Behind the French Menu

Bilberries on the Menu in France - In French That's the Bleuets, Myrtilles, and Brimbelles .

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Bluets, Myrtels or Brimbelles.

The native European bilberry is a small bluish-black berry similar to, but smaller than, the American Bilberry and the blueberry.

Photograph courtesy of Emi Yañez

www.flickr.com/photos/puntodevista/245219573/

The small European bilberries grow wild in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains, in the old regions of Lorraine and Alsace in the Grand Est, in the department of Ardèche in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and at the lower levels of many of France’s mountainous areas. Wild bilberries will be on local menus between June and August, unfortunately, they rarely reach the markets in the major cities.

Vaccinium myrtilus, the European Bilberry.

Photograph courtesy of BioDivLibrary.

The European bilberry grows on low bushes, in groups, and are easily picked. Despite their sweet but slightly acidic flavor, they are clearly a favorite in French regional cuisines. For chefs these berries flavor and color equally well.

European bilberries on French menus:

Carré d'Agneau Rôti au Caramel de Bleuets - Roasted rack of lamb flavored with caramelized bilberries.

100 EUROPEAN BLUEBERRY SEEDS by SS063

Photograph courtesy of Amazon

Magret de Canard aux Myrtilles Sauvages – Duck breast flavored with wild bilberries.

Nems Croustillants à la Myrtille Sauvage, Glace Bulgare – Crispy spring rolls made with wild bilberries and served with Bulgarian ice-cream. From my experience, France’s Bulgarian ice-cream is locally produced Greek or Bulgarian yogurt made with added ice cream. However, never having been to Bulgaria I do not know how real Bulgarian ice-cream tastes.

Bilberry Fortefrutto

Photograph courtesy of Pregel.

Spring rolls came to France with the Vietnamese with whom the French had a long and bloody relationship. In 18874/5 France had won a war with China, and in 1887 France created French Indo-China that included Vietnam. The French left Vietnam in 1954 after their disastrous defeat at Dien Bien Phu. The French leaving Vietnam led directly to America’s involvement that was followed by the American Vietnam war.

It was Napoléon III who established French Indo-China, that included much of today’s Vietnam. From this colony, many thousands of Vietnamese came to France for government services, trade, school, and university. Not all went home, and some opened restaurants. On the menu listing above the spring rolls have been adopted by a French or Vietnamese chef for a fusion dessert.

On the culinary side of France's quest for Empire, it created thousands of North African, West African, Caribbean, Indian, Indian Ocean, Chinese, Vietnamese and Polynesian.

Even bilberry extract is available.

Photograph courtesy of My Wellness Warehouse.

Suprême de Pigeon Cuit au Sautoir, Pulpe de Charlotte, Jus de Brimbelles Doux et Fort - Breast and wing of pigeon cooked in a sautoir, a high-walled frying pan and served with mashed charlotte potatoes. The accompanying juice is a sweet and spicy bilberry sauce. In the Lorraine, wild bilberries are generally called brimbles. (Including a description of the kitchenware used in preparing a dish is part of French culinary tradition).

Tarte Streusel aux Poires et Brimbelles – A pear and bilberry tart topped with sweet buttery bread and or flour crumbs from the Lorraine region now including in the super region of the Grand Est.

Tart-Ô myrtilles, fève tonka

Photograph courtesy of Chef Simon.com.

Myro the aperitif of the Ardeche

In the department of Ardèche in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes for your apéritif, you will traditionally be offered a Myro. A Myro is made with a very cold Côtes du Rhône Rosé wine and a slight touch of Crème de Myrtille, a bilberry liquor. A Myro is made similarly to a Kir which is a chilled white wine and Crème de Cassis, a black currant liquor; France has quite a number of similar aperitifs. At home, a Myro makes an excellent apéritif when made with any good cold and semi-dry rosé. NB. Use only a slight touch of Crème de Myrtille when making a Myro; that’s the voice of experience!

Creme de Myrtille.

Photograph courtesy of Cherry Rocher.

European bilberries are rarely grown commercially in France and in the Lorraine they have chosen to grow the larger and sweeter American bilberries, and there they are called the Bluets de Vosges. Given the choice I will choose the smaller, wild, stronger tasting European family member.

A confiture, a jam, of wild European Bilebrries and apples.

Photograph courtesy of Lucien Georgelin

If you wish to gather wild bilberries while surrounded by breathtaking scenery, then the forests and mountains in the Lorraine would be an enjoyable place to start. Consider making your base the city of Épinal; it is the Prefecture, the capital, of the department of the Vosges in the Lorraine region of the Grande Est. The Moselle river runs through the center of the town, the forests and hills of the Vosges are next door. If berry picking is not enough exercise, then 40 km ( 25 miles) away is the town of Gérardmer; here every September they hold Triathlon XL de Gerardmer. In Lac Gérardmer, you swim for 1,900 meters, cycle for 90km (2kms and then run for 21 km ( 13 miles) around the lake. Having completed the course, you may then go out for dinner. (BTW the Lorraine is the home of the Quiche Lorraine).

Pick your own berries.

Photograph courtesy of the Birmingham Mail UK.

