French Beans à la Poulette is a traditional British recipe, based on Robert Kemp Philp's recipe of 1859, for a classic accompaniment of par-boiled French beans fried with parsley, onions and savoury that's finished with a gravy sauce thickened with an egg liaison. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: French Beans à la Poulette.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of French Beans à la Poulette that's derived from Robert Kemp Philp's 1859 volume, The Dictionary of Daily Wants. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
BEANS, FRENCH, A LA POULETTE.—Boil the beans, drain them, and put them into a stew-pan with some butter, parsley, green onions, and a little savory; stir them over the fire, add a little flour and stock gravy. When done, put in the yolks of three eggs, and beat up with a little milk, warm again, and serve.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
350g French beans, trimmed
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
3 spring onions, chopped
1 sprig of savory
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml brown gravy (any well-flavoured beef stock)
3 egg yolks
4 tbsp milk
Method:
Bring a pan of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the beans and boil for about 6 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain the beans then place in a pan along with the butter, parsley, spring onions and savory. Stir until the butter has melted then scatter the flour over the top and stir to form a roux. Mix in the gravy until smooth, bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes, or until thickened.
Beat together the egg yolks and milk in a bowl. Take the bean mixture off the heat then beat in the egg mixture. Return to the hob and allow to heat through (but do not boil). Serve warm.
