Behind the French Menu: fleur de sureau

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

The elderberry in all its stages.

Photograph courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/27405582306/

Elderberries and elderberry flowers are used for their flavor in many dishes with the elderberries often used with sauces to accompany game. Sureau is the name in French
for the European elderberry, the European black elderberry. N.B. Sureau also means the elder tree.

Elderberry products.

Elderberry wine is a drink made under many names in many countries. Nevertheless, elderberry wine will not be on French wine lists; though a few French companies do make and sell a broad range of products from elderberries including the wine. Elderberries products, especially the wine, are still made in private homes from recipes on the internet under “Recettes de Vin de Sureau” and you will find elderberry wine sales under “Vente de Vin de Sureau.” Restaurants make their own jams, syrups, vinegar, and sauces with both the elderberry flower and the berry itself. The elderberry flowers have small white or cream-colored flowers in late spring, and later there will be clusters of small black to blue-black berries. (Red elderberries are another story).

Elderberries.

Photograph courtesy of Olivier Bacquet

https://www.flickr.com/photos/olibac/1353792911/

Elderberry flowers and elderberries on French Menus:

Carpaccio De Gambas à l'Huile aux Fleurs de Sureau - Carpaccio of large shrimps prepared with oil flavored with elderberry flowers.

Chou Rouge Caramélisé au Vinaigre de Fleur de Sureau - Red cabbage caramelized with vinegar flavored with elderberry flowers.

Making a blackberry and elderberry jam.

Photograph courtesy of chèvre qui saoûrit

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chevrequisaourit/10121695174/

Flanc De Colvert Et Baies De Sureau - A cut from the breast of a farm-raised mallard duck prepared with elderberries.

Filet Rôti Sur l’Os, Sauce Aux Baies De Cassis Et Sirop De Sureau, Garniture Du Moment – A roasted fillet of beef cooked on the bone served with a sauce made from blackcurrants and syrup of elderberries and accompanied by the market’s fresh vegetables.

Elderberry flowers.

Photograph courtesy ObjectifOuverture

Follow https://www.flickr.com/photos/129993975@N04/17845303079/

Rôti de Veau Servi avec une Salade d'Asperges, une Mayonnaise et de la Fleur de Sureau – A cut from a veal roast served with an asparagus salad accompanied by fresh mayonnaise flavored with elderberry flowers -

Sauté de Sanglier Sauce Sureau – A cut of fried farm-raised wild boar served with an elderberry sauce.

American Elderberry wine.

Photograph courtesy of Sheila Scarborough

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sheilascarborough/4051322047/

Sorbet à la Fleur de Sureau – A sorbet flavored with elderberry flowers.

Wild elderberries are found all over France.

Wild elderberries grow all over France from the north to the south. However, do not eat wild elderberries that are not 100% ripe. Uncooked elderberries and anything on the plant that is green is mildly poisonous. Make sure that the whole berry is dark blue to purple. Five types of elderberry grow in France and around the world there are twenty more.

The Belgians may not make beer with elderberries, but.

If you are close to the Belgium border, you may well be offered a Beers Vlierke. Beers Vlierke is not a beer: it is a gin-based drink made by mixing gin with the elderberry juice. The alcohol content is 22%. The drink has a sweet taste with the flavor from the elderberries. (The flavor of gin itself comes from the juniper berry).

Elderberries in homeopathic medicines.

In French homeopathic pharmacies, you may well be offered extracts of elderberries or elderberry flowers as a fruit tea (a tisane) or a homeopathic cure for flu, colds, constipation, and other conditions,

Elderberries in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - saüc or soguer), (Dutch - gewone vlier), (German - schwarzer holunder), (Italian - sambuco comune), (Spanish – saúco, saúco negro, saúco común).

Connected Posts:

Asperges en La Cuisine Française – Asparagus in French cuisine. The Artists who Painted Asparagus or Lived Near Argenteuil.

Baies de Cassis – Blackcurrants and Crème de Cassis In French Cuisine. Black Currants on French Menus.

Canard – Duck on French Menus.

Carpaccio on French Menus.

Choux; Cabbage in a French restaurant? Of Course, Cabbage is very important in French Cuisine.

Crevettes - Shrimps and Prawns on French Menus. Shrimps and Prawns are Some of the Many Tasty Crustaceans seen in French Cuisine.

Filet Mignon on French Menus and Filet de Bœuf in French Cuisine.

Gibier – Wild game. Wild game in French Cuisine. Wild Game on French Menus.

Juniper Berries - Baie de Genièvre on French Menus. Berries in France I.

Mayonnaise Fraîche - In France all Mayonnaise is Fresh Mayonnaise

Sanglier - Wild Boar on French Menus?

Vinegar, Vinaigrette and Verjus in French Cuisine.

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