category: dish: soup additions

Custard Royale, Royale

A Custard royale is a soup addition. It is prepared from one part egg yolk, two parts egg and four parts cream and is seasoned with salt and nutmeg. Custard royale may also be prepared with milk instead of cream. In Germany it is then called Eierstich. Other varieties use consommé or a vegetable or poultry purée instead of cream and season for example with herbs.

Preparation of Custard royale

Bring the cream to a boil to reduce the cooking time. Beat the eggs, season with salt and nutmeg and slowly ladle some hot but not boiling cream into the beaten eggs and egg yolks. Pour the eggs into the cream, stirring the whole time. This mixture is transferred to a buttered form (or lined with clear wrap) and cook in a bain-marie in the oven at low heat (90° C) for 40 to 50 minutes. Depending on the oven the cooking time may vary. When cooked too hot the royale may develop unwanted air bubbles (it becomes perforated or cheesy). The texture of the royale may also become too soft.

The royale should only be turned out of its form when it is cooled completely. Otherwise it may break apart. It is then cut into even dices or diamonds of about 1 cm length. Before serving it should be heated in warm stock.

As mentioned above royale may also be prepared with a purée to match it with the soup. A few examples of foods that could be used for purées are: artichokes, peas, tomatoes, poultry, liver, fish and lobster. The purée is mixed into the basic recipe and prepared as usual.