During medieval times, chickens rubbed with salt, coloured with saffron and flavoured with ginger, diced bacon fat, spices and garlic were often cooked in a coffin (a sealed pastry case which kept the juices in, just as a modern casserole dish would today). But they were also cooked on a spit in front of a hot fire or cooked as pieces in a shallow iron pan with a flat bottom as illustrated. The garlic would have been added to enhance the flavour of the dish and to preserve good health.

You will need 8 chicken drumsticks Olive oil heads of garlic trimmed to expose the cloves Small piece fresh ginger the size of a walnut — chopped fine 1 tspn freshly-ground black pepper 1 tspn ground cinnamon ½ tspn salt Handful fresh herbs Method Scatter the saffron threads into the glass of wine and allow it to sit until it gives off a golden colour.

Rub the cinnamon and freshly-ground black peppercorns into the skin of the chicken pieces.

Trim the garlic heads to expose the cloves.

Place the herbs into the pan, pour on a little oil and place chicken on top, along with the heads of garlic with cut side up.

Pour a little oil into the heads of garlic.

Sprinkle the dish with chopped ginger and pour on the wine and saffron threads.

Season with salt and cook over a gentle heat, turning the chicken pieces to obtain an even colour.

Cook until the juices from the chicken run clear.

Serve with crunchy bread and a mixed leaf salad.

1 small pack saffron threads One glass of white wine