Bluets, Myrtels or Brimbelles - Bilberries in the languages of France's neighbors:

(Catalan - nabiu, avajó or mirtil), (Dutch - blauwe bosbes), (German - bickbeere, heidelbeere, blaubeere, schwarzbeere), (Italian – mirtillo), (Spanish - arándano, ráspano, mirtillo).

Bluets, Myrtels or Brimbelles - Bilberries in other languages:

(Chinese (Mandarin) - yuè jú - 越桔), (Danish - almindelig blåbær), (Filipino/Tagalog – duhat), (Greek – mύρτιλο), ), (Hebrew - ochmanit shachora - אוכמנית שחורה), ( Korean - beullu beli - 블루 베리), (Norwegian – blåbær), (Portuguese - mirtilo eurasiano), (Rumanian – afinul), (Russian - -chernika - Черни́ка, Черника обыкновенная), (Swedish – blåbär), (Turkish - yaban mersini), (Ukrainian - Чорниця, або черниця, борівка). (Latin - vaccinium myrtillus). Some translations come from Google Translate© and some from Wikipaedia Copyright.

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

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

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Connected Posts:

Alsacienne (à l’) - Cuisine à l'Alsacienne - Dining in the manner of the Alsace.

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

Carré d'Agneau (Carre d'Agneau) - A rack of lamb. A rack of Lamb in French Cuisine.

Dining in the Ardèche in the Rhone Alps.

Glace – Ice-cream. Ice-cream on French Menus. Glacé and Glacée are Desserts That are Frozen, Iced, Chilled or Glazed.

Jus – Fruit or Vegetable Juice and/or a cooked dish’s natural juices on French Menus.

Kir and Kir Royale the Unique French Aperitifs. The Aperitifs of Burgundy.

Magret de Canard or Lou Magret. - Duck Breast on French Menus.

Quiche Lorraine - The Origin of all Quiches is the Lorraine in North-Eastern France.

Regions - France’s Mainland Regions and Their Borders Have Changed. France's New Super regions. Keep This List With Your GPS and Map.

Nouvelle Cuisine? Whatever happened to Nouvelle Cuisine? Who was Fernand Point?

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Nouvelle Cuisine Poster.

By Thorsten Schmitt through 123RF.

The creators of Nouvelle Cuisine.

Nouvelle Cuisine began in France in the late 1950s, its creators were a group of highly talented, and highly trained, young French chefs who sought to create a new, lighter, tastier and fresher style of French cuisine. All these chefs were influenced or taught by the most significant French chef of the mid-20th century Fernand Point (1897–1955).

These young chefs threw out the warming pans and lamps, the heavy sauces, the pre-prepared dishes kept in warming pans and the vast displays of Haute Cuisine, and they caused a massive row in the process. Established and recognized chefs who had worked all their lives with traditional Haute Cuisine did not, readily, accept any changes. There were many arguments with many that were particularly vocal and public; the future of French cuisine was on the line.

The creators of Nouvelle Cuisine's view of a chef

from the era of traditional Haute Cuisine.

Photograph though Yay Micro

What was Nouvelle Cuisine?

The young chefs working on this new and initially unnamed cuisine were considered rebels, but in reality, they were modernizers. They came to their kitchens demanding the freshest produce, lighter sauces, and dishes cooked when ordered with no dish ever being reheated. Traditional dishes and the spirit of the recipes behind the traditional dishes remained; after all these rebels were classically trained French chefs. Now, however, famous dishes would be fresher, healthier, lighter, tastier, and more colorful. New dishes came with new ingredients, new cooking methods, and new and different tastes were brought to the table.

Only the freshest fruits and vegetables.

Photograph by Tatuyoshi Toriu (Marucyan) through RF123.

The name Nouvelle Cuisine:

The name Nouvelle Cuisine was not used by any of the pioneering chefs, at least in the beginning; they had no name for what they were doing though they knew very well that they were making changes in France's traditional cuisine. Then Henri Gault (1929 – 2000) and Christian Millau, (1928 – 2017) both respected food critics and journalists, gave this cuisine a name, Nouvelle Cuisine, the New Cuisine. Gault and Millau would go on to found in 1955 the now famous French food and hotel guide The Gault-Millau. The Gault-Millau guide is not well known outside France but, it remains the only serious alternative for anyone wishing a different view of grading restaurants to that offered by Michelin.

The years of the imitators

With the publicity that Nouvelle Cuisine received came a demand for more restaurants that served this new cuisine. Nouvelle cuisine was suddenly in vogue, and what followed gave its creators got a bad rap. Along came chefs and restaurateurs who knew little of the ideas of the cuisine’s creators, but they saw success and wanted to cash in. These imposters tried to imitate the originators and served large plates with diminutive but highly decorated portions for high prices. In just a few years most of these pseudo-Nouvelle Cuisine restaurants were recognized for what they were, and they disappeared from the scene as quickly as they came.

Phoney Nouvelle Cuisine main course of duck breast.

Photograph through Yay Micro.

Today's French culinary establishment.

