DINING DURING THE REIGN OF LOUIS XIV:
A Taste for Luxury
Menu & Recipes
ENTRÉE
SALAD OF MIXED GREENS WITH MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
POTAGE
PEAS AND ASPARAGUS SOUP
CHICKEN BISQUE
PLATS PRINCIPAL
MONKFISH IN WINE AND BUTTER SAUCE
BOAR SAUSAGES
PLATS D’ACCOMPAGNEMENT
BRAISED CUCUMBERS
SPINACH WITH RAISINS AND AROMATIC SPICES
ENTREMETS
FRICASSEED ARTICHOKES
DESSERT
PEAR COMPOTE WITH CHANTILLY CREAM
PINEAPPLE SPONGE CAKES
CANDIED ORANGE PEELS
CHICKEN BISQUE
Though more commonly associated today with the creamy shellfish version, the bisque[1] was introduced in La Varenne’s 1651 cookbook as a dish made with squabs (pigeon) or capons (chicken) on a sop of toast. It was cooked in a ceramic pot and served as a potage offering towards the beginning of the meal.
The secret to delicious bisque is good quality broth. If you wish to be truly authentic, make your own chicken stock in advance by slow boiling half a chicken, covered with water, along with a few vegetables (carrot, onion, celery stalk) for little over an hour. That will provide you with both a good broth and the chicken meat you need for the rest of the dish.
INGREDIENTS:
Several ½ inch slices French country bread, enough to line bottom of large pan or ceramic pot
3 cups (16oz/450g) cooked chicken meat
3 cups (24oz/700ml) chicken stock
2 Tablespoons (1oz/30g) butter, softened
1 teaspoon each: ground cloves, salt, pepper
2 cups (8oz/225g) shredded Gruyere cheese
2-3 lemons, thinly sliced (for garnish)
PROCEDURE:
1. Toast bread slices in 100C/200F degree oven about 20 minutes, or until light golden brown.
2. Dice cooked chicken, set aside; meanwhile, warm chicken stock over low heat.
3. Spread butter on one side of toast slices; place butter side down in large pan or ceramic pot.
4. Brown toast in pan over medium heat about 5 minutes or until a crust forms on the bottom.
5. Spread half the diced chicken evenly over toast in pan; add pinch of cloves, salt, pepper.
6. Distribute half the Gruyere cheese on top of chicken meat in pan.
7. Repeat another layer of remaining chicken meat, pinch of spices, remaining cheese.
8. Pour hot chicken stock over layered ingredients in pan; cover tightly, lower heat.
9. Cook 20-30 minutes, until cheese is melted, stock absorbed, flavors well-mingled.
10. Remove from heat, allow to settle, covered, 10 minutes before cutting into serving portions.
11. Uncover pot, cut portions, garnish bisque with thinly sliced lemons; serve directly from pan.
Serves 4-6
[1] La Varenne, François. The French Cook, Chapter III, Recipe 1. From La Varenne’s Cookery, Terrance Scully, pg 134
BOAR SAUSAGE PATTIES
La Varenne modified earlier sausage recipes to reflect the new blend of flavors desired by his patrons, replacing some of the stronger medieval spices with natural herbs, and adding egg, milk and bread to the mix.[1] As alternative to links he suggests stuffing the tasty mixture into a small pig or turkey to be roasted; it can also be shaped into patties and pan-fried.
Since one of Louis XIV’s favorite activities was boar hunting, we can imagine there was plenty of boar meat around for making these delicious sausages. Boar meat today, if not hunted, can be acquired in certain markets and also off the Internet. Alternatively, beef can be substituted.
INGREDIENTS:
½ pound (225g) each: ground boar meat, ground pork
¼ pound (112g) very cold bacon
2 teaspoons (a few sprigs) each: minced fresh parsley, thyme, marjoram, sage
1 egg, beaten
1 cup (4oz/120g) soft breadcrumbs
¼ cup (2floz/60ml) milk
½ teaspoon each: ground cloves, ginger, salt, pepper
2 Tablespoons (1oz/30ml) olive oil, for frying
PROCEDURE:
1. Put ground boar, pork meat into a large mixing bowl.
2. Finely mince cold bacon, fresh herbs; add to meat in mixing bowl.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except oil); hand mix to amalgamate completely.
