A Brave Young Saint Was She

Last year, for the sake of convenience, we talked about the Feast Day of Joan of Arc the day before her actual feast day. Why? Well, it’s Coq au Vin Day naturally. This year, since we shared the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church on Coq au Vin Day (as well as a Coq au Vin recipe), today it’s all about Saint Joan.

Joan was born in Domremy, Bar, France in 1412. She died on May 30, 1431. In France, she is more than someone canonized in 1920; she is a National Heroine there. Burned at the stake for heretics, her brave achievement was a decisive factor in the later awakening of the French National Consciousness.

Joan was the daughter of a tenant farmer who never learned to read nor write but was raised with a deep devotion to her Catholic Faith. She felt it was her mission to drive the English from France, and that she was guided by the voices of Saint Michael, the Archangels, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and Saint Margaret of Antioch. Joan was not your typical young girl. She was endowed with remarkable mental and physical courage, a robust common sense, and strong fortitude of faith. By the time Joan was able to convince the ousted Prince and future King Charles VII to allow her to lead, she had been hearing divine voices since the age of 13. It is said that in a private audience with the future King, Joan won him over by revealing information that could only have come from a messenger of God. He listened, against the advise most of his council. No one knows with certainty just what Joan said that day. Whatever it was, it was enough that he trusted her to ride off into battle at the Siege of Orleans. Joan insisted that the voices told her to come to his aid. It was also this ability to hear heavenly voices and to follow their lead that ultimately cost Joan her life. Oh but great is her reward in heaven.

Since Joan of Arc is best remembered dressed in white armor and riding a white horse at the Siege of Orleans, it seemed only fitting to celebrate her feast day with a New Orleans Classic – French Quarter Beignets.

Classic Beignets
1/2 cup Water, lukewarm
1/2 cup Milk, lukewarm
2 tablespoons Butter, melted
1 large Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Salt
4 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Instant Yeast

Warm the water, the milk and melt the butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a bread machine, combine all the ingredients to form a smooth, soft dough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 hour, or until it appears puffy, but not necessarily doubled in bulk.

Gently deflate the cough, place in a greased bowl that will allow the dough to further expand. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 2 full days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll dout out into a 14-inch by 10-inch rectangle, squaring off the corners as best you can without overworking the dough or being overly fussy. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares.

Heat oil at a depth of 3/4-inch in an electric fry pan or deep, heavy-bottom skillet over a burner. The oil should be heated to 360-degrees. Working in batches of no more than 5 squares, fry the dough in the hot oil. Squares will sink to the bottom for about 5 seconds before rising to the top. Fry the beignets for about a minute, then turn with tongs and continue to fry until golden brown all over. Remove from the oil, let drain on paper towels.

Once beignets are cooled, sprinkle heavily with Powdered Sugar. For a true New Orleans experience, serve with strong Chicory Coffee.

---

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom