The table of former times,
The Recipe

Soubtil Brouet d’Anglais (Chicken broth with chestnuts)

Period: Middle Ages / Category: entry

The Housekeeper of Paris (around 1393)

Ingredients

for 6 persons :

  • 250 g pre-cooked and peeled chestnuts
  • 3 hard-boiled eggs (only use the yolks)
  • 1 or 2 chicken livers* (according to your taste)
  • 2 liters of chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon powdered cloves (or 2 crushed cloves**)
  • 1/4 teaspoon seeds of paradise **
  • 1/4 teaspoon long pepper **
  • 1/4 teaspoon garingal powder ( powdered galangal )
  • 1 pod of saffron

The preparation

1- Grind the livers, chestnuts and hard-boiled egg yolks in a blender.

2- Add all the spices.

3- Add a ladle of chicken stock and give the blender a quick whirl to mix well.

4- Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and add the rest of the broth.

5- Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for 5 minutes.

6- Check the seasoning.

7- Serve very hot with bread croutons and saffron pistils for decoration.

Annotations

  • * The original recipe calls for the use of pork liver, but I admit that the taste is very particular, which is why I replaced it with chicken liver. Moreover, other medieval cookbooks suggest the use of chicken liver instead of pork liver.
  • ** To grind the spices, I use a small electric coffee grinder; It's very practical and the result is perfect.