4. Form into small patties, 3” wide by 1” thick; place on parchment paper-lined tray.
5. Cover tray with foil; refrigerate at least half hour or as long as several hours.
6. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large frying pan; fry patties on both sides until browned.
7. Turn off heat, cover sausage patties; keep warm until time to serve.
Makes 12-15 patties
[1] La Varenne, François. The French Cook, Chapter V, Recipe 8-10. La Varenne’s Cookery, Terrance Scully, pg 159.
SAUTÉED CUCUMBERS
Cucumbers are native to India but were spread throughout Europe via the Greek and Roman empires. Charlemagne is said to have cultivated cucumbers in his 9th century French garden, and by the quantity of them seen in the borders of 16-17th century tapestries, they must have been very common indeed. Cucumbers were eaten raw in salads, pickled in spices and herbs, or, surprisingly, sautéed as in this delightful recipe from La Varenne’s 1651 cookbook[1].
INGREDIENTS:
2 English cucumbers (about 14oz/400g)
¼ cup (2oz/60g) butter
¼ cup (½oz/13g) minced onion
Salt and pepper, to taste
PROCEDURE:
1. Peel cucumbers; cut lengthwise into quarters, remove seeds, slice into half inch pieces.
2. Melt butter in a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat; add cucumbers, salt and pepper.
3. When cucumbers are warmed through, stir in minced onions.
4. Gently sauté for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until cucumber bits become translucent.
5. Serve in a warmed serving bowl.
Serves 4-6
[1] La Varenne, François. The French Cook, Chapter XX, Recipe 11. La Varenne’s Cookery, Terrance Scully, pg 306.
PINEAPPLE CAKES
La Varenne’s pastry cookbook, Le Patissier, written in 1653, proves that even pastry-making was moving in the direction of refinement and delicacy. This very light cake is the result of a new process by which eggs are separated and whipped with sugar and air[1]. A slice of pineapple is herein added to each small cake in honor of the Sun King who considered this recent arrival from the New World to be the King of Fruit, bearing its very own crown. Pineapples were often used as centerpieces in elaborate table dressings, and great pains were taken to grow them in the king’s kitchen garden at Versailles, which finally came to fruition under his successor’s reign.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tablespoon butter + 4 Tablespoons flour (to grease, dust baking tin)
1 pound (450g) fresh pineapple, cored and peeled
¼ cup (2oz/60g) butter
¾ cup (3oz/80g) flour
4 eggs, yolks and whites to be separated
2/3 cup (3oz/85g) sugar + 2 Tablespoons (25g) sugar, separate
Pinch of salt
Additional sugar to sprinkle on top of hot cakes, optional
PROCEDURE:
1. Grease two 12-muffin baking tins with butter; dust with flour, tapping off excess flour.
2. Cut pineapple into ¼ inch slices, then into fan-shaped pieces; place one in each muffin space.
3. Melt ¼ cup butter in small saucepan, set aside to cool; measure flour precisely into a sifter.
4. Carefully separate egg yolks from whites, placing them in separate mixing bowls.
5. Gradually beat 2/3 cup sugar into the egg yolks with wire whisk; continue beating vigorously
for several minutes until mixture is thick and pale yellow; set aside.
6. Beat egg whites and pinch of salt in separate mixing bowl with electric mixer; when soft
peaks form, sprinkle on the final 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating to stiff peaks.
7. With large rubber scraper, scoop one fourth of stiff egg whites onto egg yolk/sugar mixture.
8. Sift in one fourth of the flour; delicately fold in with rubber scraper until partially blended.
9. Add one third of remaining stiff egg whites; sift on one third of remaining flour; fold again
until partially blended, and repeat with half of each, again folding gently to partial blending.
10. Add all remaining egg white and flour plus half the melted butter; continue gentle blending.
11. Finally blend in remaining melted butter, holding back milky residue at bottom of pan, and
taking care not to overmix; egg whites need to retain volume for cake to be spongy.
12. Gently spoon batter into muffin tin, covering pineapple and halfway filling each space.
13. Bake 20 minutes, or until slightly puffed, golden brown, beginning to pull away from sides.
14. Let cakes rest in pan 5 minutes before nudging out with blunt knife, then cooling on rack.
Makes 20-24 small cakes
[1] La Varenne, François. French Pastry Chef, Chapter XXIX, Recipe 5. La Varenne’s Cookery, Terrance Scully, pg 462.