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Abraham Lincoln's Last Dinner

Primary source: Andrew Caldwell, Their Last Suppers: Legends of History and Their Final Meals. Contextual sourcing: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln; Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln: The War Years; John Hay, diaries and correspondence. Note: The specific menu has not been verified against a White House kitchen record and should be understood as the most widely cited attributed account rather than a definitively documented primary source.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

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IngredientsMethodVideoNotes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken:
  • 2 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp butter softened
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Fresh thyme
For the chestnut stuffing:
  • ¼ cup cooked chestnuts roughly chopped
  • ½ cup fresh white breadcrumbs
  • ¼ small onion finely chopped and softened in butter
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1 small egg beaten
  • Pinch of dried sage
  • Pinch of dried thyme
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 tbsp chicken stock to moisten
For the baked yam:
  • 1 medium sweet potato or yam
  • Butter to serve a generous knob
  • Salt
For the cauliflower with cheese sauce:
  • ½ small head cauliflower broken into florets
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup sharp cheddar grated
  • ¼ tsp dry mustard
  • Salt and white pepper
  • Pinch of ground mace

Instructions
 

Start the yam first

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub the sweet potato thoroughly and prick the skin all over with a fork at least 8 to 10 times. Place directly on the upper oven rack without any wrapping or foil. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until completely tender when pierced with a knife and the skin is slightly caramelised. Once done, cut open immediately, add a generous knob of butter and a pinch of salt and serve in the skin.

Make the stuffing and prepare the chicken

  1. While the yam bakes, make the chestnut stuffing. Combine the chopped chestnuts, fresh white breadcrumbs, softened onion, butter, beaten egg, sage, thyme, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken stock and mix until the stuffing just holds together when pressed. It should be moist but not wet.
  2. Loosen the skin on each chicken thigh by running your finger carefully underneath it from the wide end without tearing. Push a generous spoonful of stuffing into the pocket under the skin of each thigh, pressing it flat so it covers the meat evenly. Press the skin back down firmly.
  3. Rub the outside of each thigh generously with softened butter. Season with salt, black pepper and fresh thyme. Place in a small baking dish or cast iron pan.

Roast the chicken

  1. Approximately 10 minutes after putting the yam in, reduce the oven to 375°F and place the chicken on the lower rack. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and completely crispy and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Make the cauliflower and cheese sauce

  1. In the final 20 minutes while the chicken finishes, bring a pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the cauliflower florets and boil for 5 to 7 minutes until just tender. Drain well and transfer to a small baking dish.
  2. In a small heavy saucepan melt the butter over medium heat until foaming. Add the flour and stir continuously for one minute. Reduce heat to medium low. Add the milk a small amount at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until completely smooth before adding more. Once all the milk is incorporated, increase heat to medium and simmer gently for 4 to 5 minutes stirring regularly until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
  3. Remove from heat. Add the grated cheddar, dry mustard, salt, white pepper and mace. Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is glossy and smooth. Pour evenly over the cauliflower florets. Serve immediately or place under a hot broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is bubbling and lightly golden.

Serve everything together

  1. The yam, chicken and cauliflower cheese should all be ready within 5 minutes of each other. Serve the chicken thighs from the baking dish, the yam in its skin on the plate alongside, and the cauliflower cheese directly from its baking dish.

Video

Notes

  • The baked yam is the dish most consistent with Lincoln's documented personal food preferences. Sweet potatoes and yams were a staple of Virginia-influenced Washington DC cooking in the 1860s and represent the kind of plain, filling food Lincoln actually chose when left to his own devices.
 
  • The mace in the cheese sauce is not optional if you are aiming for historical accuracy. Ground mace was a standard seasoning in mid-19th century American white sauces and cheese sauces and its absence produces a flatter, more modern-tasting sauce. It is available in the spice section of most supermarkets.
 
  • The timing note for cooking everything simultaneously: start the yam first as it takes the longest. Put the chicken in 10 minutes after the yam. Make the cheese sauce and boil the cauliflower in the final 20 minutes while the chicken finishes. Everything comes out within 5 minutes of each other.