{"id":9160,"date":"2015-03-16T18:28:37","date_gmt":"2015-03-16T17:28:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coquinaria.nl\/?p=9160"},"modified":"2019-12-09T20:37:27","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T19:37:27","slug":"barley-soup-for-a-ball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coquinaria.nl\/en\/barley-soup-for-a-ball\/","title":{"rendered":"Barley soup for a ball"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Straight to the recipe<\/small><\/a><\/p>\n

\"TheDouble take<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Netherlands<\/span>\u00a0celebrated the bicentennial of their existence as a kingdom in 2013. But at the time that was actually 198 years ago, not 200. From 1813 to 1815 the Netherlands were the\u00a0Souverijne Vorstendom der Ver\u00ebenigde Nederlanden<\/em>\u00a0(the sovereign principality of the united Netherlands). We didn’t have a king, but a prince. Without a king, the Netherlands could hardly have been called a kingdom at the time. So this year, 2015, we can celebrate again!<\/p>\n

On 16 March 1815\u00a0sovereign prince<\/em>\u00a0Willem proclaimed himself\u00a0king<\/em>\u00a0Willem<\/span>\u00a0(I). During the same year, the Southern Netherlands were also incorporated into what is then officially called\u00a0The United Kingdom of the Netherlands<\/em>. The constitution and the division of the\u00a0Staten-Generaal<\/em>\u00a0(States General<\/a>) into what we now call the\u00a0Eerste Kamer<\/a><\/em>\u00a0(‘First Chambre’, comparable to the Senate or the House of Lords)\u00a0 and\u00a0Tweede Kamer<\/em>\u00a0(‘Second Chambre’, comparable to the\u00a0House of Representatives<\/a>\u00a0or House of Commons) also date from 1815. However, fifteen years later the United Kingdom of the Netherlands would fall apart: the Southern Netherlands became the independent Kingdom of Belgium.<\/p>\n

On the upper left is a painting of Prince\u00a0William of Orange<\/span>\u00a0(the eldest son of the newly-made King Willem I and later Willem II) during the\u00a0Battle of Quatre-Bras<\/a>\u00a0(15 June 1815), made by\u00a0Jan Willem Pieneman<\/a>\u00a0in 1817. The battle between the allied forces of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the German principalities Prussia, Hannover, Nassau and Brunswick and the French army under Napoleon was barely won by the allied forces.. Two days later the decisive\u00a0Battle of Waterloo<\/a>\u00a0took place. Napoleon Buonaparte was defeated at last.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The picture from 1870 on the right shows a\u00a0Ball<\/a>\u00a0in Brussels on the eve of the Battle of Quatre-Bras. It was hosted by the Duchess of Richmond, and among the guests were the Prince of Orange and his brother Frederik.<\/p>\n

A ball was not just a dance party. People talked, ate and drank. Food was also served at the balls of King Willem I, father of the Prince of Orange and Frederik. Some of these menus have been preserved. Meals at balls often started with nourishing soups, amongst which something like the\u00a0Terrine met pur\u00e9 van Garst lieerd<\/em>\u00a0(thick soup of pureed barley), of which the recipe is listed below.<\/p>\n

Car\u00eame at the ball<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0ball menus<\/span>\u00a0of Willem I mention dishes, but they do not contain any recipes. To investigate what kind of soup could have been served, I have chosen two different barley soups from the beginning of the nineteenth century. The recipe on this page was written by the famous French cook Antonin Car\u00eame. Despite the French occupation of the\u00a0Batavian Republic<\/a>, as the Netherlands were called from 1795 until 1806, the French cuisine was still popular.
\nHere<\/a>\u00a0is a simpler barley soup from the Dutch cookery book\u00a0Aaltje<\/em>. And on the life and works of Car\u00eame you can read more on the page for his\u00a0recipe for souffl\u00e9<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"IllustrationCar\u00eame describes the menu and organization of a large ball for six thousand people in his\u00a0Ma\u00eetre d’h\u00f4tel fran\u00e7ais<\/em>\u00a0in 1822. The ball itsel took place on 21 February 1816 and was hosted by the\u00a0National Guards of Paris<\/a>for the Royal Guards. These were called the\u00a0Imperial Guard<\/a>\u00a0until Napoleon’s downfall. Six different soups were served in a total of 1500 soup-tureens. No barley soup was served this time, but consomm\u00e9 with rice, with vermicelli and with semolina. These are all nourishing soups, thickened with some sort of grain. Other soups that were served at this ball were\u00a0potage \u00e0 la Cond\u00e9<\/em>\u00a0(with pureed beans), chicken soup and\u00a0brunoise<\/em>(vegetable soup). The complete menu can be found in the\u00a0Ma\u00eetre d’Hotel<\/em>. Car\u00eame also describes the enormous buffet which was open for the guests from eleven p.m. onward. It had nine tiers (see illustration on the right). “Il produisit un effet aussi \u00e9l\u00e9gant que somptueux, et nos travaux de cuisine brill\u00e8rent d’un nouvel \u00e9clat”. ([this arrangement] had an effect that was elegant as well as sumptuous, and our kitchen produce shimmered with a new lustre).<\/p>\n

