Behind the French Menu: Corb or Corb Noir– Brown Meagre, the fish. Brown Meager in French Cuisine.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

National Marine Park of Port-Cros and Porquerolles, France.

www.flickr.com/photos/arnaudabadie/7757247870/

Corb or Corb Noir– Brown Meagre or Corb is a tasty, ivory-fleshed fish with a firm but fleshy texture; it has a mild taste and mostly on the menus when prepared with herbs or served with a sauce. When this fish is on your menu, some may have been caught in La Manche, the English Channel, but most will have come from the Mediterranean or from fish farms. Whatever their origins they are not a large fish with most under 40 cm (16“) in length and rarely weighing more than 1 kilo (2.2lbs). Smaller fish may be grilled or fried and on the menu served whole.

Fillets of brown meagre

in an orange, capers and black olives fumet with

wilted spinach and olive oil and crushed potatoes

Photograph courtesy of AceLine Entertainment.

When reading an English language menu in France, the Brown Meagre (sciaena umbra) can be confused with the Maigre, the Meagre, Croaker or Salmon Bass (argyrosomus regius) which a much larger fish, though both are members of the croaker, drum fish family. Confusion, where fish names are concerned, are not limited to English and French with some languages having over fifteen or twenty different names for the same fish. The different names come from local dialects and different provinces.

Brown Meagre on French Menus:

Corb en Papillote au Fenouil – A whole, small, brown meagre cooked in cooking parchment or aluminum foil with fennel. Dishes prepared en papillote will keep all the flavors inside; it will be opened in front of the diner so that he or she can enjoy the aroma.

Pan fried brown meagre

Roasted red pepper puree and sauce veirge.

Photograph courtesy of Trip Advisor

Corb Grillé au Fenouil, Sauce Vierge – A grilled Brown Meagre prepared with fennel and served with a Sauce Vierge. Vierge in French is a virgin in English, and as its name suggests, Sauce Vierge includes virgin olive oil. With the olive oil will be fresh tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, basil, red wine vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Sauce Vierge is not cooked; heat destroys the distinctive taste that is the particular delight of virgin olive oils, it will be prepared slightly warm and then poured on the fish just before it is served.

On Sale - Mediterranean Brown Meagre

Photograph courtesy of Kılıç, Turkey.

Corb Noir au Beurre Noisette, Risotto au Basilic et Poêlée de Tomate Cerise – Brown meagre fried in a beurre noisette, and accompanied by a basil flavored risotto and cherry tomatoes. A beurre noisette, is butter is melted until its color resembles the color of hazelnuts and has a slightly nutty flavor.

Corb Sauvage Grillé Parfumées au Citron et à la Coriander – Wild Brown Meagre flavored and scented with lemon and served on a bed of coriander. Coriander, (also called cilantro) is a lemon-lime scented, light-green herb that looks somewhat like flat parsley. The French word sauvage's English language scion is savage, and the meaning remains much the same. The French connection to English kitchen began with William the Conqueror in 1066.

Monaco 2016 stamp of Brown Meagre

Photograph courtesy of Collectorzpedia.

France is far more open to the sea’s incredible variety of fish and seafood than the UK. When visiting France enjoy a visit to a supermarket or fishmonger’s and demand the same choice when you return home. Brown Meagre, Corb is a fish that everyone can appreciate and a change from the five fish that take up 90% of UK fish counters. The Brown Meagre doesn’t swim as far as North America so only the visitors from that continent can try it.

Don’t connect Sang de Corb which may be on the wine list with the fish, there’s no fish in the wine. Sang de Corb is a dry, Spanish, red organic wine from the Terra Alta area of Catalonia, Spain.

Stamp from the Cape Verde Islands

showing the Brown Meagre.

Photograph courtesy of Stamp Collectors Catalogue

Corb, the Brown Meagre in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - corball de roca), (Dutch - zwarte ombervis), (German - seerabe), (Italian - corvina), (Spanish –corvina), (Latin - sciaena umbra)

Connected Posts:

Ail - Garlic. Garlic in French Cuisine.

Basil - Basilic or Herbe Royal. Basil in French Cuisine. The Italian Pesto is Pistou on French Menus.

Beurre - Butter. Butter in French Cuisine.

Citron – The lemon; the fruit behind many of France’s culinary successes. Also the Citron Vert - Lime, the Cedrat – the Citron, the Combava – the kaffir lime and the Chadec - the Pomelo.

Coriandre - Coriander, the Herb. Coriander and Cilantro are Different Names for the Same Herb.

En Papillote – Dishes Cooked While Enclosed in a Wrapping to Keep all the Flavors in. En Papillote in French Cuisine.

Fenouil - Fennel, the Herb, and the Vegetable. Fennel on French Menus.

Fish and Seafood on Menus in France; the Variety is Incredible.

French Olives on French Menus.

Huiles d'Olive Française - French Olive oils. Enjoying France's Best Olive Oils.

Maigre – Meagre, Croaker, Drum Fish or Salmon Bass on French Menus.

Persil - Parsley. Parsley in French Cuisine.

Poivre - Peppercorns. White, Green, Black and Red Peppercorns. Grey Pepper and the Misnamed Pink Peppercorns. Pepper in French Cuisine.

The French Connection and The English Kitchen .

Tomate – Tomato. France’s Greatest Tomato, the Tomate de Marmande AOC. The Tomato in French Cuisine.

Vinegar, Vinaigrette and Verjus in French Cuisine.

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