from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
William
the Conqueror conquered England in 1066. Shortly after his crowning as
King of England, William began handing out the lands that had belonged to
English aristocrats to Norman-French Barons and others who had fought with him.
The data that shows the English aristocracy was replaced may be seen in the
Domesday Book of 1086. The Domesday Book registered all meaningful
property in William’s new country and showed his tax base. It survives in
the original and is kept in the National Archives at Kew in London, England.
The original Domesday Book may be viewed by scholars; the rest of us may
see it online (in Latin with an English translation) at:
The original, hand-written
document, makes clear that of the many large landowners, only four
Anglo-Saxon-English aristocrats still owned their lands after twenty years of
Norman rule.
The new Anglo-Norman-French aristocrats
built castles on their newly acquired lands; documents from that time show that
the cooks were Norman-French or French, while the kitchen help and farmers were
Anglo-Saxon. Consequently; however, the names for prepared meats were adopted
from Norman-French; consequently, the names for live animals remained in
Anglo-Saxon English.
The language of the kitchen help and the farmers on the right.
Veau – Veal
Schwein, Swin - Swine
Mouton –
Mutton
Sceap - Sheep
Porc –
Pork
Picga - Pig
Poulet – Pullet or
chicken
Hana, Huhn – Hen
Venaissun -
Venison
Deor -Deer
Of the 14 queens of England in
the 400 years following the Norman invasion, 12 were French-born. This group
includes two queens born in Navarre—then an independent nation between France
and Spain. This four-century-long French influence on the English kitchen had a
lasting effect on both the English language and the English table. Setting the
tone for these queens was William's wife, Matilda of Flanders, who was crowned
Queen of England in 1068.
Many classic British dishes
have French roots, though not all date back to the time of the Conqueror. The
examples below show the Norman-French origins of what are now considered
traditional British dishes. "True Brits" will be pleased to know that
puddings are not Norman-French, they are genuinely 100% British.
The
traditional English and Irish breakfast is bacon and eggs, with fried or
grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, pork or beef sausages. Along with slices of
the blood sausage called black pudding, and, of course, toast. All of the
ingredients may be seen on French tables though few if any, are seen at a
traditional French breakfast. (Chapter 1).
(Baked
beans were a late addition to the British breakfast table; they were an
American import. In 1886, Henry Heinz brought five cases to the luxury London
department store Fortnum & Mason and a new tradition was born.)
Bacon
Bacon, along with the word "lard," arrived in England from France. Today, in both English and French, "bacon" refers to smoked or salted meat from a pig. However, while the word lard now also means bacon in French, in English it specifically refers to rendered pig fat—which is saindoux in modern French. This often creates confusion for English speakers when ordering breakfast in France.
A French menu may offer:
An English-speaking diner seeing Œufs au Lard Fumé without a translation might assume the café is offering eggs cooked in pig fat. While that may have been common practice a century ago in France, North America, and Britain, few modern cafés hoping to attract tourists fry eggs in pig fat today. Interestingly, "egg" is a genuine Anglo-Saxon name (originally æg, related to the modern German Ei), while the French is œuf.
For
a small contribution to the local economy, you may taste an incredible variety
of sausages. However, the international competition—the Concours
International du Meilleur Boudin Noir—is strictly for producers of black
pudding. The competition is organized by a confrérie, the
Chevaliers du Goûte-Boudin (Knights of the Blood Sausage).
If you wish to participate, follow the link to the Foire au Boudin.; while the first page is in French, further pages feature a Union Jack with rules for international entrants. Mark your diaries for the third Saturday and Sunday in March, and call your travel agent or EasyJet.
The French word toster
came to England from France, where it originally meant "to grill" or
"to toast." Later, the French would re-adopt the Anglicized word
"toast" and use it with its modern English meaning. Today, in France,
the word "toast" is just as popular as the formal French term for
toasted bread, pain grillé.
Blancmange
The blancmange that arrived in England with the Normans was very different from today’s French dessert. Historically, blanc-manger could refer to almost anything white, as the name literally translates to "white dish" or "white eating."
A modern French blanc-manger is a dessert consisting of powdered almonds, sugar, milk, and cream, usually set with gelatin. Menus may offer versions flavored with strawberries, coconut, or other fruits.
In contrast, the Norman-French blancmange that first came to England was a savory stew of chicken or calves' feet flavored with almonds. Recipes survive from that era showing both the French and English variations. Thankfully, the blancmange offered in Britain today is nothing like the version I disliked as a child. Back then, blancmange came out of a packet; it was primarily fruit-flavored cornstarch and sugar to which milk was added.
Ox-tail soup and stew- Hochepot
These classic British and Irish dishes, known as oxtail soups or stews, were adopted directly from William the Conqueror's soldiers in 1066. Many of William’s troops came from Flanders in northern France, where their oxtail stew was called a Hochepot—a dish that remains popular in that region today.
Hochepot is the direct ancestor of the traditional British oxtail soup. It is prized for its deep flavor and the soft, silky texture provided by the bone marrow. (The historic province of Flanders is located primarily within the modern French department of Nord, along the coast of La Manche—the French name for the English Channel.)
