Bouchée à la Reine

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The bouchée à la reine (‘the queen’s mouthful’) is a large vol-au-vent of puff pastry filled with a creamy ragout of chicken, mushrooms, and quenelles, credited to Marie Leszczyńska, wife of Louis XV and daughter of the Duke of Lorraine, who allegedly requested a dish she could eat in a single, elegant bite at court — though the ‘single bite’ has expanded considerably in modern presentations. This dish bridges the aristocratic courts of Lorraine with the heart of classical French cuisine, and it remains a festive centrepiece in the region, served at Christmas, Easter, and communion celebrations. The vol-au-vent case is cut from pâte feuilletée: two circles of 12-15cm diameter cut from dough rolled to 4mm thickness. The base circle is placed on a baking sheet; the second has a smaller circle cut from its centre (creating a ring), which is affixed to the base with egg wash, forming the walls. The case is egg-washed, chilled, then baked at 210°C for 25-30 minutes until magnificently puffed and golden, the internal pastry scooped out to create a hollow vessel. The ragout filling: poached chicken breast (cut into 1.5cm dice), button mushrooms (turned and cooked à blanc), and optionally small quenelles de veau or sweetbreads, all bound in a velouté enriched with cream and egg yolk liaison. The velouté is made from a light roux thinned with the chicken poaching liquid and mushroom cooking liquor, cooked gently for 20 minutes, strained, then finished with 100ml cream and 2 egg yolks tempered with a ladleful of hot sauce. The filling should be rich but not thick — it must flow slightly when the pastry is cut. The warm filling is spooned into the warm vol-au-vent case, the pastry lid placed on top at a jaunty angle, and served immediately. The contrast between shattering pastry and silken ragout is the entire joy of this dish.

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