flipPotage à la Reine
Potage à la Reine
Why this dish? This creamy soup, reputed to be gentle on the stomach, opened the midday dinner before Adélaïde went back up to her studio on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré: a nourishing but light meal that would not weigh on the eye or the hand during a long sitting.
A pale velouté of chicken breast and pounded almonds, bound with breadcrumbs and egg yolks. A 'health' recipe found in all bourgeois cookbooks of the century, served warm in a deep plate.
You see, Sir, before I take up my brushes again I need a dish that restores without weighing down, for no one can hold the pastel with a steady hand on a full stomach. This soup—my almonds and chicken breast long pounded in the mortar—I want it as white as the ivory I paint in miniature. They call it queen's soup, and truly the Ladies at Versailles did not disdain such a one. A warm spoonful, not hot, and the mind stays clear for the whole afternoon.
- •Cooked capon or pullet breast — flesh of half a bird (base of the binder)
- •Blanched sweet almonds — two good handfuls (thickener and flavor)
- •Stale breadcrumbs — a crumb soaked in broth (binder)
- •Fresh egg yolks — three or four (final velouté)
- •Good chicken broth — as needed (liquid)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Potage à la Reine
A pale velouté of chicken breast and pounded almonds, bound with breadcrumbs and egg yolks. A 'health' recipe found in all bourgeois cookbooks of the century, served warm in a deep plate.
Why this dish? This creamy soup, reputed to be gentle on the stomach, opened the midday dinner before Adélaïde went back up to her studio on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré: a nourishing but light meal that would not weigh on the eye or the hand during a long sitting.
You see, Sir, before I take up my brushes again I need a dish that restores without weighing down, for no one can hold the pastel with a steady hand on a full stomach. This soup—my almonds and chicken breast long pounded in the mortar—I want it as white as the ivory I paint in miniature. They call it queen's soup, and truly the Ladies at Versailles did not disdain such a one. A warm spoonful, not hot, and the mind stays clear for the whole afternoon.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cooked capon or pullet breast — flesh of half a bird (base of the binder)
- Blanched sweet almonds — two good handfuls (thickener and flavor)
- Stale breadcrumbs — a crumb soaked in broth (binder)
- Fresh egg yolks — three or four (final velouté)
- Good chicken broth — as needed (liquid)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts — 250 g (base of the binder)
- Ground almonds — 100 g (thickener and flavor)
- White bread without crust — 2 slices (binder)
- Chicken broth — 1 liter (liquid)
- Egg yolks — 3 (final velouté)
- Crème fraîche — 100 ml (creaminess)
- Salt, white pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Poach the chicken breasts in the broth for about 20 minutes, then drain.
- Soak the bread in a little hot broth.
- Finely blend the chicken meat, ground almonds, and soaked bread with a ladleful of broth until smooth.
- Stir this paste into the remaining hot broth and let it simmer gently without boiling.
- Beat the yolks with the cream, add a ladleful of hot soup to temper them, then pour everything back into the saucepan off the heat.
- Stir until slightly thickened, season with salt and white pepper, and serve warm.
How it was made : The chicken meat and blanched almonds were long pounded in a mortar, then passed through a fine sieve for a perfectly smooth texture. Legend attributes this soup to the taste of queens of France; it appears in Menon's *La Cuisinière bourgeoise* (1746) as a delicate and fortifying soup.
The contemporary twist : A few toasted slivered almonds and a drizzle of hazelnut oil on top, like a touch of light pastel on a dark background.
Sources : Menon, La Cuisinière bourgeoise (1746) · Vincent La Chapelle, Le Cuisinier moderne (1735)
Adélaïde Labille-Guiard · Charactorium