In the rooms around the buffet were long tables with seats for whoever felt the need for some nourishment during the ball. But this turned into chaos, because ladies in the many private loges did not want to show themselves near the buffet. Their gallant companions hastened to and fro to serve them with food and drink, which caused a shortage of dinnerware in the public rooms near the buffet. “Mais qu’importe si les deux tiers des personnes invit\u00e9es ont soup\u00e9 en petit comit\u00e9, et que l’autre tiers ait \u00e9prouv\u00e9 quelque retard pour se faire servir quelques fragments du buffet? L’essentiel de ces grandes r\u00e9unions doit \u00eatre la satisfaction de toutes les personnes invit\u00e9es”, writes Car\u00eame: With six thousand guests these things are inevitable. Most balls were on a smaller scale with ‘no more than’ one or twothousand guests.<\/p>\n

In glass and tin<\/h3>\n

Car\u00eame’s\u00a0Le ma\u00eetre d’hotel fran\u00e7ais<\/em>\u00a0was published in 1822. He already had\u00a0 a very impressive list of employers. This book is not a cookery book, but neither is the ma\u00eetre d’hotel a cook. In those days he was the supervisor of everything concerning supplies, cooking and organizing meals in a large household. He was the cook’s superior. Car\u00eame’s book contains menus in the manner of the\u00a0cuisine ancienne<\/em>\u00a0of Louis XV between 1745 and 1751, and in the manner of the\u00a0cuisine moderne<\/em>\u00a0for all year round in the year 1822. Note that all catholic fish days appear to have been abolished. Lent is all that is left and even that was shortened. In the book Lent is from 1 March to 7 April, but Ash Wednesday – the start of Lent –\u00a0 was already on 20 February in 1822.
\nThis list of menus is followed by menus served in the period up to 1818, as was the ball described above. Finally Car\u00eame presents menus he served to his most prestigious employers, like Czar Alexander in Paris and Chalons-sur-Marne, the English Prince-Regent in Brighton and the English ambassador in Vienna.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe description of his stay in Saint Petersburg is very interesting. Car\u00eame came to Russia to serve the Czar. However, he arrived just as the czar was leaving the city for six weeks. The cook used this extra time to learn more about his future living and working conditions. These appalled him so much he returned to France again. But he did notice that, thanks to the invention of the Frenchman\u00a0\u00a0Nicolas Appert<\/a>\u00a0concerning the conservation of food (initially in glass, later in tins), the best fruit of France was available in far and cold Russia: \u201cMa belle patrie! Que ton sol est sup\u00e9rieur \u00e0 celui de tous ces pays!\u201d (My beautiful country! How your soil is superior to that of all those countries!)<\/p>\n

That is why you see the picture above. It shows a bottle with a wide opening, meant to conserve food in. This is an invention of Nicolas Appert, who won a reward of twelve thousand francs for thinking of a way to improve the provision of Napoleon’s army during his campaigns. The bottles were filled with food, sealed and heated so the contents would keep for a long time. They could be transported in boxes. Confectioner Appert had experimented for years with conserving all kinds of food. In England, Philippe Girard improved Appert’s idea by using containers of tin instead of glass bottles. Peter Durand applied for a patent in his name, and manufacturers Donkin, Gamble and Hall (later merged into Cross & Blackwell) took over his patent in 1812. The canning industry took off. (read this interesting\u00a0post<\/a>on the BBC website about the history of canning)<\/p>\n

\"ABarley and groats<\/h3>\n

Barley is so old-fashioned that no doubt it will be the next ‘new’ superfood, if it isn’t already. Before the potato became a staple in North-West Europe, barley provided an important part of our daily intake of carbohydrates. Look for example at this recipe for\u00a0kale with pearl barley<\/a>. When the potato was finally accepted as staple food, barley disappeared from the table as an accompaniment to meat dishes. Even porridge for breakfast (with groats from barley, oats or buckwheat) is hardly eaten anymore. That is a pity, because especially during cold winter mornings warm porridge is more comforting than cold milk or yoghurt with muesli or cornflakes. Barley is also an important ingredient for beer and whisky. Pure barley bread will be hard to find as the grain does not contain enough gluten. A nineteenth-century recipe for Dutch barley soup can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

