Recipe Manuscript

Gebratene Hendeln

Name: Gebratene Hendeln
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT45M
Yield: 4
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 2 young chickens (each 500–800g, about 6–10 weeks old); 30g butter (plus extra for basting, approx. 75g total); Fresh parsley (about 10g, plus extra for garnish); 2 lemon slices; 2 teaspoons fine salt (divided between inside and outside); 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 4 tablespoons white breadcrumbs; For the stuffing (optional):; 50g white bread roll or slice; 50ml milk; 10g butter; 2 eggs; 1/2 teaspoon salt; Pinch saffron

"Roast Chickens"

1850

From the treasured pages of Der Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen

Written by Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen

Age of Gastronomy (1800 - 1900)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1850

Original Manuscript(circa Age of Gastronomy, 1800 - 1900)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

Gebratene Hendeln

"Die Hendeln werden, wenn sie 6 bis 10 Wochen alt und fett sind, mit heißem Wasser geputzt, auswendig mit Salz, inwendig mit Pfeffer und Salz eingerieben, und etwas liegen gelassen. Hierauf gibt man in das Innere des Hendels ein Stück Butter, etwas Petersilkraut und eine Scheibe Citrone, steckt es an den Spieß, und bratet es unter beständigem Begießen mit zerlassenem Butter gelb und saftig. Man kann die fertigen Hendeln auch noch einmal mit heißem Butter begießen, sie mit Semmelbröseln bestreuen, diese auf starker Glut schnell Farbe nehmen lassen, und dann den Braten mit grünem Petersil garnirt auf den Tisch geben. Dieselbe Behandlung hat Statt, wenn sie im Rohr gebraten werden. Man pflegt sie auch mit einer gewöhnlichen Fülle zu füllen. Am besten ist es, wenn man in Milch geweichte und wieder gut ausgedrückte Semmel mit Butter, in welchem man sein geschnittenen grünen Petersil anlaufen läßt, begießt, ein paar Eier daran schlägt, mit Salz und Safran würzt, und mittelst einer Spritze in die vom Halse aus wohl untergriffenen Hühner füllt, diese dann zugebunden, und gleich den gebratenen dressirt (doch darf kein Speil durchgesteckt werden) an einen Spieß steckt, und mit Butter begossen bratet. Die Flügelchen werden bei dieser, wie bei jeder andern Gattung, ausgebogen, und Leber und Magen dazwischen gesteckt. Man nimmt zu diesem Gebrauche gewöhnlich ganz junge, 6 bis 8 Wochen alte Hühnchen, sollten sie jedoch älter seyn, so müssen sie wenigstens einen Tag vorher abgestochen und trocken gerupft werden, indem sie sonst nicht mürb genug sind."

English Translation

"The chickens, when they are 6 to 10 weeks old and fat, are cleaned with hot water, rubbed with salt outside and with pepper and salt inside, and then left to rest for a while. Then a piece of butter, some parsley, and a slice of lemon are put inside the chicken, it is skewered, and roasted while constantly basting with melted butter until it is golden and juicy. The finished chickens can also be basted again with hot butter, sprinkled with breadcrumbs, and these are quickly browned over a strong fire, then the roast is served garnished with fresh parsley. The same treatment applies if they are roasted in the oven. They are also commonly filled with a standard stuffing. The best way is to soak rolls in milk, squeeze them out well, pour over them butter in which chopped green parsley has been sautéed, add a couple of eggs, season with salt and saffron, and use a piping bag to fill the chickens well from the neck side, then tie them up and roast them as described above (but without using a skewer through the meat), basting with butter. The wings are bent outward for this, as for any other type, and the liver and gizzard are placed in between. For this purpose, very young chickens, 6 to 8 weeks old, are used; if they are older, they must be slaughtered at least a day beforehand and dry-plucked, otherwise they will not be tender enough."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe was written in flowing prose, characteristic of mid-19th century cookbooks, assuming much tacit kitchen knowledge. Directions were descriptive, not prescriptive—proportions were approximate, and actions such as 'put to the spit and roast, basting continually' expected the reader to fill in details from experience. Spelling reflects period conventions: 'Hendeln' (small hens or chickens), 'Petersilkraut' (parsley herb), and 'Citrone' (lemon). The use of punctuation and capitalization is less formalized than today, with long compound sentences and occasional regional terms.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Der Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Der Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen (1850)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen

Era

1850

Publisher

Dirnböck

Background

A delightful 19th-century cookbook that serves up refined banquets and hearty Austrian and Bohemian fare alike, all tested by the experienced hand of Marianka. It promises elegance for noble tables and affordable, tasty household cooking even in lean times—an inspiring blend of culinary sophistication and practical home kitchen wisdom.

Kindly made available by

Wien Bibliothek

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from "Der Marianka, Mundköchin des Hans-Jörgel von Gumpoldskirchen" (1850), a prized Viennese cookbook by a professional domestic cook steeped in both aristocratic and bourgeois culinary traditions. The book aimed to guide middle-class households through both extravagant feasts and thoughtful economy during times of hardship, bridging high and home cooking. Gebratene Hendeln (Roast Chickens) was a favorite at well-appointed Austrian tables in the mid-nineteenth century, blending French-inspired roasting with distinctly local fillings and the use of milk-softened bread and parsley. Spit-roasting was still common for home kitchens with open hearths, but oven-roasting was rapidly becoming accessible, as noted in the recipe.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Traditionally, a hand-turned roasting spit placed before an open hearth was the tool of choice, allowing the chicken to baste evenly with its own juices and additional butter. Long-handled basting brushes or spoons were used to ladle melted butter over the bird. Later, as ovens became more common, a shallow roasting pan replaced the spit, without losing the frequent basting. Other implements would have included knives for dressing the bird, a stuffing syringe (for piping the bread mixture), coarse cloths for cleaning, and trussing needles or string for shaping the birds for the spit.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

2 young chickens (each 1–1.75 lb, about 6–10 weeks old)
2 tablespoons butter (plus extra for basting, approx. 5 tablespoons total)
Fresh parsley (about 1/3 oz, plus extra for garnish)
2 lemon slices
2 teaspoons fine salt (divided between inside and outside)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons white breadcrumbs
For the stuffing (optional):
1.75 oz white bread roll or slice
3.5 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch saffron

Instructions

Select young, plump chickens about 6–10 weeks old (ideally 1–1.75 lb each).
Pluck and clean the chickens as necessary.
Rub the outside with about 1 teaspoon of salt and the interior with a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then let rest for 10–15 minutes.
Insert into the cavity: a lump (about 1 tablespoon) of butter, a small handful of fresh parsley, and a thin slice of lemon.
Truss the birds if desired.
Roast the chickens on a spit over moderate heat, or in a 350°F oven, basting continually with melted butter (about 3.5 tablespoons or more per chicken) until golden and cooked through, about 40–60 minutes depending on size.
For extra flavor and crunch, once cooked, baste with more hot butter and sprinkle liberally with fresh white breadcrumbs (about 2–3 tablespoons per chicken).
Sear under high heat or with direct flame for a minute or two until the crumbs are golden.
Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
Alternatively, for a richer filling, soak about 1.75 ounces of white bread (like a small roll or slice) in 3.5 tablespoons milk, then squeeze dry.
Sauté 1 tablespoon chopped parsley in 2 teaspoons butter, mix with the bread, add 1–2 eggs, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of saffron, then use a piping bag (or spoon) to stuff inside the bird before roasting.
Fold out the wings and, if desired, acrawl liver and gizzard between them (optional for modern palates).

Estimated Calories

500 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the chickens and the optional stuffing, and then about 45 minutes to roast them until golden and cooked through. Each serving has around 500 calories, based on simple butter-basted roast chicken and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. This recipe makes 4 servings.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.