Henry Morgan: Pirate King

Continuing my retrospective of pirate history I bring you a chapter from the life of one of histories most illustrious and notorious pirates, Captain Henry Morgan.

Buccaneer and pirate, admiral and general, country gentleman and planter, custos and judge of the court of Vice-Admiralty, governor and knight ­ all are titles held by Morgan during his colourful lifetime.

Jamaica in the second half of the 17th century was a pirate haven. Known for plunder and trade, the island's port town of Port Royal (aptly located at the entry to Kingston Harbour) was home to many of these "brethren of the coast".
It was at that time that one pirate in particular rose to prominence ­ the Welshman, Henry Morgan. Famed for his exploits on what was known as the Spanish Main (today called South America) Morgan seemed larger than life. Although accounts place him as being of average height and build, there was nothing average about his leadership abilities or his charisma, however.

It is not surprising that history regards him as a pirate king, referring to him as the greatest buccaneer of them all (although most likely forerunners of the pirates, the two terms are used somewhat interchangeably).

According to noted Jamaican historian, Clinton Black, Morgan was "more than a buccaneer captain. The same man who could swear and curse and drink and whore with the best of them in many a den of murder, or lead a bunch of desperadoes for miles through hostile jungles and fever-ridden swamps...was also to prove an astute politician with a breadth of vision far, far beyond that of the men he drew to him with his rare magnetism".

If you'd like to learn more about this badass mofo check out the link:
Source

Buccaneer Lifestyle

A bit of historical background on "Buccaneers":

A hundred years before the French Revolution, the buccaneer companies were run on lines in which liberty, equality and fraternity were the rule, although only for white members of the crew
(for shame!). In a buccaneer ship, the captain was elected and could be deposed by the votes of the crew. The crew, and not the captain, decided the destination of each voyage and whether to attack a particular ship. The buccaneers' democratic model was adopted by many later pirate crews.

Spoils were evenly divided into shares; the captain received an agreed amount for the ship, plus a portion of the share of the prize money, usually five or six shares. Crews generally had no regular wages, being paid only from their shares of the plunder, a system called "no purchase, no pay" by Modyford or "no prey, no pay" by Exquemelin. There was a strong esprit de corps among buccaneers. This, combined with overwhelming numbers, allowed them to win sea battles and shore raids. There was also, for some time, a social insurance system guaranteeing compensation for battle wounds at a worked-out scale.

(Source)

How about a snack?

Would you like yours rare or well done?

Ingredients

* 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
* 3 ribs celery, peeled and cut into thirds
* 3 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
* 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) baby, rinsed and patted dry
* 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
* 2 teaspoons cracked white pepper
* 1 lemon, halved
* 2 fresh bay leaves
* 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
* 4 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped, plus 1 tablespoon for gravy
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 cup chicken stock
* 2 tablespoons roasted garlic
* 1 cup dry white wine

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

In a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan, add the carrots, celery and onions. Season the baby both inside and out with the salt and white pepper. Squeeze the lemon halves over the baby and place the rinds inside the cavity. Place the bay leaves inside the cavity. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, olive oil and butter. Rub the baby both inside and out with the garlic rosemary blend and place in the roasting pan.

Place the pan in the oven and roast the baby for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the juices run clear. To test this, insert a thermometer in the thickest part of a leg. It should register at 160 degrees internal temperature. Remove the baby from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Pour off excess fat from pan and return to heat. Whisk in baby stock, roasted garlic, white wine and chopped rosemary, scraping up the bits on the bottom of pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce gravy by half, until thickened.

Serve baby with gravy on the side.

(Edit: substitute baby for chicken: recipe).