How long does the hen need to cook?

The hen is boiled in 1 1/4 liters of boiling water over low heat until tender – 2 to 4 hours depending on the age of the bird. Total time for the dish is around 3.5 hours.

What flavors the stock?

After the stock is skimmed, add 20 g onion, 1 clove, a small bay leaf, 2 peppercorns, a bunch of parsley, and 5 g salt.

How is the sauce made?

70 g butter and 25 g all-purpose flour are stirred together and thinned with the strained, skimmed stock to a smooth sauce of the right consistency, which simmers for 10 minutes. Half the sauce is finished (enriched) with 2 egg yolks and 2 spoonfuls of cream, and canned mushrooms are used in the dish.

Why is the hen rinsed after boiling?

As soon as the hen is taken out of the stock, it is rinsed with lukewarm water to remove scum and fat before it is cut into serving-size pieces.

Chicken à la royale (poularde à la royale)

Name: Chicken à la royale (poularde à la royale)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 50 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 1 pcs hen (cleaned and soaked); 1.25 l water (boiling); 20 g onion; 1 pcs clove; 1 pcs bay leaf (small); 2 pcs peppercorns; 1 bunch parsley; 5 g salt (about 1 tsp); 70 g butter; 25 g all-purpose flour; 1 can button mushrooms (about 200 g, drained); 2 pcs egg yolks; 2 tbsp cream

Erken's Chicken à la royale (1914): a whole hen (poularde, a plump young hen) is simmered tender for 2–4 hours in stock with onion, clove, bay, peppercorns, parsley, and salt. A white sauce of 70 g butter and 25 g flour thinned with the stock; half is enriched with egg yolks and cream and served on the side, the rest is used to warm the cut-up chicken and button mushrooms.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 283 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

From the chapter "Poultry and game" in Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914). Boiled hen was a festive Sunday dish, and "à la royale" reflects the French influence on Norwegian bourgeois party food.

How to make it

1
Set the hen to cook
Place the cleaned, soaked hen in boiling water. Skim well once it comes to a boil.
2
Season the stock
Add the onion, clove, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley, and salt.
3
Simmer until tender
Let the hen simmer gently over low heat until tender, 2–4 hours depending on its age.
4
Make the sauce
Stir the butter and flour together and thin with the strained, skimmed stock until you have a smooth sauce of the right consistency. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
5
Cut up the hen
Lift the hen out of the stock, rinse it at once with lukewarm water, and cut it into serving-size pieces.
6
Plate the dish
Set aside half the sauce and enrich it with the egg yolks and cream; serve it on the side. Warm the chicken meat and mushrooms in the rest of the sauce and arrange on a slightly deep platter.

Changes from the original

Measurements have been converted to modern units (grams, dl, tbsp). "2 spoonfuls of cream" is interpreted as 2 tablespoons. "1 can of mushrooms" is estimated at 1 can of about 200 g (drained about 150 g). The method has been divided into numbered steps in modern language; otherwise unchanged.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does the hen need to cook?: The hen is boiled in 1 1/4 liters of boiling water over low heat until tender – 2 to 4 hours depending on the age of the bird. Total time for the dish is around 3.5 hours.
What flavors the stock?: After the stock is skimmed, add 20 g onion, 1 clove, a small bay leaf, 2 peppercorns, a bunch of parsley, and 5 g salt.
How is the sauce made?: 70 g butter and 25 g all-purpose flour are stirred together and thinned with the strained, skimmed stock to a smooth sauce of the right consistency, which simmers for 10 minutes. Half the sauce is finished (enriched) with 2 egg yolks and 2 spoonfuls of cream, and canned mushrooms are used in the dish.
Why is the hen rinsed after boiling?: As soon as the hen is taken out of the stock, it is rinsed with lukewarm water to remove scum and fat before it is cut into serving-size pieces.

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