Behind the French Menu

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Salsifis – The Salsify or Oyster Plant on French Menus. The Salsifis in French Cuisine.

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Bryan G. Newman

The white salsify flower. (tragopogon porrifolius).

Photograph courtesy of ✿ nicolas_gent ✿

https://www.flickr.com/photos/21680590@N06/4629939241/

The two familiar members of the family.

Salsifis – The Salsify or Oyster Plant is rarely on the menu in North America or the UK. In Europe it is often served in a similar manner to asparagus, though; apart from its shape, it is not that similar to asparagus. This vegetable is also called the oyster plant; a name that was awarded by those who consider the cooked plant to have a taste or texture of oysters. I disagree with that. I think it is more like an artichoke heart, both in texture and taste, but then I am naturally argumentative. In Europe, salsify may be served as an alternative to potatoes as it is a white root vegetable looking rather like a thin parsnip. There is also a black salsify, which, when peeled, is also white and is less fibrous than the white salsify. The black or Spanish salsify is called scorzonera or scorsonère in France but on most menus, no attempt is made to differentiate between these two cousins as they have similar tastes and will be on most French menus as salsifi.

Peter Henderson & Co's seed catalog.

New York :Peter Henderson & Co. :1872.Peas, Salsify, and Radishes.

Photograph of drawing from Biodiversity Heritage Library.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/15820414384/

White salsify is a pale brown while black salsify (scorzonera) unpeeles looks like a dark carrot and when cooked is much smoother. When their peel is removed they look very similar.

Sweetbreads, truffle, salsify and mushroom ragout

Photograph courtesy of stu_spivack

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_spivack/12214272873/

The two salsify plants are regularly on Northern Mediterranean and European menus.

These plants were already known and cultivated in Roman times. Nevertheless, in France, cultivation only began in the 16th century and even later in the UK where it was originally grown for its attractive flowers. Now salsify, both varieties, are being treated seriously as the tasty vegetables they are, and they will be on menus in France Italy, Spain, and Germany.

Black (Spanish) salsify ready for peeling and cooking.

Photograph courtesy of martinlehnberg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinlehnberg/8398576619/

Salsify on French menus:

Blanc de Turbot Sauvage et Salsifis Dorés au Beurre - Filet of wild turbot served with salsify gilded in butter.

Côtelettes d’Agneau, Salsifis, Champignons, Tomates Confites, Poireaux - Lamb cutlets, salsify, button mushrooms, tomatoes cooked to the consistency of a jam and leeks.

Roasted leeks and salsify

Photograph courtesy of Laurel F

https://www.flickr.com/photos/laurelfan/4607703439/

Cuisses de Grenouilles, Vieux Gueuze, Ail, Salsifis et Persil – Frog legs prepared in an old (two or three years old) Belgian Lambic beer cooked with garlic, salsify, and parsley.

Filet De Bœuf Au Romarin et au Thym, Salsifis Braisés – A beef fillet, a cut from the tenderloin, flavored with rosemary and thyme and served with braised salsify.

Black salsify on sale at a farmer’s market.

Photograph courtesy of Beck

https://www.flickr.com/photos/beckayork/4140853822/

Grondin Rouge Salsifis, Haricots Noirs, Portobello et Noisettes - Red Gurnard; a fish with firm, white flesh, and taste not too different to red mullet prepared with salsify, black eyed peas, Portobello mushrooms, and hazelnuts.

Velouté De Salsifis Crevettes Grises – A veloute is a velvety soup, here made with salsify and sand shrimps.

White salsify ready for peeling and cooking.

Photograph courtesy of Edsel Little

https://www.flickr.com/photos/edsel_/6415908299/

The white salsify in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan -salsifi ), (Dutch -paarse morgenster, boksbaard ),(German – haferwurzel , purpur-bocksbart, schwarzwurzeln). (Italian – scorzobianca, sorzonera), (Spanish – salsifí, barba cabruna) ,

Scorzonera hispanica, black salsify or Spanish salsify is also known as the black oyster plant is also a member of the sunflower family and likewise cultivated as a root vegetable.

