How long do the hens need to cook?

The hens are simmered covered in boiling, salted water until tender – from 1 to 4 hours depending on the age of the bird. Skim well when it comes to a boil.

Why should the hens sit in water for 4 hours first?

After plucking, singeing, drawing, and rinsing, the hens are placed in water for 4 hours. This draws out blood and gives cleaner meat and clearer stock. It is also the reason for the long total time of about 7 hours.

How is the sauce made?

150 g butter and 50 g all-purpose flour are stirred together and thinned with 1 liter of the strained, skimmed stock. The sauce simmers half an hour, and sugar, sherry, and cayenne are added. Just before serving it is thickened with 2 egg yolks whisked with 1 deciliter of cream – it must not boil then, or it will split.

How much asparagus is needed?

The recipe uses 1½ kg asparagus for 2 hens, serving 8.

Chicken with asparagus (poularde aux asperges) – recipe from 1914

About the dish

From the chapter "Poultry and game" in Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914). A festive French-style presentation, where boiled hen is served in a velvety, egg-thickened sauce made from the cooking stock, with piping-hot asparagus and decorative dishes of potato and pea purée.

How to make it

1
Prepare the hens
Pluck, singe, and clean the hens, rinse them well, and place them in cold water for 4 hours.
2
Boiling
Place the hens in boiling, salted water. Skim well when it comes to a boil, and let them simmer covered until tender – 1 to 4 hours depending on the age of the birds.
3
Stock
Take up the hens, rinse them with cold water, and keep them warm over steam. Strain the stock, let it stand half an hour, and skim off the fat.
4
Sauce
Stir the butter and flour together, thin with about 1 liter of the stock, and let the sauce simmer for half an hour. Season with sugar, sherry, and cayenne.
5
Thickening
Just before serving, whisk the egg yolks together with the cream and thicken the sauce with the mixture. The sauce must not boil afterward.
6
Chicken in the sauce
Cut the hens into neat pieces and warm them in the sauce without letting it boil.
7
Asparagus
Trim and cook the asparagus so it is ready at the same time as the sauce.
8
Presentation
Place a large, thick slice of white bread in the middle of the platter. Arrange the chicken pieces, coated with sauce, at each end of the platter. Set potato shells filled with potato or pea purée along the sides, and small molds of peas as well if you like. Place the piping-hot asparagus on the bread slice and in small bundles around the platter.

Changes from the original

Measurements have been converted to modern units (dl, g, kg). "Knife-tip" is interpreted as a pinch. The amount of stock for the sauce is given as about 1 liter where the original figure is unclear in the print. The sherry is retained, and the method has been divided into numbered steps.

Original 1914 recipe

Verbatim from the first edition of the Big Cookbook.

Facsimile of the 1914 page at the National Library of Norway — Foto: Faksimile: Nasjonalbiblioteket

ProofreadPage 281

2 høns 150 gr. smør 50 gr. hvetemel cayenne 1 knivsod sukker 1 del. sherry 2 eggeblommer 1 del. fløte 1½ kg. asparges. Hønsene plukkes, svides, aapnes, skylles godt, lægges i vand i 4 timer. Sættes over ilden i kokende, saltet vand, skummes godt, naar det koker op, smaakoker under lok, til hønsene er møre, 1—4 timer efter alderen. Hønsene tages op, skylles over med koldt vand, holdes varm over damp; kraften siles, staar ½ time; fettet skummes av. Smør og mel røres sammen, spædes med 1 l. av kraften, smaakoker ½ time, tilsættes sukker, vin og cayenne. Idet hønsene skal serveres, jevnes sausen med eggeblommerne, som er vispet sammen med fløten. Hønsene skjæres op i pene stykker, disse vannes i sausen, men skal ikke koke. Aspargeserne vannes eller kokes, saa de er færdige samtidig med sausen. En stor, tyk skive franskbrød lægges midt paa fatet, hønsestykkerne, overtrukket av saus, lægges omkring paa hver ende av fatet. Potetesskaaler, fyldt med potetes- eller ertepuré, sættes paa langsiden av fatet, likesaa timbalskaaler, fyldt med erter. Paa brødskiven og i smaabunker omkring paa fatet lægges de kokte, rykende hete asparges.

Revised 1949 recipe

From the revised edition of the Big Cookbook.

Facsimile of the 1949 page at the National Library of Norway — Foto: Faksimile: Nasjonalbiblioteket

ProofreadPage 312

2 høns 150 gr. smør 50 gr. hvetemel kajenne 1 knivsodd sukker 1 del. sherry 2 eggeplommer 1 del. fløte ½ kg. asparges Hønsene plukkes, svies, åpnes, skylles godt, legges i vann i 4 timer. Settes over varmen i kokende, saltet vann, skummes godt når det koker op, småkoker under lokk til hønsene er møre, 2—4 timer efter alderen. Hønsene tas op, skylles over med koldt vann, holdes varme over damp; kraften siles, står ½ time; fettet skummes av. Smør og mel røres sammen, speses med ¾ l. av kraften, småkoker ½ time, tilsettes sukker, vin og kajenne. Idet hønsene skal serveres, jevnes sausen med eggeplommene, som er vispet sammen med fløten. Hønsene skjæres op i pene stykker, disse varmes i sausen, men skal ikke koke. Aspargesene varmes eller kokes, så de er ferdige samtidig med sausen. En stor, tykk skive franskbrød legges midt på fatet, hønsestykkene, overtrukket av saus, legges omkring på hver ende av fatet. Potetskåler, fylt med potet- eller ertepuré, settes på langsiden av fatet, likeså timbalskåler, fylt med erter. På brødskiven og i småbunker omkring på fatet legges de kokte, rykende hete asparges.

Chicken with asparagus (poularde aux asperges)

About the dish

How to make it

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