The Meats in Sleepy Hollow Menu
Meats for a Sleepy Hollow Feast
At the Van Tassel’s feast, meats such as slices of ham, smoked beef, broiled shad and roasted chickens are woven among the pies, cakes, cookies and other delectable baked goods.
Quote It.
“…besides slices of ham and smoked beef…”
“…not to mention broiled shad and roasted chickens…”
-The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving
Smoked Beef
The beef would’ve been smoked as a way of preserving in the 1790’s. Nowadays, thanks to refrigeration, smoked meat is more gourmet. You may find it in a speciality shop.
If you’d like another type of preserved beef, slow-cooked corned beef (silverside), is a tasty, cost-effective alternative. It’s also handy as it can be served hot, or cooked earlier and served as cold slices.
Broiled Shad
Shad is an oily and bony fish, also known as river herring. Shad was found in abundance in the Hudson River during Washington Irving’s time and easily caught during spring migration. As the whole reason for serving herring was because of its availability, we recommend that you use the same approach and select a local fish. Not to mention that herring is an incredibly strong smelling fish, and for a party, might be slightly off-putting!
Boiled Chicken for Sleepy Hollow Menu
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken free-range, organic
- 1 brown onion halved
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 large carrot cut into chunks
- 3 celery stalks with leaves cut into large pieces
- 1 bunch fresh parsley including stems
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven (6-8 quart), place the whole chicken, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
- Fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken by about 2 inches.
- Slowly bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Allow the chicken to simmer gently for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the pot for 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the chicken with tongs and transfer to a large pan. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing it for serving.
- Sidebar: To make a rich chicken broth, return the leftover bones, skin, and any remaining meat back into the stock. Simmer, covered, for an additional hour.
- Skim off any scum that rises to the surface during cooking. Add ½ teaspoon sea salt, stirring to dissolve.
- Strain the stock into a heatproof airtight container. Let it cool for about 20 minutes before closing lid and storing in the refrigerator. Will last for up to 5 days.
It was really fun reading about the types of food that were common during this time period. I really love the story by Washington Irving and the Disney cartoon: “The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow”. I recently visited Sleepy Hollow & Tarrytown, NY. I try to imagine what life was like in the part of the country & how the land looked at that time.
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your menu and recipes. I’m looking forward to making many of the foods for our family Sleepy Hollow party, with the addition of dutch windmill cookies. A nod to the Johnny Depp film.
This is a wonderful way to enjoy the season and make memories.