19th century), a recipe that can be made with either chicken or turkey. It's stuffed with mutton, pork chop, ham, sobrasada (sausage sausage), and capolada (beef stew). The recipe indicates not to add egg or bread. This recommendation may be due to the desire to make a more compact cut of meat that makes it easier to cut into pieces and prevent it from falling apart. We see few variations regarding the ingredients. The cold chicken meat from the Menorcan recipe book The kitchen of ca n'Squella (Bep Alès, ed. Semanarios y Revistas) is made with similar ingredients to the one described above. In this case, it doesn't include sobrasada, but it does have egg white. The biggest difference lies in the preparation, as this filling is capolated twice to make it very fine, while in the other, the lamb, chop, and ham are cut into sticks and mixed with the minced meat. It is often indicated that the item be served in slices, accompanied by gelatin cubes and spun egg, an ingredient that further indicates the level of sophistication of the final result and also for whom the cold meat was intended. In others, such as the one we read in Food at Gabriel Morey's House. Cookbook by Carme Oliver Espinosa (Leonard Muntaner, 2024) The instructions on how to bone the animal are interesting; in this case, it is done with a penknife while the animal is still warm. They will be cooked over low heat for two to three hours.

For today's recipe I have followed the instructions for cold turkey or chicken meat collected in Inca by Antoni Tugores (Memory of Mallorcan cuisine, ed. Documenta Balear, 2004). I hope you like it.