flipCreamed Fricassée of Pullet
Creamed Fricassée of Pullet
Why this dish? At Cirey, Émilie and Voltaire hosted guests and scholars around refined dishes, blending gastronomy and philosophical conversation. The creamy fricassée of chicken, white and delicate, was the elegant entrée par excellence of good Enlightenment households.
Pieces of pullet simmered in a white sauce bound with egg yolk and cream, perfumed with mushrooms and a hint of nutmeg. A velvety entrée, signature of the nascent great French cuisine.
When I held salon at Cirey and needed to nourish my guests' minds as much as their appetites, this fricassée was brought in. The secret, mark it well: the sauce must never boil once the yolks and cream are added, otherwise it curdles and all is lost — it is a matter of measure and heat, as in physics. It must be white, smooth, not too highly seasoned, so that conversation remains the main dish.
- •A pullet, cut into pieces — 1 fine bird (tender meat)
- •Butter — a good piece (gentle cooking)
- •Mushrooms — a handful (garnish, umami)
- •Fresh cream — a glass (velvety binding)
- •Egg yolks — 2 or 3 (binding)
- •Nutmeg, salt, white pepper — a pinch (seasoning)
- •Bouquet of herbs (parsley, chives) — one bouquet (fragrance)
Creamed Fricassée of Pullet
Pieces of pullet simmered in a white sauce bound with egg yolk and cream, perfumed with mushrooms and a hint of nutmeg. A velvety entrée, signature of the nascent great French cuisine.
Why this dish? At Cirey, Émilie and Voltaire hosted guests and scholars around refined dishes, blending gastronomy and philosophical conversation. The creamy fricassée of chicken, white and delicate, was the elegant entrée par excellence of good Enlightenment households.
When I held salon at Cirey and needed to nourish my guests' minds as much as their appetites, this fricassée was brought in. The secret, mark it well: the sauce must never boil once the yolks and cream are added, otherwise it curdles and all is lost — it is a matter of measure and heat, as in physics. It must be white, smooth, not too highly seasoned, so that conversation remains the main dish.
Ingredients (period version)
- A pullet, cut into pieces — 1 fine bird (tender meat)
- Butter — a good piece (gentle cooking)
- Mushrooms — a handful (garnish, umami)
- Fresh cream — a glass (velvety binding)
- Egg yolks — 2 or 3 (binding)
- Nutmeg, salt, white pepper — a pinch (seasoning)
- Bouquet of herbs (parsley, chives) — one bouquet (fragrance)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs and breasts (free-range) — 1 kg (meat)
- Butter — 40 g (cooking)
- White mushrooms — 250 g (garnish)
- Thick fresh cream — 200 ml (binding)
- Egg yolks — 2 (binding)
- Chicken broth — 300 ml (sauce)
- Nutmeg, salt, white pepper — to taste (seasoning)
- Parsley and chives — 2 tbsp (fragrance)
Method
- Gently fry the chicken pieces in butter without browning (white cooking).
- Add the sliced mushrooms, let sweat for a few minutes.
- Pour in the broth, season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Beat the egg yolks with the cream in a bowl.
- Remove the pan from high heat, pour in the cream-yolk mixture while stirring, then return to VERY low heat without ever boiling, until the sauce coats the spoon.
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve immediately.
How it was made : The white fricassée bound with egg yolks is one of the emblematic preparations of 18th-century French cuisine, theorized in *Les Dons de Comus* (1739) which advocated a lighter, more 'learned' cuisine than the previous century. Mastering the heat to prevent the binding from curdling was the mark of a good cook.
The contemporary twist : A few tips of fresh tarragon and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end lighten the sauce and bring it closer to a modern blanquette.
Sources : Les Dons de Comus, 1739 · Vincent La Chapelle, Le Cuisinier moderne, 1735 · Massialot, Le Cuisinier roïal et bourgeois, 1691
Émilie du Châtelet · Charactorium
