Capon Blancmange
Shredded capon meat bound with almond milk and rice, flavored with ginger and a touch of sugar. A pale and noble velouté, both savory and gently sweet, crowned with golden almonds.
Shredded capon meat bound with almond milk and rice, flavored with ginger and a touch of sugar. A pale and noble velouté, both savory and gently sweet, crowned with golden almonds.
Approach, and see this dish that my carver set before me on days of rejoicing. When I was brought to Reims to anoint my brow with the holy chrism, tables were laid for Us where this blancmange reigned, pale as January snow. The secret, mark it well: you must pound the almond until it yields its milk, and put no spice in until the capon's flesh is melted. An ounce of sugar, not too much, for the king tastes measure in all things. Eat of it, and think that a kingdom is retaken mouthful by mouthful, as this dish binds itself spoonful after spoonful.
- •Capon (or fat hen) — a fine bird (shredded meat, base of the dish)
- •Sweet almonds — a good handful per guest (pounded into almond milk)
- •Rice — a little (thickener (ground into flour or cooked until soft))
- •Sugar — one ounce (prestige sweetness)
- •White ginger — pinch (signature spice)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Capon Blancmange
Shredded capon meat bound with almond milk and rice, flavored with ginger and a touch of sugar. A pale and noble velouté, both savory and gently sweet, crowned with golden almonds.
Why this dish? A prestigious dish of great tables, white and delicate, that could be served at feasts surrounding the coronation of Charles VII at Reims in 1429. Its immaculate whiteness and rare spices befitted the majesty of a king finally crowned.
Approach, and see this dish that my carver set before me on days of rejoicing. When I was brought to Reims to anoint my brow with the holy chrism, tables were laid for Us where this blancmange reigned, pale as January snow. The secret, mark it well: you must pound the almond until it yields its milk, and put no spice in until the capon's flesh is melted. An ounce of sugar, not too much, for the king tastes measure in all things. Eat of it, and think that a kingdom is retaken mouthful by mouthful, as this dish binds itself spoonful after spoonful.
Ingredients (period version)
- Capon (or fat hen) — a fine bird (shredded meat, base of the dish)
- Sweet almonds — a good handful per guest (pounded into almond milk)
- Rice — a little (thickener (ground into flour or cooked until soft))
- Sugar — one ounce (prestige sweetness)
- White ginger — pinch (signature spice)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Chicken breast or capon — 400 g (poached then shredded meat)
- Unsweetened almond milk — 600 ml (creamy base)
- Almond flour — 50 g (reinforces almond flavor)
- Rice flour — 40 g (thickener)
- Sugar — 1 tablespoon (sweetness)
- Ground ginger — 1/2 teaspoon (spice)
- Slivered almonds — 30 g (toasted garnish)
- Salt — 1/2 teaspoon (seasoning)
Method
- Poach the chicken in lightly salted water until tender, then shred finely with a fork.
- Heat the almond milk with almond flour without boiling.
- Dissolve the rice flour in a little cold almond milk, then whisk into the warm milk until thickened.
- Add the shredded chicken, sugar, ginger, and salt; simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring.
- Toast the slivered almonds dry in a pan until golden.
- Mound the blancmange in a pale dome and scatter with toasted almonds.
How it was made : The blancmange appears in Taillevent's *Viandier* and the *Ménagier de Paris*. Medieval, it was savory (not the dessert we know today): almonds were pounded long in a mortar to extract the milk, and the whiteness of the dish was a sign of refinement. It was sometimes enhanced with pomegranate or anise.
The contemporary twist : Serve as a sauced quenelle, sprinkled with toasted almonds and a grating of fresh ginger, as a nod to the "royal white" of yesteryear.
Sources : Le Viandier de Taillevent · Le Ménagier de Paris (vers 1393)
Charles VII · Charactorium