Recipe by Anna Gill

SMOKING BISHOP CIRCA 2013
Serves: 6

2 unpeeled sweet oranges, Seville if possible
1 small unpeeled lemon
15 to 20 whole cloves
1 very generous ½ cup sugar
1 bottle hearty red wine
2 star anise
1 stick cinnamon
1½ cup of ruby port

FOR THE OLD VERSION
Make several incisions in the rind of a lemon,* stick cloves in these, and roast the lemon by a slow fire. Put small but equal quantities of cinnamon, cloves, mace, and allspice, with a race of ginger, into a saucepan with half a pint of water: let it boil until it is reduced one half. Boil one bottle of port wine, burn a portion of the spirit out of it by applying a lighted paper to the saucepan. Put the roasted lemons and spice into the wine; stir it up well, and let it stand near the fire ten minutes. Rub a few knobs of sugar on the rind of a lemon, put the sugar into a bowl or jug, with the juice of half a lemon (not roasted), pour the wine into it, grate in some nutmeg, sweeten it to your taste, and serve it up with the lemon and spice floating in it.”

* A Seville orange stuck with cloves, to many tastes imparts a finer flavour than the lemon. 

-Elizabeth Acton
Modern Cookery, 1845

SMOKING BISHOP CIRCA 2013
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees..
2. Wash and dry the whole fruit.
3. Roast the fruit, turning once, until it is a pale brown.
4. Let the fruit cool until it can be handled, then stud each fruit with 5 to 6 cloves each.
5.Place studded fruit, sugar, red wine, and spices in a large enameled pot and bring just to the point of a boil. Remove from heat and store in a warm place for 24 hours.
6. Half an hour before serving, remove the fruit and slice thinly and then in half. Return the fruit to the mixture.
7. Add the port to the mixture and warm thoroughly without boiling.
8. Serve in warm glasses or cups.

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves 3 – 4 

3 ½ to 4 lb. roasting chicken
One of the following flavorings:
10-12 whole star anise
• 1 large sprig fresh sage leaves & ¼ cup fresh shredded sage
• 1 large spring of fresh rosemary & ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 – 4 sprigs of fresh thyme & ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves in 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 large sprig tarragon & ¼ cup shredded fresh tarragon leaves
• 4 to 6 whole crushed cloves & 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced, plus 2 quartered lemons
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
8 tablespoons light butter
salt & pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 400◦.
2. Wash and pat chicken dry. Rub inside of chicken cavity with salt and pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in the cavity with one of the following:
7 or 8 whole stars of anise,
Sprig of sage,
Sprig of rosemary,
Sprig of thyme,
Sprig of tarragon, or
2 lemon quarters and 3 or 4 cloves of crushed garlic
3. Truss chicken. Dental floss works very well and can be pulled away without tearing the skin.
4. Melt the balance of the butter. Add one of the following to the melted butter:
Crumble the balance of the anise and add,
Add the fresh leaves of sage, rosemary, thyme/mustard mix or tarragon, or
Add the pressed or minced garlic and the juice of 2 lemon quarters
Add salt and pepper. Baste the chicken thoroughly.
5. Mix remaining basting sauce with 1 cup of chicken broth and the white wine. Set aside.
6. Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan breast down. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth in the bottom of the roasting pan to keep the drippings semi liquid.
7. Put chicken in the oven for 30 minutes. If you happen to be passing you can give it an extra basting during this time, but it isn’t critical.
8. Baste chicken. Turn the chicken breast side up. (A pair of Bluette insulated rubber gloves is an easy way to turn poultry, but a 3 to 4 pound chicken turns easily with a large fork.) Reduce temperature to 350◦ and cook for about 35-40 minutes more, depending on the size.
9. Add chicken broth as needed. Baste at least once. When the leg can be jiggled without resistance, the chicken is done.
10. Remove the chicken to a platter and let it sit for about 5 minutes before carving.

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves: 5

4 to 4½ lb. roasting chicken
10-12 whole star anise
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth
8 tablespoons light butter
salt & pepper to taste

1. Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash and pat chicken dry. Rub inside of chicken cavity with salt and pepper. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in the cavity with 7 or 8 whole stars of anise. Truss chicken (Dental Floss works very well).
3. Melt the balance of the butter. Crumble the balance of the anise into the melted butter. Add salt and pepper. Baste the chicken thoroughly.
4. Mix remaining basting sauce with 1 cup of chicken broth and the white wine. Set aside.
5. Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan breast down. Put 1 cup of chicken broth in the bottom of the roasting pan. Put chicken in the oven for 15 minutes. Baste chicken. Check to see if more chicken broth is needed in the roasting pan. Let roast for another 15 minutes.
6. Baste chicken. Turn the chicken breast side up. (A pair of Bluette insulated rubber gloves is my favorite way to turn poultry, but a 4 pound chicken can be turned with a large fork.) You may have to add the remaining broth to the bottom of the pan at this point. Reduce temperature to 350o and cook for 35 to 45 minutes more, basting every 15 minutes and adding chicken broth as needed.

** You can vary the herbs or spices and use the same method. It works equally well with tarragon, rosemary, etc.

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves: 6

Zest of ½ large orange, in strips 
1 teaspoon peeled chopped fresh ginger 
1 cinnamon stick, broken into two pieces
8 whole cloves 
3 star anise pods
5 black peppercorns 
1 cup red wine, a Chianti works well
1 cup ruby port 
½ cup honey 
¼ cup unsulfured molasses 
Pinch of salt 
6 firm pears, such as Bartlett or Bosc, peeled, halved, and cored 

Lite cream cheese, ricotta, crème fraiche or ice cream for serving.

1. Heat oven to 350◦.
2. Combine zest, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and peppercorns in an herb bag or a piece of cheese cloth and tie securely.
3. In a medium sized bowl, add the wine, port, honey, molasses and salt. Whisk the ingredients together well.
4. In a large oven to table baking or casserole dish, place the pear halves cut side up.
5. Pour the liquid mixture over the pears. There should be a sufficient amount to lightly cover the pears.
6. Nestle the spice bag into the liquid between the pears.
7. Cover the dish with foil, pinching it around the edges.
8. Cook in the prepared oven for approximately 45 minutes.
9. Turn the pears over and replace the foil as before. Cook for another 45 minutes.
10 Test the pears with a toothpick. The flesh should be soft to the touch, though it depends on how ripe they were before they went into the oven. If not sufficiently soft, replace the foil and return the dish to the oven for another 15 minutes.
11. Let the pears cool slightly.
12. Place two halves on each serving plate. Spoon a small dollop of lite cream cheese, ricotta, crème fraiche or ice cream in each cavity. Spoon a bit of the remaining liquid over the pears and serve.