Sixteenth Century Orange Chicken

2 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed

½ cup chicken stock

2 oranges, peeled and segmented

4 pitted prunes

4 pitted dates

½ cup dried currants

½ teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon ground mace

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon rose water

¾ cup white wine

Place chicken stock in a large saucepan over high heat. Add oranges, prunes, dates, currants and cloves and boil until the fruit has broken down a bit, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in peppercorns, mace, sugar, rose water and wine; reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain and set aside.

Brown chicken in a large skillet until lightly browned on both sides; add reserved sauce and cook together, turning and basting, until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear, about 20 to 25 minutes.