Titanic Recipe Feeds Hungry Historians

Although it has been nearly a century since the Titanic struck an iceberg and sunk into the depths of the Atlantic near the shores of New Foundland, the famous ocean liner still captures the imagination of people all over the world. Maybe it is due to the tragedy associated with the mighty ship's early demise or maybe it is due to the romantic grandeur the Titanic embodied. Whatever the reason, people continue to remain fascinated by Titanic memorabilia and lore.

The numbers vary, but there were more than 2,000 people aboard the Titanic on that chilly night of April 14/15, 1912. Among them many of America's wealthiest elite including John Jacob Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim. Sadly, just over 700 survived the disaster and were delivered alive, but certainly not unscathed, by the ship Carpathia to the White Star offices in New York City.

In James Cameron's 1997 movie, Titanic, viewers get a glimpse of what it was like to be aboard the great and wondrous ship. In memorable scenes, passengers, dressed to the nines, descended the now easily recognizable forward grand staircase to the dining saloon for dinner.

A few years ago, a rare postcard-sized lunch menu from the Titanic sold for £28,800 ($55,477 U.S. dollars) at Sotheby's Auction House in London. The lunch menu was believed to have been given by Second Officer Charles Lightoller to his wife as a souvenir before he departed on the vessel from Southampton. Lightoller was the most senior officer to survive the sinking. The menu included a variety of foods, such as consommé mirrette, salmon and golden plover on toast.

Fifth Officer Harold Lowe also survived the sinking of the "unsinkable" Titanic. He has been hailed as a hero and credited with saving scores of lives on that unforgettable night. He saved the doomed liner's first dinner menu, which he slipped into his pocket and sent home to his sweetheart. Lowe, from Conwy, North Wales, saved the first-class menu of April 2, 1912, on the first day of final sea trials.

On the bottom he scrawled, "This is the first meal ever served on board," before posting it to his fiancée, Ellen Whitehouse, on 10 April, when the ship called at Queenstown, Ireland, on its ill-fated maiden voyage. The menu offered a choice of soup, salmon, sweetbreads, roast chicken, spring lamb and braised ham.

The recipe below is from the book, Last Dinner on the Titanic - Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner by Rick Archbold and Dana McCauley and may well have been served to the affluent first-class passengers in the elegantly appointed "Ritz" restaurant aboard the Titanic. Only the choicest dishes created by Chef Pierre Rousseau would have been served in the first-class dining saloon. The á la carte restaurant imitated the fashionable and extremely popular Ritz-Carlton restaurants that graced German rivals to the Titanic.

Chicken Lyonnaise

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 Tbsp dried)

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

6 boneless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup white wine

1-cup chicken stock

2 tsp tomato paste

Pinch of granulated sugar

In sturdy plastic bag, shake together flour, 1 tbsp of the thyme (or 1-1/2 tsp if using dried), salt and pepper. One at a time, dip chicken breasts into egg, and then shake in flower mixture.

In large deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Place chicken in pan, skin side down. Cook, turning once, for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from skillet and place in 225° degree oven.

Reduce heat under skillet to medium; add remaining oil to skillet. Stir in onions, garlic and remaining thyme; cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook onions stirring often, for 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Add wine to pan, stirring to scrape up any brown bits, for about 1 minute or until reduced by half. Stir in stock, tomato paste and sugar. Boil for 2 minutes or until beginning to thicken. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat, and cook for 5 minutes or until juices from chicken run clear. Makes 6 servings.