Black or Spanish Salsify in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - escurçonera, escurçonera hispana ),(Dutch - grote schorseneer, ), (German - garten-schwarzwurzel, Spanische schwarzwurzel), (Italian - scorzonera di Spagna ), (Spanish - escorzoner),

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Bryan G. Newman

Behind the French Menu

For information on the unpublished book behind this blog contact Bryan Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Saint-Honoré and the Gateaux Saint-Honoré - The St Honore Cake.

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

A Saint Honore Cake.

Photograph courtesy of Recettes et Terroirs

The origins of the Gateaux Saint-Honoré

The Gateaux Saint-Honoré, the St Honore cake, was created in 1847 by the pâtissier Auguste Jullien the head pastry chef in the patisserie of M. Chiboust on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. It is not too surprising that a cake was created in this street, after all it is named after Saint-Honoré the patron saint of bakers, pastry chefs, flour merchants, and confectioners.

The narrow but very important street of

Faubourg Saint-Honoré

This narrow street may not be as impressive as the nearby Champs-Élysées, but it is home to many of France’s top fashion houses as well as the official residence of the British Ambassador to France, the United States Ambassador to France and the Élysée Palace the official residence of the President of the French Republic. If you came to Paris for Haute Couture this is one of the roads that will be on your shopping list. Unfortunately, on my last visit, I did not find a single bakery producing its own products.

The Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré

Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

What’s in the cake?

The cake is made with pâte feuilletée, a variation of the puff pastry used for millefeuilles. (Another form of pâte feuilletée pastry is pâte levee which is yeast based and used for croissants). Also utilized in preparing this cake are various shapes made with pâte à choux which is filled with Crème Chiboust and covered with caramel. N.B. Pâte à choux is the puff pastry used for éclairs and profiteroles etc.

Another Saint Honore Cake.

Photograph courtesy of Recettes De

The Crème Chiboust is a crème pâtissière made with milk, eggs, egg whites, flour, and sugar. It is usually flavored with vanilla and in my opinion best when whipped cream is included in the recipe. Crème Chiboust may have its flavor changed at the chef’s choosing, The Saint Honore cake will be on many restaurant menus around the 16th of May, the date of Saint-Honoré’s death in 600 CE along with celebrations of bread making.

St Honore aux Fraises

A Saint Honore cake with strawberries.

Photograph courtesy of Le Journal de Femmes

Patron Saints.

Patron Saints and Saint’s Days have long been part of the Roman Catholic Church’s tradition and many of these Saint’s days have now become part of the secular culture. Age-old traditions include St Honoré and St Valentine, (Valentine’s Day) along with many others. Even in Israel New Year’s Day is called Sylvester after the 4th century Pope Sylvester who died on 31 December 335 CE. The Jewish New Year does not follow the Gregorian (another saint) calendar and so the imported Sylvester is used for the celebrations on 31 December.

Preparing the final touches to a Saint Honore Cake

Photograph courtesy of Patrimoines Ile de France

Where Saint Honore became a saint,

The City of Amiens, in the North of France, is the where St Honore was the Bishop and here he was martyred and according to Roman Catholic tradition became a saint. Amiens is the departmental capital of the Somme in the region that was Picardie. The Amiens Cathedral’s origins date back to1220, and it is considered the most impressive Cathedral in the whole of France; its is also, obviously, a UNESCO world heritage site.

Amiens’ Cathedral

Photograph courtesy of Nina Jean

The changes in the region of Picardie, Picardy.

Since 1-1-2015 Picardie together with the region, Nord-Pas-de-Calais became part of the new super region of Hauts-de-France. On 1-1-2015 France reduced the number of mainland regions from 22 to 13. France’s regions are in certain matters similar to USA States, and UK Counties and the reduction in the number of regions is intended to reduce administrative costs and bureaucracy. The name Hauts-de-France means the Heights of France and refers to the region’s importance and position in the North of France.

