Category Archives: Louis Eustache Ude’s “The French Cook”

19th Century French Lemon Meringues a la Ude

Desserts, Egg Dishes, Historical Recipes, History of 19th Century French Foods, History of Healthy Eating Habits, Louis Eustache Ude's "The French Cook" 2 Comments
Meringues a la Ude

meringues a la Ude

This is the third and final post on my simple 19th century French dinner.  These tart, gluten-free meringues a la Ude are a summer delight!  They are easy to prepare, though it takes about one hour of light labor; a child can follow these care-free steps of preparation.

These lemon meringues are effortless, because it’s another recipe from Louis Eustache Ude’s The French Cook, 1813; the lemon filling, however, is mine.  Ude also created the easy, delightful chicken a l’oignon of this series (see 2016/07/04).

This man’s incredible mind conceived elegant foods with the simplest preparations. His extraordinary talent placed him in the illustrious palace of King Louis XVI, before the fall of the monarchy; after his escape in 1795, he taught England his secrets.

Teaching young Nat how to cook.

teaching young Nate how to make meringues

I discovered this privileged information in Esther B. Aresty’s The Delectable Past  (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964).  This recipe is even easier for us today than it was for Ude’s followers, for we have the electric mixer to beat the egg whites!

Organic cane sugar works well for this receipt.  Nevertheless you may use regular refined cane sugar (C & H is a good brand.)

I tried to make the meringues with coconut sugar, which was a huge disaster. Sucanat, evaporated cane juice, doesn’t work either, as it is not fine enough to be incorporated in the beaten egg whites.  So stick with cane sugar, using either organic or regular.

19th century French costumeThis post includes a photo of my period costume for my 19th century French meals, which I wear when doing public events.  It is very beautiful, though it is quite bulky on me now, for I weighed 226 pounds when my costume designer fashioned it.

My Lord has healed my body and mind!  The result is a very voluminous dress on my small frame, which is joy unspeakable-health and more health!

 

Meringues a la Ude with Lemon Filling Adapted from a recipe in Esther B. Aresty’s The Delectable Past (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964).  Yields: 1 dozen gluten-free meringues.  Total prep time: 1 3/4 hr/  active prep time: 1 hr/  baking time: 1 hr.

3 large egg whites (save 2 yolks for filling)

2 pinches salt

1 cup of sugar (Organic cane sugar is best; available in a 2 pound package at Trader Joe’s, or in a cheaper 10 pound bag at Costco.)

1/2 tsp lemon or orange extract, optional

  1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
  2. Separate egg whites in a large bowl (save 2 yolks).  Add salt and beat the whites until quite stiff, using an electric mixer.
  3. Add sugar very slowly-a scant teaspoon at a time-keeping the beaters going constantly.  As whites get really thick, after about 3/4 cup of sugar is added, increase additions to 2 tablespoons at a time.  When all the sugar is incorporated, continue to beat for several minutes.  Mix in optional extract.
  4. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper; spoon egg whites on the paper in small mounds, about 2 1/2 inches long, in the shape of an egg.
  5. Bake for about 60-70 minutes, or until golden brown and rather sturdy.
  6. While warm, gently cut an indentation in the meringue with a small sharp knife.  Scooping delicately with your finger, make a hollow in each.
  7. Set aside and cool completely.
  8. Fill each meringue with lemon filling just before serving.

Lemon Filling (about 3 cups, enough for a dozen meringues)

3 medium organic lemons  (Regular lemons will have taste of pesticides.)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar  (Organic cane sugar is best.)

1/4 tsp salt

2 cup cold water

2 large egg yolks

2 tbsp of butter

  1. Clean and zest lemons; juice and set aside.
  2. Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium sauce pan.
  3. Add water; mix well with a wire whisk.
  4. Beat in egg yolks thoroughly.
  5. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly; continue boiling for 1 minute more, or until thickened.
  6. Add butter, lemon zest, and juice; blend well with whisk.
  7. Remove from heat. Cool in refrigerator, covering the top of filling with a piece of plastic wrap, once cool.
  8. Spoon filling into meringues just before serving.
  9. Serve open face.  The tart, yellow lemon filling shouts summer’s blessings!

Chicken a l’Oignon

Bone Broth, Chicken Recipes, Diabetic Friendly Recipes, Entrees, Historical Recipes, History of 19th Century French Foods, Louis Eustache Ude's "The French Cook" Leave a comment
Preparation of Chicken a l'Oignon

preparation of Chicken a l’Oignon

I will be giving easy recipes for a complete 19th century French dinner over the next three posts.  The main entrée for this meal is Chicken a l’Oignon (chicken with onion); this receipt was created by Louis Eustache Ude, chef to King Louis XVI, at the time of the French Revolution.

Our chef of renown escaped France during the tumult and moved to England; here he wrote the cookbook The French Cook, published in 1813.  His English was poor; thus, he lapsed into his native tongue when he couldn’t recall the proper English words; the title Chicken a l’Oignon demonstrates this trait of Ude.

His food preparations tended to be very simple and exceptionally elegant, of which the following is a perfect example.  Here thinly sliced onion is stuffed under the skin over the breast meat of a roaster; you do this by gently making a cavity under the skin with your hand; hence, the onion juices seep into this succulent meat, as it is roasted to perfection.  The results are tantalizing!

The ease with which you make this dish will astound you. Trust me it will become a family favorite.

Be sure to save the carcass for bone broth; instructions for this are given in Tortellini Sausage Soup; meanwhile freeze your leftover carcasses, until you have the needed three for the recipe.

Note: Bone broth is a power food, extremely high in protein; it is packed with nutrients that aid the digestive system and build up your adrenal glands; one cup of regular chicken stock has one gram of protein, while one cup of bone broth has nine grams of this essential food item!  The manner of preparation makes all the difference in producing these two diverse broths.  Buying prepared bone broth is highly expensive, while making your own is practically free!

Chicken a l’Oignon   Adapted from a recipe in Esther B. Aresty’s The Delectable Past (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964).  Yields about 5 servings.  Total prep time: about 2 1/4 hr/  active prep time: 10 min/  cooking time: about 1 3/4 hr/  inactive prep time: 15 min.

4 ½-5 pound chicken  (Foster Farms is all-natural and inexpensive.)

1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced thinly

Spray oil

Salt and pepper  (Real Salt is best; available in the health section of your local supermarket.)

Steamed brown rice  (I prefer basmati brown rice.)

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Wash the inside of the chicken.  (Note: it isn’t necessary to wash meat, which is cut; only whole fowl, where blood is caught inside the carcass.)
  3. Cut off excess fat at neck; salt and pepper inside of chicken.
  4. Gently working your hand under the skin, make a cavity between the skin and the breast meat.  Go down into the thigh meat with your fingers, being careful to not tear skin.
  5. Gently stuff onion slices in the cavity over the breast meat, pushing them down over the thigh meat area by the legs.
  6. Using a cheap, canola spray oil, thoroughly spray the inside and top (also the underside of upper rack and edges) of a broiler pan; this makes cleaning extremely easy!
  7. Place chicken on pan, salt and pepper generously.
  8. Put in oven, reducing heat to 350 degrees immediately.  Bake for 20 minutes for each pound; temperature should be 165 degrees when done-legs should move fairly freely and juices should come forth, when skin is pierced.
  9. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
  10. Serve with steamed brown rice.