VGE black truffle soup : The Soupe Asked black truffles VGE, or Élysée soup, is a culinary specialty created in 1975 by the chef Paul Bocuse, and dedicated to the President of the French Republic (term of office from May 27, 1974 to May 21, 1981) Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (nicknamed “VGE”).
History: VGE black truffle soup was created on February 25, 1975 by the chef Paul Bocuse, for a banquet organized by President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and his wife Anne-Aymone at the Élysée Palace, in honor of his admission to the rank of Knight of the Legion of Honor (*).
When serving the soup is contained in a tureen covered with a puff pastry (lute), Paul Bocuse said to his host: “Mr. President, we are going have a snack ". It all started with a hoax: in 1975, Bocuse received a prank letter on the letterhead of the Élysée, announcing that the president was going to award him the Legion of Honor. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, informed, gave him the decoration the same year. It is for the reception at the presidential palace that Paul Bocuse prepared this now famous soup.
(*) Legion of Honor: The national order of the Legion of Honor is the institution which, under the aegis of the Grand Chancellor and the Grand Master, is responsible for awarding the highest French honorary decoration.
Also on the banquet menu were:
- Escalope de Salmon from Loire tosorrel of John and Pierre Troisgros ;
- Duck Claude Jolly of Michel Guerard ;
- small Salads of the Mill of Roger verge ;
- cheese ;
- cake au chocolate, named President in honor of their host, chocolatier Maurice Bernachon.
The Élysée provides wines and spirits prestigious French wine: Montrachet 1970 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Château Margaux 1926, Morey-Saint-Denis Dujac 1969 and Louis Roederer 1926 champagne; Grand Bas-Armagnac Laberdolive 1893 and Grande Fine Champagne.
The choice of 1926 vintages for Château Margaux and champagne is a reference to the year of birth of Paul Bocuse (born February 11, 1926) and the year of birth of Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (born February 2, 1926).
VGE black truffle soup has been on the menu of L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges since its creation, (now Restaurant Paul Bocuse).
Composition of the Soupe Asked black truffles VGE: One portion individual VGE soup is composed of 20 grams of black truffles fresh, flood et grated, 20 grams of foie gras, 20 grams of chuck or chicken breast poached, An spoonful à potage de Noilly Prat, An ladle de consommé double, of beef or volaille, and 2 spoonfuls à potage an matignon composed of equal parts carrots,onions, celeri as well as champignons steamed au butter.
La Soupe is prepared et servie in a tureen at " au gratin lyonnaise » signed VGE and sealed (lute) by one maintenance lowers de puff pastry, which allows it to be cooked stifled for focus all the flavors of the soup inside the soup tureen for 20 minutes in an oven at 220°C. It is consumed after breaking the crust in the tureen.
Inspiration: In his memoirs published at the end of 2005, Paul Bocuse indicates having been inspired by two recipes. to create VGE soup: a chicken and beef soup garnished with grated truffles that he had tasted among Ardèche farmers and a truffle covered with a puff pastry, like a chicken pie, which the Alsatian chef served him Paul Haeberlin (1923-2008) during a hunting trip in Alsace. “I simply mixed the two recipes,” he declared to Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.
Evocation: On a medal struck by the city of Lyon in 2013, we can see represented Paul Bocuse and mother Brazier ; in the background, the architecture of the old Halles de Lyon, the Modern halls under the “pencil” of Part-Dieu and Hôtel-Dieu; in the center, both spot following: VGE truffle soup from Paul Bocuse and Bresse chicken half mourning full mother Brazier.