Behind the French Menu: cider

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Alose or Grande Alose; Shad or Allis Shad on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Allis Shad
Photograph courtesy of EUNIS, the European Nature Information System

Shad or Allis shad are mild but tasty fish and, in the season, between April and June, a fish that will be on many French menus. A restaurant may offer thin slices of marinated or smoked shad or shad roe as an hors d'oeuvre with filets of shad as the main dish. Shad is a bony fish, and having the restaurant handle all those bones is a joy; the fish will be grilled, poached, or sautéed. Most Shad are caught when they are already mature and returning to their home river to spawn; a small shad will usually weigh at least 700 grams.

Eagles also like Shad, they feed them to their children.
Photograph courtesy of Andy Morffew
www.flickr.com/photos/andymorffew/25233551759/

Believe it or not, shads are part of the herring family; however, shads are cooked very differently from their smaller herring cousins in the kitchen. After the first bite, you will never compare a shad with a herring.

Shad on French menus:

Alose au Cidre –Shad poached in cider.

Alose à l'Oseille - Shad baked with sorrel, the herb.

Salade d'Oeufs d'Alose Sauce Gribiche - A salad of shad roe eggs. Shad roe is a delicacy, and here they are served with a Sauce Gribiche. Gribiche is a mayonnaise-based sauce made with hard-boiled egg yolks, mustard, and cornichons.

Alose Fumée, Rémoulade de Concombre, Radis, Oignons à la Crème de Tamara et Ciboulette - Smoked Shad served with a Cucumber Sauce Rémoulade, radishes and onions accompanied by a cream of taramasalata flavored with chives.

Sauce Rémoulade (Remoulade)- A mayonnaise and mustard sauce made with cooked egg yolks, oil, and mustard, usually with added parsley and sometimes with cornichons. Sauce Rémoulade will be served with many dishes and is a favorite with a mashed céleri-rave, celeriac. The sauce is also popular in the USA, where it is part of Cajun or Creole cuisine; my source was not sure which. In any case, Sauce Rémoulade becomes a lot spicier, and the recipe may be somewhat different.
Taramasalata - Taramasalata; one of the most well-known parts of most traditional Greek mezes. Taramasalata should be a light beige to a light creamy pink mixture of salted and cured carp roe, olive oil, garlic, onion, lemon juice, and breadcrumbs. Originally grey mullet roe was used, but that was changed to carp roe when grey mullet rose became too expensive. When you see bright pink versions of taramasalata, then you know that food coloring has been added to the roe of a fish that is almost certainly neither a grey mullet nor a carp.
In a Greek restaurant, I was told that this dish was initially served during the Christian holiday of Lent when meat was not eaten. Traditions, however, do change, and tourists to Greece provide a very important part of that nation's income, and so now taramasalata is available all year round.

Shad caught at the mouth of a river.
Photograph courtesy of Greg Miller
www.flickr.com/photos/gm_ncffb/445717271/

Alose de Loire, Beurre Blanc – Shad caught in the Loire River, the longest river in France; 1,020 km (634 miles). The fish will have been caught close to where the river reaches the sea when returning to the river to spawn. Here the fish will have been lightly fried in a Beurre Blanc Sauce. Beurre Blanc Sauce is one of the most favored French sauces for fish and seafood. Sauce Beurre Blanc or Sauce Beurre Nantaise is made with butter, a dry white wine, lemon, and shallots.

Fried shad roe.
Photograph courtesy of stu_spivack
www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_spivack/5676945671/

Pavé d'Alose Meunière, Fenouil Braisé et Légumes Printaniers - A thick cut of Shad prepared in a Sauce Meunier and served with braised fennel, the herb, and spring vegetables. A Sauce Meunier and parsley.

Shad are born in freshwater rivers and streams, and like salmon, they spend most of their lives in the sea before returning to their homeland streams to spawn. When they return to spawn, that is when most shad are caught at the entrance to the rivers.

Meunière - is a superb sauce for fish and very simply made; it is clarified butter, lemon juice, that is often translated in error as a dish prepared in the manner of a miller's wife. One of my correspondents on French cuisine, Michel Mass, points out that the miller's wife story is another urban legend probably explained because such recipes sometimes (though not always) imply that the fish should be rolled in flour before cooking. However, the word initially related to various species of freshwater fish that in the past went by the collective name of meuniers, most likely the then plentiful Common Bullhead, Chabot in French, and Chub, Chevaine in French. The mill ponds built close to water mills were a haven for fish and, consequently, anglers.
Today, unfortunately, we will rarely see Bullhead or Chubb on the menu, but you can order sole, trout, and almost any type of fish prepared à la meunière.

Shad in the languages of France's neighbors:

(Catalan -alosa ), (Dutch -elft ), (German – alse or maifisch), (Italian – aloa), (Spanish – sábalo), (Latin – alosa alosa).

