Fricassée de poularde au verjus for the grand couvert
Poached poultry bound with a white sauce made with verjus and mushrooms, as in the fine stews of 18th-century court cuisine.
Poached poultry bound with a white sauce made with verjus and mushrooms, as in the fine stews of 18th-century court cuisine.
Picture the table laid, the court watching me dine — that is the grand couvert, and I admit one eats little under so many eyes. Among dozens of dishes, I gladly taste this fricassee of poularde: the meat is tender, the white sauce brightened with a dash of verjus, never heavy. My cook binds it with egg yolk off the heat, for a sauce that curdles is a shame at Versailles. Take a white piece with some mushrooms, and think that beneath the pomp, I loved only delicacy.
- •Poularde — a fine specimen (base)
- •Verjus — a dash (acidité)
- •Champignons de couche — a handful (garniture)
- •Beurre frais — a portion (liaison)
- •Jaunes d'œufs — two (liaison)
- •Bouquet d'herbes et muscade — to taste (parfum)
Fricassée de poularde au verjus for the grand couvert
Poached poultry bound with a white sauce made with verjus and mushrooms, as in the fine stews of 18th-century court cuisine.
Why this dish? During the 'grands couverts', the royal family dined in public at Versailles before the court, among dozens of dishes served in pyramids. A fine fricassee of poultry was typical of these court entrées, and the queen, who ate little on these very theatrical occasions, would willingly pick at a chicken in a light sauce.
Picture the table laid, the court watching me dine — that is the grand couvert, and I admit one eats little under so many eyes. Among dozens of dishes, I gladly taste this fricassee of poularde: the meat is tender, the white sauce brightened with a dash of verjus, never heavy. My cook binds it with egg yolk off the heat, for a sauce that curdles is a shame at Versailles. Take a white piece with some mushrooms, and think that beneath the pomp, I loved only delicacy.
Ingredients (period version)
- Poularde — a fine specimen (base)
- Verjus — a dash (acidité)
- Champignons de couche — a handful (garniture)
- Beurre frais — a portion (liaison)
- Jaunes d'œufs — two (liaison)
- Bouquet d'herbes et muscade — to taste (parfum)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs and breasts (free-range) — 1 kg (base)
- Verjus (or sour grape juice / mild lemon juice) — 3 tablespoons (acidité)
- Button mushrooms — 250 g (garniture)
- Butter — 40 g (liaison)
- Flour — 30 g (liaison)
- Egg yolks — 2 (liaison)
- Chicken stock — 500 ml (liquide)
- Nutmeg, bouquet garni, salt — to taste (parfum)
Method
- Gently sauté the chicken pieces in butter without browning, then add stock and the bouquet garni; poach until tender.
- Separately sweat the sliced mushrooms in butter.
- Prepare a white roux (butter + flour), then whisk in the cooking stock to make a velvety sauce.
- Add the mushrooms and verjus; season with salt and nutmeg.
- Off the heat, bind with beaten egg yolks; do not boil again.
- Nap the chicken with the white sauce and serve immediately.
How it was made : Verjus (juice of unripe grapes) was the common acidulant in court cuisine; lemon was still an expensive imported luxury. The books of Menon (La Cuisine bourgeoise, 1746) and Marin codify these fricassées 'à la sauce blanche' bound with egg yolk. The pyramids of dishes in service à la française required foods that held at temperature on the table.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a small individual cocotte with a golden crouton: the miniature 'grand couvert' version for today's table.
Marie-Antoinette · Charactorium