By the way, in Italy barley groats are called\u00a0orzo perlato<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0orzo<\/em>. These are expensive and very white (bleached?). But if you buy groats in a Polish or Russian food store it will cost you a third of the price for Italian groats. Just try it.<\/p>\n

The original recipe<\/h2>\n

The recipe for barley soup is from\u00a0L\u2019art de la cuisine fran\u00e7aise au XIXe si\u00e8cle. Trait\u00e9 \u00e9l\u00e9mentaire et pratique,<\/em>\u00a0(see\u00a0bibliography<\/a>).\u00a0In the edition of Librairie Payot the recipe for rice soup is on p.71, and barley soup is on p.73. The author needs many words for his descriptions, but I have abbreviated the recipe in some places (where you see […]). The ‘quenelles de volaille’ can be found on pp.50\/51. This is also a very extensive recipe, of which I present a summary. Whoever wants to read the complete recipe (in French), can follow\u00a0this link<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The genesis of\u00a0L’art culinaire fran\u00e7aise<\/em>\u00a0is complicated. The work consists of five, seven or eight parts, depending on one’s definition of a ‘part’. The first three (or five or six) parts were written by Car\u00eame. The last two parts were published ten years after his death. These were written\/revised by his friend and former collegue Armand Plumerey.\u00a0L’art culinaire fran\u00e7ais au xixe si\u00e8cle<\/em>\u00a0has never been published as one series. Even today one has to shop around to acquire all parts. Unfortunately the last two parts by Plumerey are only available as (poor) facsimiles.<\/p>\n

Potage d’orge perl\u00e9 \u00e0 la fran\u00e7aise\u00a0<\/em>(editie p.73)
\nC’est la m\u00eame mani\u00e8re de proc\u00e9der que celle indiqu\u00e9e au potage de riz a la fran\u00e7aise; seulement vous pr\u00e9parez dix onces d’orge perl\u00e9 avec d’excellent consomm\u00e9, et le faites mijoter pendant cinq heures, afin qu’il soit savoureux et moelleux au palais; puis vous ajoutez de petites quenelles de volaille pr\u00e9par\u00e9es et form\u00e9es de la mani\u00e8re accoutum\u00e9e.<\/em><\/div>
Pottage of pearl barley \u00e0 la fran\u00e7aise
\nIt is the same manner of preparing as the one described in rice pottage \u00e0 la fran\u00e7aise, but you use ten ounces of pearl barley with excellent consomm\u00e9, and let it simmer for five hours until it is tasty and creamy to the palate. Then you add small quenelles of poultry, prepared and formed in the usual manner.<\/div>
<\/div><\/p>\n
Potage de cr\u00e8me de riz velout\u00e9 \u00e0 la fran\u00e7aise\u00a0<\/em>(editie p.70)
\n<\/em>[prepare stock with chicken, veal , chervil and root vegetables, degrease and strain through a cloth] ensuite vous en versez la moiti\u00e9 dans une casserole contenant six onces de riz<\/em>\u00a0[…], puis le quart de la mie d’un pain \u00e0 potage de huit onces coup\u00e9 en d\u00e9s. Faites mijoter pendant deux heures\u00a0<\/em>[…], faites-le passer en pur\u00e9e par l’\u00e9tamine; ajoutez \u00e0 cette cr\u00e8me de riz le reste du consomm\u00e9; faites bouillir, et au moment de servir, vous y m\u00ealez un verre de bonne cr\u00e8me double et deux pains de beurre frais; ensuite vous versez le potage dans la soupi\u00e8re contenant de petites quenelles de volailles form\u00e9es dans des cuill\u00e8res \u00e0 caf\u00e9.
\n<\/em>[…]
\nCe potage est velout\u00e9 et convient aux dames.<\/em><\/div>
Rich and creamy rice soup \u00e1 la fran\u00e7aise
\nPrepare stock with chicken, veal , chervil and root vegetables, degrease and strain through a cloth. Then pour half [of the stock] in a pan with six ounces of rice[…], and a quart crustless soup bread cut in dice. Simmer for two hours […], pur\u00e9e it by straining; add the remainder of the consomm\u00e9 to this rice-cream; bring to the boil and at the moment of serving add a glass of good double cream and two ‘breads’ of unsalted butter. Then pour the soup into a turreen with small poultry quenelles that have been shaped with cofee spoons.
\n[…]
\nThis soup is soft as velvet and befitting for ladies.<\/div>
<\/div><\/p>\n