Hochepot and Hodgepodge
The traditional recipe for a Norman hochepot includes—aside from the essential oxtail—almost any ingredient found in the kitchen. This add-everything method is responsible for the word hodgepodge in the English language.
In modern English, a "hodgepodge" usually refers to a mixture of miscellaneous items rather than specifically food. However, odds and ends are exactly what composed the original Norman recipe. Thus, the culinary hochepot gave birth to the linguistic "hodgepodge." To this day, various meat and vegetable stews can still be found on menus across Great Britain and North America under the names hochepot, hotchpotch, or hodgepodge.
Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie and their French
connection.
Two dishes, Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie, are considered decidedly traditional British creations; they are the ultimate British comfort foods. Strictly speaking, a Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb or mutton, while a Cottage Pie is prepared with beef. Interestingly, both dishes are among those most often denigrated by French tourists visiting Great Britain. However, both French and British diners are usually surprised to learn that the origins of these two dishes are not British, but rather 100% French.
In France, the British Cottage Pie began life as Hachis Parmentier, and the Shepherd's Pie began as Hachis Parmentier d’Agneau (lamb). The word hachis refers to something "hacked" or minced—the origin of the English word "hash." These much-loved recipes appeared on French menus nearly one hundred years before their British versions became popular.
If a menu lists Le Hachis Parmentier Grand-Mère, it indicates a dish prepared "as Grandma did"; and for the French, "made like Grandma" is the very definition of comfort food
The
"Parmentier" in the name refers to Antoine-Augustin
Parmentier, the man who famously promoted the potato as a
food source in France (it was previously thought to be poisonous or only fit
for animals). Without him, we might not have the mashed potato topping that
defines these pies!
The French Hachis Parmentier is made with ground beef and chopped onions fried in butter, flavored with nutmeg and a gentle touch of garlic. Once the beef and onions are browned, they are placed in a casserole dish lined with mashed potatoes. The mixture is then covered with another layer of potatoes and baked. To help the top achieve a perfect golden brown, grated Parmesan cheese may be added before serving.
The major taste differences between a British Cottage Pie and a French Hachis Parmentier come from the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary that typically flavor the British version. Aside from these aromatic accents, the dishes are largely the same.
Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie first appeared on British and colonial menus in the early 20th century. They were heavily influenced by France, where the British had grown fond of Hachis Parmentier after they began visiting the country in large numbers at the end of the 19th century. Like it or not, these "British" staples are essentially French imports.
Hachis Parmentier
Photograph courtesy of Cuisine AZ
Hachis
Parmentier (made with beef) and Hachis Parmentier d’Agneau
(made with lamb) were named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a pharmacist and
agronomist who popularized potatoes in France in the mid-18th century. By
encouraging the French to adopt the potato, Parmentier saved millions from
starvation during a period of frequent wheat crop failures. At the time, many
French people incorrectly believed potatoes were poisonous. The dishes named in
his honor were already established French comfort foods on restaurant menus by
the 1850s.
Parmentier was an
important figure in French culinary history. As Europe and the USA were
enduring the "Little Ice Age," he famously employed "reverse
psychology" to promote his crop. He stationed armed guards around his
potato patches to lead the public to believe the crop was an expensive delicacy
intended only for the elite. As he expected, this piqued local interest,
leading people to steal the tubers to plant in their own gardens. Parmentier
reportedly instructed his guards to accept bribes and "look the other
way" when people sneaked into the fields at night.
Parmentier’s
contributions were eventually recognized at the highest levels of government;
in 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte appointed Parmentier as the Inspector General of
the Health Service.
France, look after your tourists!
Given
the deep French influence on the English kitchen, English-speaking visitors to
France deserve better menu translations. With so many linguistic overlaps
between the two languages, listings such as Steak
Frites or Steak Salade are
easily understood.
However,
a popular listing like Darne de Saumon
Grillée, Sauce
Béarnaise may confound visitors unacquainted with French
culinary terms. At best, a standard English translation might read: "A
thick cut of grilled salmon served with Sauce Béarnaise." While
"thick cut" and "grilled salmon" are clear, how many
English speakers on their first visit to France know what a Béarnaise
sauce is? A truly helpful menu would explain that it is a creamy, buttery sauce
flavored with tarragon and shallots.
The
French, given their profound historical connections to British cuisine, should
urge their chefs and restaurateurs to make their menu listings more
visitor-friendly. Providing context for these classic dishes would not only
honor their culinary history but also bridge the gap for the modern traveler.
Most of this post
was originally published as a guest post for the blog “Le Mot Juste en
Anglais”. Then it was entitled “ L'influence française sur la cuisine anglaise,
“meaning the French influence on English Cuisine. Le Mot Just en
Anglais is a blog whose readers are mostly French speakers interested in
English; the blog is published by Jonathan Goldberg and Jean Leclercq and may
be seen at: Le
mot just en anglais.
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Visiting
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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
Copyright 2010, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2025
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