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Chicken in chaud-froid sauce (poularde en chaud-froid)

A classic cold party dish from Erken's Stor kokebok (1914, p. 297): cut fillets of boiled, cold hens are coated in a gelatin-set béchamel (chaud-froid), decorated with tarragon and truffle, glazed with aspic, and arranged with salad and stuffed mushroom caps, ideally in a carved block of ice.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 297 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

A classic French-inspired party dish from the poultry and game chapter of Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914). Chaud-froid was the kitchen's showpiece in bourgeois social life: cold, boiled poultry coated in a white sauce that sets, decorated with truffle and tarragon and glazed with aspic. The presentation on a carved block of ice shows how theatrical the cold buffet could be before the age of the refrigerator.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Cut up the hens

    When the hens are completely cold, cut out the fillets. Cut each fillet into 2 or 3 pieces depending on size, and place them on a rack over a platter.

  2. 2

    Make the chaud-froid sauce

    Place the gelatin in a little cold water until soft. Squeeze out the water and dissolve it in the warm béchamel sauce. Stir the sauce until it is cold and begins to thicken.

  3. 3

    Coat the chicken pieces

    Pour the thickening sauce evenly over the chicken pieces so they are completely coated. Season the sauce with salt before pouring it over.

  4. 4

    Decorate

    Decorate each piece with tarragon leaves and thin truffle slices while the sauce is still a little tacky.

  5. 5

    Glaze with aspic

    Once the sauce is completely set, carefully drip the cold, dissolved aspic over it with a teaspoon, layer by layer, until the pieces are glossy.

  6. 6

    Fill the mushrooms

    Fill the boiled mushroom caps with truffle purée, or with a mixture of finely chopped tongue, truffle, cucumber, and hard-boiled egg white stirred together with a little chopped jelly.

  7. 7

    Presentation

    Arrange the chicken pieces against a mound of salad greens and surround them with the stuffed mushroom caps. To follow the original exactly, just before serving set the platter in a carved block of ice placed on a dish with a napkin underneath.

Changes from the original

Measurements have been converted to modern units (liters/deciliters, grams, sheet format for gelatin). The amount of béchamel sauce was unclear in the original text and has been set at 5 dl. "Hard-boiled egg white" and the other garnishes are listed as separate ingredients. The method has been divided into numbered steps, and the ice-block presentation is described as optional.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1949 (proofread, p. 330) → Modernised~88% of the text changedremovedadded
2 stk kokte, kolde høns ½ l. kalde høner (avkjølt helt). 5 dl bechamelsaus ¾ l. aspic (mengden er utydelig i originalen). 2,5 dl aspik (klar, oppløst og avkjølt). 30 gr. g gelatin champignons tomat. (ca. 6 plater). estragon (friske blader til dekor). trøffel (i skiver, samt til puré). 8 stk champignoner (store, kokte hatter til fylling). salat (til opplegg). 50 g kokt tunge (finhakket, til fyllet). 0,5 stk agurk (finhakket, til fyllet). 2 stk hardkokte eggehviter (finhakket, til fyllet). salt. Når hønsene hønene er kolde, utskjæres filetene, og helt kalde, skjærer du ut filetene. Del hver af disse skjæres filet i 2 eller 3 deler efter størrelsen. Gelatinen trekker stykker etter størrelsen, og legg dem på rist over et fat.. Legg gelatinen i litt kaldt vann, opløses derefter vann til den er bløt. Kryst av vannet og løs den opp i den varme bechamelsaus, røres i til bechamelsausen. Rør sausen til den er kald, helles kald og begynner å tykne.. Hell den tyknende sausen jevnt over hønsestykkene. hønsestykkene så de blir helt dekket. Smak sausen til med salt før den helles over.. Pynt hvert stykke med estragonblader og tynne trøffelskiver mens sausen ennå er litt klebrig.. Når sausen er ganske helt stiv, helles drypper du forsiktig den kolde opløste aspic over, benytt kalde, oppløste aspiken over med en teskje teskje, lag for lag, til å dryppe over med. Legges op mot stykkene er blanke.. Fyll de kokte champignonhattene med trøffelpuré, eller med en høide af salat, omgis blanding av finhakket tunge, trøffel, agurk og hardkokt eggehvite rørt sammen med champignons litt hakket gelé.. Legg hønsestykkene opp mot en forhøyning av salat og tomater. Serveres iskald. Fatet kan omgi dem med de fylte champignonhattene. Vil du følge originalen helt, settes fatet kort før anretningen stilles servering i en uthugget isblokk. isblokk lagt på et fat med serviett under.

Note on Modernised

Mål er omregnet til moderne enheter (liter/desiliter, gram, plateformat på gelatin). Mengden bechamelsaus var utydelig i originalteksten og er satt til 5 dl. «Haardkokt eggehvite» og øvrige garnityr er ført opp som egne ingredienser. Fremgangsmåten er delt i nummererte trinn, og anretning på isblokk er beskrevet som valgfri.

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Frequently asked questions

What is chaud-froid sauce?
In this recipe it is a béchamel sauce (½ l) with dissolved gelatin (30 g) added, stirred until cold and poured over the cold chicken pieces so it sets into an even, glossy layer.
Which parts of the hens are used?
The fillets are cut from two boiled, cold hens, and each fillet is divided into 2 or 3 pieces depending on size.
How is the aspic applied?
Wait until the chaud-froid sauce is completely set, then carefully pour the cold, dissolved aspic (¼ l) over it – use a teaspoon to drip it on.
How is the dish served?
The pieces are arranged against a mound of salad greens and surrounded by mushroom cups filled with truffle purée or a mixture of finely chopped tongue, truffle, cucumber, and hard-boiled egg white mixed with a little chopped jelly. The dish is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 297.

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