Today the surviving founders of the real Nouvelle Cuisine are France’s grey-haired establishment and the owners and of some of the France finest restaurants. Nevertheless, time moves on, and their place at the table is being taken by a new body of chefs who have been trained in the ideas that Fernand Point instilled. Nearly every single one of the rebels’ original aims has been achieved; they have created today’s Cuisine Française, modern French cuisine.

Even before the slow food movement, there was slow food.

The work of the chefs in this post laid the way for the slow food movement.

Photograph by Piti Tantaweevongs through 123RF.

Some of those who led the way in the creation of Nouvelle Cuisine:

Paul Bocuse.

Paul Bocuse, (1926 -2018) earned his three Michelin stars for his restaurant L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges, 4 km (2.5 miles) north of the city of Lyon in 1965. It has held those three Michelin stars from 1965 with one of France’s most celebrated chefs Olivier Couvin at the helm since 2001.

Paul Bocuse was also the founder of the world’s most prestigious international French cooking competition the Bocuse d’Or World; it is the most prestigious award for French chefs in the world. Additionally, Bocuse was the Chairman of the Institut Paul Bocuse Worldwide Alliance, the largest food and restaurant and hotel management educational institution in France.

The Troisgros Brothers

The Troisgros brothers Pierre and Jean built their Michelin three-star restaurant and unique boutique hotel the, Hôtel Moderne, in the city of Roanne in the department of the Loire in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The Troisgros family have been behind restaurants in Moscow, Paris, and Tokyo and with the closing of their restaurant in Roanne in 2017 Pierre and Jean’s son Michel and his son César opened Le Bois sans Feuilles in Ouches, 8 km (5 miles) west of Roanne; it has its own three Michelin stars.

I look forward to dining at Le Bois sans Feuilles as its predecessor Le Maison Troisgros was the finest restaurant I have ever been to anywhere, period. Along with incredibly fresh, delicious and uniquely presented food; the service was low-keyed and serene, but absolutely perfect, with a master sommelier.

Alain Chapel

Alain Chapel (1937 – 1990) is no longer with us; but while he lived, he had his three-star Michelin restaurant Alain Chapel in Mionnay, north-east of Lyon.

Alain Senderens

Alain Senderens, (1939 – 2017) was the executive chef at the Parisian Michelin three-star restaurant the Lucas Carton. In 2005, he closed the Lucas Carton, calling it pompous and returned his three Michelin stars. On the same premises, Senderens opened a new restaurant called Senderens, with Jérôme Banctel as the chef de cuisine. Senderens is not inexpensive, but it serves incredible meals at half the prices of the Lucas Carton. Despite Alain Senderens’ original snub of the Michelin awards Michelin awarded his new restaurant, in 2006, two of the three stars that he had previously returned.

Francois Bise

Francois Bise is no longer with us, but his three-star Michelin Guide restaurant Auberge du Père Bise is set close by the beautiful Lake Annecy in the department of Haute-Savoie in the Rhône Alps. Under his daughter Sophie Bise, the Auberge du Père Bise had three stars and under its new owner the chef Jean Sulpice it already has two Michelin stars.

Georges Blanc

Georges Blanc built The Village Blanc with its Relais & Chateaux hotels, spa, and restaurants in the village of Vonnas in the department of Ain in the Auvergne - Rhône Alps. The George Blanc restaurant in the Village Blanc holds three Michelin stars and Georges’ sons Frédéric and Alexandre work with their father.

Michel Guérard

Michel Guérard built his Michelin three-star restaurant Le Prés d’Eugénie along with its hotel and spa in Eugénie-les-Bains, in the department of Landes, Nouvelle Aquitaine. Michel Guérard is also the creator of Cuisine Minceur, a lighter, healthier style of cooking that avoids most fat and cream.

Eugénie-les-Bains where Michel Guérard has his spa and restaurant developed alongside the original spa of Saint-Loubouer, close to Biarritz. The site was loved by Empress Eugénie, wife of Emperor Napoleon III and his restaurant is named after her. That original spa is now part of Eugénie-Les-Bains.

Louis Outhier

Louis Outhier created his Michelin three-star restaurant L'Oasis in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, 10km (6 miles) from Cannes. He was awarded his three Michelin Stars in 1969 and kept them until he retired in 1988. The restaurant was vacant for ten years until one of his protégés Stephane Raimbault purchased the restaurant in 1999. L'Oasis of Stephane Raimbault has since been awarded two Michelin stars and is run by the three brothers Stéphane, Antoine and François Raimbault.

Now you tell me what happened to Nouvelle Cuisine?

Fernand Point

The architect and prime mover.

Francois Bise, Georges Blanc, Paul Bocuse, Alain Chapel, Louis Outhier, and Pierre and Jean Troisgros all trained under Fernand Point. Fernand Point’s own restaurant was La Pyramide in the town of Vienne, in the department of Isère, in the Auvergne - Rhône Alpes. La Pyramide, was, in 1933, among the first restaurants to receive the Michelin three-star rating when they were first awarded in that year. In 1933, there were just 19 French restaurants with three stars, now in 2018, there are 28. La Pyramide remains on the street name after Fernand Point and is owned and run by the chef Patrick Henriroux; it has two Michelin stars.