Mirause of Catelonia

Original from Platine, this version is from The Miscellany by Cariadoc of the Bow and Elizabeth Dendermonde

The Catelans are a refined people who in character and customs are hardly unlike the Italians and skillful with food; they have a dish which they call mirause and prepare it thus: Capons or pullets or pigeons well cleaned and washed they put together on a spit and turn over the hearth until they are half cooked. Then they remove them and cut them in pieces and put them in a pot. Then they chop almonds that have been toasted under warm ashes and cleaned with some cloth. To this they add some bread crumbs lightly toasted with vinegar and juice and pass all this through a strainer. This is all put in the same pot with cinnamon and ginger and a good amount of sugar and left to boil on the coals with a slow fire until it is done, all the time being stirred with a spool so that it does not stick to the pot.

A 3 1/4 lb chicken
3/4 C roasted almonds, chopped fine
1/4 c breadcrumbs
Juice from roasting + 10.5 oz can concentrated chicken broth
1 T vinegar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1 T sugar

Preheat over to 450 F. Put in chicken, reduce temperatur to 350F, bake about 45 minutes. Mix chopped almonds, breadcrumbs, vinegar, and a little of the chicken broth and run through a food processor until smooth (or squish through a strainer, grind the residue with a mortar and pestle, and then put it through the strainer). Cut up chicken into large pieces, put in pot with sauce, spices, sugar, and the rest of the chicken broth and cook about 15 minutes, stirring almost contantly.