Shad in other languages:

(Chinese (Mandarin) - 西鲱 ), (Danish - majsild ), Greek- Κέπα – kepa), (Hebrew - aloza), (Maltese – lacca), (Norwegian - maisild), (Polish – aloza finta), (Portugues –sável), (Rumanian - scrumbie de mare), (Russian - европейская алоза), (Swedish - majfisk), (Turkish – tirsi).

For assistance with the names of shad in other languages thanks go to: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2016. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication www.fishbase.org, version (01/2016).

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Kir and Kir Royale the Classic French Aperitifs. Kir, the Aperitif of Burgundy.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

A Kir Apéritif.

Photograph courtesy of Stuart Webster.

www.flickr.com/photos/stuartwebster/4599787292/

In some parts of New York, London, Tokyo, and even Paris the aperitifs Kir and Kir Royal are looked down on as passé. Nevertheless, the 80-year-old wine and blackcurrant flavored Kir aperitifs from Burgundy are, inside France, still in the top ten.

The original Kir

The original Kir includes the dry, white Aligoté AOP wine from Burgundy and a touch of Crème de Cassis the sweet 15-20% alcoholic blackcurrant Ratafia (cordial) also from Burgundy. The result is a sweet blackcurrant flavored aperitif served in a wine glass. (For more about ratafias see the end of this post).

A Kir Royal

Photograph courtesy of Alex Brown

www.flickr.com/photos/alexbrn/4849349648/

The Kir Royal

Kir Royal is a Kir upgrade where the white wine is replaced with a dry Champagne and it will be served in a Champagne flute. A dry Champagne is used as even semi-sweet Champagne with the already sweet blackcurrant makes for a sickly sweet drink. Today, in Burgundy, the Champagne in the Kir Royal is often replaced with Burgundy’s own sparkling white Crémant to make the Kir Royal 100% Burgundian.

Both of these apéritifs are named after Canon Felix Kir, a priest who, earned fame in the French resistance during WWII and went on to be elected Deputy Mayor of the city of Dijon, the capital of the department of Côte-d'Or in Burgundy. To boost Burgundy Felix Kir exclusively served these, his favorite aperitifs, at all official receptions. Felix Kir did not invent Kir or Kir Royal but he certainly made them famous and unwittingly immortalized his own name. (Since 1-1-2016 Burgundy with its four departments has administratively become part of the new super region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté).

Kir Imperial

Along the way, someone wanted to trump the Kir Royal and created a Kir Imperial. Here une larme, a drop, of Marc de Champagne AOC is added to the Champagne and Crème de Cassis. That ups the overall alcohol content and provides a drier Kir Royale. (For more about Marc’s see the end of this article). Marc de Champagne and other Marcs including Burgundy’s own Marc de Bourgogne are produced similarly to Italian Grappa; a brandy made from the left-over grapes leaves and other bits from wine production that has a 40% alcohol content. Marc de Champagne was awarded an AOC in 2008 and Marc de Bourgogne in 2011.

The excellent sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne and the Marc de Bourgogne to replace Champagne and the Marc de Champagne were not around when Canon Felix Kir was alive, but since both are 100% Burgundian creations Canon Kir would undoubtedly have approved. If you are dining in Burgundy then a Kir is the only aperitif.

Kir outside Burgundy

Order a Kir or Kir Royal today outside of Burgundy, and the wines and blackcurrant cordial will usually have been replaced by local products; though that may make Canon Kir turn over in his grave. There are eight sparkling French Crémants that may or may not replace the original Champagne in the Kir Royal and there is a ninth Crémant, but it comes from Luxembourg and Canon Kir may not approve; however, Luxembourg is in the EU.

Blackcurrants in French are Baies de Cassis

At the heart of any genuine Kir is Burgundy’s Crème de Cassis, its alcoholic blackcurrant alcoholic cordial, also called a ratafia. Black currants had always been part of Burgundy’s wine country, but originally they represented a tiny part of the economy. Then in the 1860s Burgundy’s and all the other French vineyards were attacked by the phylloxera aphid which arrived from the New World. These horrible little insects decimated nearly all of France’s wine industry, and it took over twenty years to recover. While waiting for American rootstock that was not affected to replace the susceptible European vines between many of the rows of Burgundy’s grapes blackcurrants were planted. With the recovery of the vineyards with there are still many vineyards with blackcurrants planted between the rows and so they see two harvests a year, Blackcurrants from June through August, with the grapes usually beginning to be harvested in Mid-September.

Kir and Kir Royale are equally popular outside of the region of Burgundy. Only a few purists demand a white wine and a blackcurrant ratafia from Burgundy, and though I may be banned from Burgundy forever for saying so there are excellent Kirs in other areas. In the Alsace, I enjoy Kirs made with the Alsace’s fabulous Riesling and a Crème de Cassis Alsacienne and a Kir Royal with a Crémant d'Alsace. For those who need it, a Marc d'Alsace AOP is available.

