By Chef Joseph Massaglia
Hello again to all my readers. In this article I’m going to give you the royale treatment. Yes, I spelled that correctly. While the term royal refers to kings and queens and others of high birth (I will be mentioning a king in a bit), a royale is an egg custard that can be made in a variety of ways.
Royales are used as garnishes in clear, hot consommés, and are added just before serving. They can be as simple as slices of egg custard, or they can be cut into decorative shapes like stars or diamonds. They transform a simple stock into a very elegant soup.
It the Piedmont section of Italy there is a very famous soup called Consommé alla Benso, which includes a royale in the recipe. The majority of time, royales are made in a traditional way using eggs, egg yolks and chicken, beef or fish broth or stock. In this recipe, a chicken breast is puréed until it is silky smooth, then mixed with eggs, egg yolks and chicken consummé which makes a rich and very tasty custard.
But why the name Benso? Here’s where the king I mentioned earlier comes into the story. King Victor Emmanuel II was King of Italy in the 1860s. He appointed as his trusted advisor Camillo Benso, the Count of Cavour, as his Prime Minister and trusted advisor.
A native of Piedmont, Cavour, as he was known, was very successful in the growth and unification of Italy. But in addition to his political and economic skills, he travelled extensively throughout Europe and was reported to be a gourmand. He also was very interested in farming and new agricultural techniques, and he founded the Piedmontese Agricultural Society.
I don’t know why this consommé recipe carries his name, but he was a very popular man and many Italian cities have important streets, squares, and piazzas named after him, so why not a soup.
I’ve included this very original recipe in this article; it is one of over 600 authentic Italian recipes you can find on my website: www.joestablefortwo.com. It comes from a well-known Italian Cookbook by Ada Boni called Italian Regional Cooking.
I’m proud to have many traditional Italian regional recipes on my menu at Mama Mia’s in Marmora, and many are original recipes that I’ve developed during my career. If you’re not able to come and try them at the restaurant, you also can call ahead and order them for pickup or delivery.
Be well, be safe, and wear a mask.
Buon Appetito!
Consommé alla Benso (Piedmont)
Serves 6
For the Royale
- 1/2 cooked chicken breast
- 1 egg
- 3 egg yolks
- Salt to taste
- Butter
- Small heat-proof mold
For the Broth:
- 10 cups chicken consummé or clear stock, divided
- 1 white truffle, sliced paper thin, optional
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Pound the chicken breast with a mortar and pestle until finely ground; then rub through a sieve or purée in a blender until smooth. Beat the egg and the 3 egg yolks together. Add a pinch of salt; blend thoroughly, then stir in 1 cup of chicken consummé or stock until thoroughly combined.
Pour the custard into a well-buttered mold. Remove the scum that forms on the top and cook, covered, in a pan with simmering, not boiling, water for 30 minutes or until the custard is set. The water should come halfway up the side of the mold; be care not to let the water boil.
Carefully take the custard from the pan and let it cool completely. Run a knife around the edge of the mold and turn the custard out, cut it into thin slices and then cut into rounds or fancy shapes. Divide these between soup bowls, and to each bowl add a slice of white truffle, if using.
Bring the chicken stock to a boil and gently ladle it into each bowl. Serve immediately, accompanied by a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.
The One and Only Original Mama Mia’s Restaurante in the Marmora Shopping Center is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Limited Indoor Dining (reservations necessary). Take-Out and Delivery is available to Upper Township and Ocean City. Mama’s Take Home Pizza Kits also are available; please call to reserve yours. 609-624-9322.
www.mamamiasnj.com
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