A Choc-Banana and Rum Gâteau St Honoré

Photograph courtesy if Lifestyle Food Australia

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Anis Étoile or Badiane - Star Anise the Spice. Star Anise on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Dried star anise

Photograph courtesy of THOR

https://www.flickr.com/photos/geishaboy500/4297746909/

Anis Étoile, Badiane or La Badiane Chinoise - Star Anise; the star-shaped fruit of the Chinese Anis plant. Star Anise has been used in Chinese and other Asian cuisines for thousands of years for its aniseed flavor. In the West, the most popular herb used for its aniseed flavor was Aniseed, Anis or Boucage in French. The oil of the star anise is fragrant and is used in Asian cooking, as well as being employed in perfumes and soaps. Star Anis is also the most essential ingredient in that important Chinese spice group the Cinq Épices Chinois, the Chinese five spice powder; today, however, the Chinese five spice powder often has the Western Anis included, alongside star anise, as it allows for a more mellow flavor and Chinese tastes have changed.

Star Anise and Western cooking.

Two hundred years ago star anise came into mainstream European cuisine competing with and adding to Anis and other herbs for the best aniseed flavor. Beginning with Absinthe Star Anis became famous in France’s and other country’s aniseed flavored drinks. Star anise along with aniseed is an essential ingredient in France’s popular Pastis and similar alcoholic drinks.

The Star Anise fruits.

Star Anise comes from a tropical evergreen tree that may grow up to 10 meters (33 feet) in height. The fruit of the tree is the star shaped pods that give the star anise its name; inside each pod is a pea-sized fruit that is also part of the spice.The star shaped fruits (pods) are always used in a dried state, they are harvested before they are fully ripe and then allowed to dry to their signature brown color

The Star Anise plant and fruit.

Photograph courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/8231725093/

Star Anise on French Menus:

Creme Brulée à l'Anis Etoile – Crème Brulée flavored with star anis.

Le Filet De Sandre Des Bateliers à l’Anis Étoilé et Duxelles de Champignons - A filet of pike-perch (also called Zander) caught by fishermen and women on boats on the River Loire flavored with star anise and served with mushroom duxelles.

Star Anise drying on the tree.

Photograph courtesy of ToxicologyCentre.com

Gigot d'Agneau à l'Orange et à l'Anis Étoilé - Leg of lamb flavored with orange and star anise,

Navarin d'Agneau à l'Anis Étoilé – A Navarin, a traditional lamb and turnip stew flavored with Star Anise.

Star Anise reading for picking and drying

Photograph courtesy of Guagzhou New Sino Biotech Co Ltd.

Le Médaillon de Cochon de Lait Basse Température, Jus Corsé à l'Anis Étoilé, Écrasé De Pommes De Terre À La Ciboulette – A medallion, a round or oval cut, from a suckling pig that has been very slowly cooked at a low temperature. The medallion cut is served with a jus course, the natural cooking juices, flavored with star anise and the dish is accompanied by hand mashed potatoes flavored with chives.

Braised pork belly flavored with star anise.

Served with poached egg and pickled mustard greens over ginger jasmine rice

Photograph courtesy of Ron Dollete

https://www.flickr.com/photos/saucesupreme/14889007295/

Saint-Jacques Fumées à l'Anis Étoilé – King Scallops smoked with and flavored with star anise.

Saumon Confit Dans un Bouillon de Gingembre et Anis Étoilé – Salmon slowly cooked in a bouillon of ginger and star anise

Warnings on star anise teas.

N. B. In September 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised against drinking star anise teas (fusions or tisanes). The FDA warned consumers not to consume fusions/ teas containing star anise as it has been associated with neurological problems including vomiting, rapid eye movements and more. Despite this, no such problems have been reported from the use of star anise in cooking or in Pastis and similar alcoholic drinks that contain star anise. Since that 2003 warning, I can find no further updates.

Star anise and the flu.

Star Anise hit the news when it became a major component in Tamiflu, (Oseltamivir). Tamiflu is, at this time, the only successful antiviral medication that blocks the actions of influenza virus types A and B. Originally, the major active ingredient was star anise; that discovery sent the price of star anise to the stars in the outer galaxies. Then, luckily for those who enjoy star anise in cooking or in alcoholic drinks the active anti-flu ingredient in star anise was created in the laboratory and the price of the spice returned to earth.

The star anise essential oil

Photograph courtesy of healthaid.co.uk

(Catalan - anís estelat ), (Dutch - steranijs), (German – sternanis, badian), (Italian - anice stellato, badiana), (Spanish - badián, badiana, anís estrella),

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