Blackcurrants

Photograph courtesy of Foodista

www.flickr.com/photos/foodista/3705212000/

Other parts of France have taken to honoring Canon Kir’s name:

Kir Breton and Kir Normande

Kir Breton and Kir Normande are the Brittany’s and Normandy’s way to honor Canon Kir’s name. These two regions grow few wines, but they do have fantastic still and sparkling ciders. There, replacing the Champagne in the local Kir aperitifs will be a dry, sparkling cider. These make an interesting change and enjoyed when I am visiting; though I quickly return to the wine and crémant versions when I am outside those two regions.

Kir Royal d’Auvergne

Kir Royal d’Auvergne - The Auvergne’s take on the aperitif made using the local Saint-Pourçain Mousseaux lightly sparkling wine and an Auvergne crème cassis, its black currant liquor.

Blackcurrants

Page 369 of "Dictionnaire-manuel-illustré des sciences usuelles (1897).

Photograph courtesy of Internet Archive Book Images

www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14578166020/

Kir Berrichon

Berry is a historic French province that during the French revolution was divided into two departments, Cher and Indre, both in the Loire Valley and here a Kir Berrichon is made with a glass of a chilled, light, local red wine, and a blackberry cordial, a crème de mûre. Using a blackberry cordial/ratafia and a red wine is a long step from the original but they still use the name Kir. There is a white sparkling Crémant de Loire AOP, but here they have still chosen a red.

Outside of France do not be surprised to see other wines used and I have seen that fabulous Italian sparkling wine a Prosecco offered as a Kir Royale. A good Prosecco is a fabulous wine, and I believe it should be enjoyed on its own, but like those who demand Champagne in their Kir Royal, there are those who demand Prosecco.

Ratafias

Ratafias were the forerunners of most alcoholic, eau-de-vies, fruit liquors/cordials including Crème de Cassis. The name ratafia comes from the Latin “rata fiat” to settle or “ratify” an agreement. Back then, as still happens today, a deal could be sealed with a drink: "let's drink on it.” Cassis was first made into a liqueur during the 18th century when sweet alcoholic fruit ratafias became fashionable under France’s King Louis XV.

The most famous blackcurrant ratafia was the Ratafia de Neuilly from Neuilly-sur-Seine in the department of Hauts-de-Seine which is right next to Paris. The Ratafia de Neuilly laid the ground for Creme de Cassis with blackcurrants and an alcoholic base that didn’t need wine. Another ratafia that doesn’t include wine is Pommeau made in Normandy with fresh apple juice and Calvados.

The Ratafia de Neuilly

set the ground for Burgundy’s Crème de Cassis.

The story behind Burgundy’s Crème de Cassis began in 1841 with two café owners from Dijon, Auguste-Denis Lagoute and Henri Lejay, traveling to Paris to taste the famous Ratafia de Neuilly. With a plentiful supply of blackcurrants back home the two decided to develop their own recipe and so Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne was launched.

City hall at Neuilly-sur-Seine

Photograph courtesy of Parisenmetrp

Maison LEJAYstill bears the name of one of the founders and has its a French-language website that can be read clearly with the Bing or Google translate apps:

http://www.lejay-cassis.com/maison-lejay-3/heritage/

Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne hold an IGP rating and those bottles with labels marked Crème de Cassis de Dijon are considered by many to be the very best.

Crème de Cassis de Dijon

Gabriel Boudier

I am sure that Canon Kir sitting in heaven surrounded by angels carrying bottles would have been pleased with the appearance of Burgundy’s fine Crémant that often replaces Champagne. But, he would have been completely floored with the additions in 2016 of the Grand Eminent Crémant de Bourgogne aged for a minimum of 36 months with its lees months, and the Eminent Crémant de Bourgogne, aged with lees for a minimum of 24 months. (I understand very little about lees but was told that for white wines these are yeasts which if not handled correctly can destroy a wine but under strict controls can make a superior wine fantastic).

Crémant de Bourgogne

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

------------------------

Searching for the meaning of words, names or phrases

French menus?

Just add the word, words, or phrase that you are searching for to the words "Behind the French Menu" and search with Google. Behind the French Menu’s links include hundreds of words, names, and phrases that are seen on French menus. There are over 450 articles that include over 4,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations.

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Connected Posts:

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Barbue - Brill, the Fish. Brill in French Cuisine.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Barbue – Brill.

Photograph courtesy of Wing, the Cornish Fishmonger.

Brill is a tasty but mild, well-textured fish, with firm white meat. On French menus Brill will be grilled or sautéed, but, just as often poached or baked, but always served with a sauce. Many recipes initially created for turbot are also offered for brill.

