Couleis of Hen for the Ailing
Clear golden chicken broth, long-simmered then strained, thickened with egg yolk and verjuice — the comfort brought to the sick and wounded.
Clear golden chicken broth, long-simmered then strained, thickened with egg yolk and verjuice — the comfort brought to the sick and wounded.
That knight you see pale on his bed, I will not let him go. No heavy meat for one who has no strength: a couleis, that is what he needs. A fat hen boiled in much water until it yields all its soul, the broth strained clear as the water of my lake, bound with an egg yolk and a dash of verjuice. Make him drink it in small sips: what the blade has undone, the broth will mend.
- •Fat hen — one bird (nourishing base)
- •Clear water — in abundance (broth)
- •Egg yolk — one or two (thickener)
- •Verjuice — a dash (fine acidity)
- •Saffron and salt — to taste (color and seasoning)
Couleis of Hen for the Ailing
Clear golden chicken broth, long-simmered then strained, thickened with egg yolk and verjuice — the comfort brought to the sick and wounded.
Why this dish? Viviane is also an enchantress-healer: she tends, advises, and watches over wounded heroes. The "couleis," a long-strained chicken broth given to the sick and convalescent, is the table remedy that befits a benevolent fairy leaning over a knight at death's door.
That knight you see pale on his bed, I will not let him go. No heavy meat for one who has no strength: a couleis, that is what he needs. A fat hen boiled in much water until it yields all its soul, the broth strained clear as the water of my lake, bound with an egg yolk and a dash of verjuice. Make him drink it in small sips: what the blade has undone, the broth will mend.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fat hen — one bird (nourishing base)
- Clear water — in abundance (broth)
- Egg yolk — one or two (thickener)
- Verjuice — a dash (fine acidity)
- Saffron and salt — to taste (color and seasoning)
Ingredients
- Stewing hen (or farm chicken thighs) — 1 (or 800 g) (base)
- Water — 2 liters (broth)
- Leek, onion, parsley — 1 each + bouquet (aromatics)
- Egg yolk — 2 (thickener)
- Verjuice (or lemon juice) — 1 tbsp (acidity)
- Saffron and salt — 1 pinch + to taste (color and flavor)
Method
- Place the hen in cold water with the aromatics; bring to a simmer and skim.
- Cook at a gentle simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat falls off the bone.
- Strain the broth finely ("pass it"), degrease, and infuse with saffron. Season with salt.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the verjuice.
- Pour a little hot broth over the yolks while whisking, then return the mixture to the pot off the heat (do not boil again, or the egg will curdle).
- Serve the couleis very hot in a cup or bowl, to be drunk in small sips.
How it was made : Medieval medicine, inherited from humoral theory, recommended "light" and easily digestible foods for the sick: clear broths, couleis (from Old French for "that which flows, is strained"), and strained poultry. Thickened with egg yolk and sharpened with verjuice, they nourished without "burdening" the weakened stomach. This is the direct ancestor of our comforting broth.
The contemporary twist : Served in a small cup like a golden consommé, topped with shredded chicken and a veil of saffron: "the Lady of the Lake's remedy."
Sources : Le Viandier de Taillevent (14th c.) · Medieval health regimens (humoral theory)
The Lady of the Lake · Charactorium