Panade; Farce \u00e0 quenelles de volaille\u00a0<\/em>(edition p.50\/51) (paraphrase, complete text is\u00a0here<\/a>.)
\nPanade – [prepare stock with chicken, veal, chervil and root vegetables, degrease and strain throug a cloth] Make a panade with bread crumbs, consomm\u00e9, butter.
\nQuenelles – Pound the breast fillet of two fat chickens. Pound half as much boiled cow udder (?, t\u00e9tine de veau) with half the panade. Temper with salt, pepper and nutmeg, add two ragout spoons cold b\u00e9chamel sauce. Pound again and rub through a sieve. Keep on ice. Make quenelles and poach them (do not boil the water). Car\u00eame adds that he replaced the beaten egg whites that are commonly used in quenelles by b\u00e9chamel sauce, resulting in a better structure and taste.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>Modern adaptation of the recipe<\/h2>\n

For the quenelles I have used a much simpler recipe (and I used egg whites!). If you want to prepare the original quenelles of Car\u00eame you can consult the scanned pages\u00a0(here<\/a>).
\nFirst course<\/span>\u00a0for 6 to 8 persons<\/span>;\u00a0preparation in advance<\/em>\u00a020 minutes<\/span><\/span>\u00a0+ making the dough for the quenelles;\u00a0preparation<\/em>\u00a01 hour<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"AntoninSoup<\/em>
\n1\u00bd liter (6 cups) clear, concentrated stock<\/a><\/span> of chicken<\/span>\u00a0with veal bones
\n60 gr (slightly more than\u00a0\u00bd cup)\u00a0pearl barley<\/span>
\n2 or 3 slices white bread without crust
\n2 dl (0.8 cup) double cream\u00a0(40% fat)
\n1 \u00e0 2 Tbsp butter<\/p>\n

Dough for quenelles (about 40)<\/em>
\n1 dl (0.4 cup)\u00a0milk<\/span>
\n1 Tbsp butter
\n60 gr (1 cup) flour
\n\u00bd tsp salt
\n2 egg yolks<\/p>\n

plus
\n<\/em>400 gr (14 oz.)\u00a0fillet of chicken<\/span>
\n2 egg whites
\nwhite pepper to taste<\/p>\n

And<\/em>
\n1 dl (0.4 cup) double cream (40% fat)<\/p>\n

Preparation in advance<\/h3>\n

Pureed barley groats<\/strong>\u00a0– Put the groats in a pan with water and salt. Bring to the boil, cook for one minute. Strain and rinse.
\nAdd these groats with bread to the stock, bring to a simmer and leave it on the fire for two to three hours. Then puree this soup in a blender or by using a hand blender. You can als push it through a sieve.
\nQuenelles<\/strong>\u00a0– Prepare the dough as choux pastry: bring the milk to a boil with salt and butter. Add all the flour and work it with a wooden spoon into a firm dough. Let it cool slightly, then add the yolks one by one. Put the dough in the refrigerator as soon as it has cooled enough. Leave it for an hour.
\nMeanwhile, put the chicken meat in a blender and pur\u00e9e it. Add the egg whites and pepper, blend it and then work this chicken pur\u00e9e into the dough until it has a homogenous structure. Keep the temperature as low as possible. Put it back in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
\nBeat the cream. Put the dough for the quenelles in a bowl on ice, and work the cream into it. Return it to the refrigerator for a whole night.<\/p>\n

Preparation<\/h3>\n

Heat the soup on a small fire, take care it doesn’t burn.
\nMeanwhile, shape the quenelles with two teaspoons, and poach them in salted water that is kept just below boiling. As soon as the quenelles start floating, they are done. This will probably take about a minute.<\/p>\n

To serve<\/h3>\n

Stir butter and cream into the soup just before serving.
\nCar\u00eame first puts the quenelles into the turreen and then pours the soup over them. To me it seems easier to keep the quenelles separate and add them in the individual soup plates or bowls.<\/p>\n

Vegetarian version<\/h3>\n

Follow the recipe above, but use\u00a0vegetable stock<\/a>\u00a0as basis and prepare the quenelles with chervil and cheese instead of chicken.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Bibliography<\/h2>\n

The editions below were used by me. Links refer to available editions.<\/p>\n