A braised brill filet

Photograph courtesy of Chris Pople

www.flickr.com/photos/60173925@N06/16121440667/

Brill and turbot are often confused though they have some recognizable differences but are related flatfish. Wild turbot and brill have a very a similar taste and texture with the experts giving turbot a slightly stronger taste and somewhat firmer flesh. Despite that, since both turbot and brill are usually served with a sauce few of us can tell them apart when cooked.

The most famous brill recipe is still on menus today though it was created over 150 years ago; that recipe is Filets de Barbue Duglére, brill in the manner of Duglére. In France's culinary history of Haute Cuisine Adolphe Duglére is one of its most famous and creative chefs.

Brill on French menus:

Barbue Sauvage Sauce aux Crustacés, et Pineau des Charentes - Wid brill served with a sauce made from crustaceans, (that will be mainly from shrimps and Dublin Bay Prawns) flavored with Pineau des Charentes, the Aperitif of France’s Cognac region. Pineau des Charentes comes in two versions, whites, really light to dark yellows, and rosés, with some of the rosés dark enough to be called reds. These are wines whose aging and fermentation has been stopped by the addition of Cognac. (Despite this menu listing's emphasis all brill are wild).

Filets de Barbue Duglére - Filets of brill in the manner of the chef Duglére. Here the fish is poached in the oven in a sauce based on fish stock, tomatoes, parsley, butter, shallots, and white wine. This dish was created while Dugléré was the executive chef, at the legendary Café Anglais, Paris and is still on many menus though the Café Anglais closed 100 years ago.

Filets de Barbue Duglére

Photograph courtesy of Skyrock.com

Filet de Barbue Snacké, Faitout de Coques, Palourdes et Couteaux au Jus de Chlorophylle, Émulsion de Crevettes Grises – A lightly braised filet of brill served with a casserole of cockles, clams, and razor clams cooked in a green, vegetable broth and served in a thick sauce made from grey sand shrimps. French menus often include the named of the cooking utensils used and the faitout used here is a casserole; the same cooking pot may elsewhere be called a marmite. Chlorophylle is chlorophyll, the green pigment of plants that allows photosynthesis. Here the chef is telling the diner that the green color of the broth comes from green leaf vegetables. Depending on the vegetable used, for example, spinach, watercress, kale, cabbage, peas, and mint; the color may or may not add flavor.

Tronçon de Barbue Rôti au Beurre Salé et Velouté d'Huître Fine de Claire - A generous cut of brill roasted with a lightly salted butter and served with a velvety sauce made with fine de claire oysters. This cut, a tronçon, (pronounced tronson) is a traditional name used for filets from flatfish. Despite its origins tronçon is now used for a cut of meat also. Fines de claire are oysters fattened for approximately one month before being sent to market.

Filet de Barbue, Noix de Saint-Jacques au Boudin Noir - Filet of brill prepared with the meat of the king scallop and slices of black pudding sausage.

Brill, Oysters, Wasabi, Cucumber amazingness

Photograph courtesy of Simon Doggett

www.flickr.com/photos/simondee/1686890671/

Are brill and turbot different?

The two fish have similar tastes and textures. Consequently, restaurants have been known to use the smaller but similar tasting and less expensive barbue, brill, when wild turbot is unavailable, and I have seen a Parisian fish shop that was very clearly selling brill marked as turbot. In a fishmonger's you can tell brill from turbot when they are uncooked and unskinned. The absence of the protruding skin bubbles that clearly mark a turbot is a clear giveaway. Brill also have scales while turbot has none. Wild turbot may be over 70 cms long and a wild brill that reaches 50 cms long is a large brill. However, since much of the turbot on French menus comes from farmed fish when you do see brill on the menu go for it. Fish are what they eat.

Filet de Barbue, Artichaut Poivrade et Sauce aux Olives Vertes

Filet of brill served with baby artichokes and a green olive sauce.

Photograph courtesy of Pavillon France.

Brill in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - Rèmol), (Dutch - griet ,(German – glattbutt), (Italian - rombo liscio), (Spanish -– corujo).

Brill in other languages:

(Chinese (Mandarin) –菱鲆), (Danish- slethvarre), (Greek – Ρομβοπισί, romvopisi), (Hebrew – putit, פוטית).. (Portuguese - rodovalho ), (Rumanian - calcan mic), (Russian – Romb), (Ukrainian - gladkii kalkan), (Turkish - Çivisizkalkan balığı). (Latin - scophthalmus rhombus). With thanks for assistance in these languages to Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2014. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (11/2014).

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Searching for words, names or phrases on French Menus?

Just add the word, words, or phrase that you are searching for to the words "Behind the French Menu" and search with Google. Behind the French Menu’s links include hundreds of words, names, and phrases that are seen on French menus. There are over 400 articles that include over 3,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations.