Lorraine Soup (Lorraine soup)
Overview
Lorraine soup is a creamy Scottish chicken and almond soup. A chicken is poached in stock with onion, celery, leek and a bay leaf, then the breast meat is pounded or blended with ground almonds, the yolks of hard-boiled eggs and fresh breadcrumbs soaked in a little milk. This paste is worked into the hot stock and the soup is simmered gently until smooth and thick. It is seasoned with nutmeg, mace, a little grated lemon zest and white pepper, and enriched with cream just before serving. Pale, silky and delicately spiced, it is garnished with parsley or a few toasted flaked almonds.
History
Lorraine soup is an old dish of Edinburgh and the Scottish court. It is said to be named after Mary of Guise, from the French region of Lorraine, who married King James V and was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, and whose French cooks brought new dishes to Scotland. Recipes for it appear in Scottish cookery books of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and it is still served as an elegant first course at Burns suppers and formal dinners.
Main ingredients
Chicken, ground almonds, cream, breadcrumbs, lemon, nutmeg. The soup is built on chicken stock with almonds and cream and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Chicken soups · More soups from Scotland
Recipe
Method
- 145 min
Poach the chicken in the stock with the vegetables and bay leaf for 45 minutes, then strain the stock.
- 2
Blend the breast meat with the almonds, egg yolks and soaked breadcrumbs to a smooth paste.
- 310 min
Whisk the paste into the hot stock and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- 4
Season with nutmeg, mace, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- 5
Stir in the cream, heat without boiling and serve with parsley.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 20m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
