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Film Released: 1939
Genre: Historical Drama, Romance, Action
Directed by: Victor Fleming
Cast: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland
Gone with the Wind is an epic story
set during the Civil War and following reconstruction period in the USA
and is based on a novel by Margaret Mitchell. It follows the life of
Scarlett O’Hara (played by Vivien Leigh), the daughter of a southern
plantation owner.
The story begins pre- civil war when Scarlett is a spoilt and stubborn
16 year old whose beauty and extrovert character is a magnet to many
young men in her genteel circle, including the roguish Rhett Butler
(played by Clark Gable) who is a profiteer of an equally self centred
disposition as Scarlett.
However her carefree life of ease is rudely interrupted with the coming
of civil war between the North and Southern States and her and her
family are plunged into poverty and starvation when the war finally
comes to its conclusion.
Scarlett’s selfish nature enables her to overcome her loss of wealth by
fair means or foul, including manipulating her sister’s fiancé into
believing that her sister no longer cares for him and subsequently
marrying him to get her hands on his thriving business.
She also ends up marrying Rhett Butler, initially for the same selfish
reasons as she married her sisters beaux, only to come to the
realization at the end of the film that she really does love him.
However her selfish and scheming ways send even the tough Rhett, who
loved her to distraction, packing his bags and leaving her, despite her
pleases for him to stay, with those immortal words “Frankly my dear, I
don’t give a damn".
There are a few scenes which feature food, but one the most memorable
occurs when Scarlett is staying with Melanie Wilkes (played by Olivia de
Havilland) who is married to Ashley Wilkes, the man Scarlett had wanted
to marry since she was a young girl. Ashley is returning to Atlanta on
Christmas leave from the war, so it is decided that the last of their
chickens is going to be killed for Christmas dinner.
Uncle Henry, a slave played by Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, is stalking
the cockerel, axe in hand ready for the chop….. but the bird is having
none of it and is leading poor old Henry a merry dance. "No more gettin'
so uppity” says Henry “Even if you is the last chicken in Atlanta!" The
next scene shows the carcass remains on the dining room table.
Here’s our version of a Southern style roast chicken.
Happy Cooking!
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Food in Film Page
Atlanta Roast Chicken
HT MC 150mins
Serves 6 Hot Poultry Herbs
Spices Vegetables Main Course
Ingredients
1 x 2.2kg/5 lb Whole Chicken, cleaned
Salt and Pepper
2 teasp Dried Mixed herbs
½ teasp Garlic Granules
1 teasp Paprika
For the stuffing
6 slices of stale Cornbread, broken into pieces
½ large Onion, finely chopped
1 Celery Stick, chopped
1 teasp Rosemary
1 teasp freshly chopped Thyme
1 tbsp freshly chopped Parsley
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4. Place the mixed herbs,
paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl, mix well then use to season
the chicken inside and out, place in a roasting tin and set aside.
2. Spread corn bread pieces in a single layer on a baking tray and bake
in the oven for 10-15 minutes until slightly dried out.
3. Transfer the hot toasted cornbread to a large mixing bowl together
with the onion, celery, fresh herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix
well.
4. Stuff the neck and main cavities of the chicken with the cornbread
mixture then tie the legs together to hold the stuffing in and drizzle
with a little more olive oil.
5. Cover the bird with aluminium foil and roast for about 90 minutes.
6. Uncover the bird then return to the oven and roast for a further
20-30 minutes until golden brown and well cooked through.

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