Behind the French Menu

Églefin, Eglefin, Aiglefin, and Haddock, Haddock and Smoked Haddock in French Cuisine.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Drawing of Haddock from 1872 by the US Fish Commission.

Courtesy of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History,

Haddock

Églefin or Aiglefin, Haddock – Haddock is a lean, tender white fish, with flaky meat similar to cod. On French menus, haddock will be offered smoked, baked, grilled, fried, or poached. Haddock is also more popular in France than it is in the UK or North America and that should not be too surprising as the French eat more fish and seafood per capita than North America or European countries.

Smoked haddock in France.

When smoked haddock is on a French menu, then the English name haddock is often used; that acknowledges the tradition of smoking haddock began in Scotland. (In Scotland Haddock mostly called Seed Haddock). However, some French chefs prefer their menus to remain entirely French, and those menus will offer smoked haddock as églefin fume or aiglefin fume.

Haddock on French Menus:

Cannellonis Farcis à l'Églefin Fume – Cannelloni stuffed with smoked haddock. Cannelloni; the popular tube-shaped pasta, about 10 cms (4”) long by about 1.50 cms (6/10”) diameter. Canneloni is enjoyed in France as much as it is in Italy.

Filet de aiglefin – A haddock filet.

Photograph courtesy of patrick janicek

www.flickr.com/photos/marsupilami92/13741591103/

Carpaccio d'Aiglefin Fumé, Vinaigrette de Moutarde à l'Ancienne. - A smoked haddock Carpaccio served with a vinaigrette sauce made with traditional mustard.

There are many different mustards in France, nearly all with claims to traditional formulas, and many French chefs do make their own mustards. In-house mustards are often made in a manner similar to the Moutarde de Meaux, the famed mustard from the town of Meaux. That mustard has its unique taste created by mixing the mustard seeds with water rather than crushing them. (Meaux is more famous for its Brie AOP cheese). Despite many chef's interests in unique mustards, the style of mustard that originated in Dijon is still the most popular in private homes.

Églefin Meunier - Fresh haddock lightly fried in a meunier butter and lemon sauce. Sauce Beurre Meunière is a simple, but tasty, butter sauce made with lemon juice and parsley added to the melted butter.

Dishes with the word meunière are often translated into English as a dish prepared in the manner of a miller's wife. However, watermills don't operate in the sea and so there will be few miller's wives associated with the preparation of saltwater fish. Meunière did not originally refer to the cooking habits of the wife of a meunier, French for a miller. This is another urban legend, probably explained by the fact that such recipes sometimes (not always) imply the fish has been rolled in flour before cooking; hence the confusion. The word meunière is related to a mill but historically referred to various species of freshwater fish, then common in French rivers, that went by the name of "meuniers." These fish were frequently caught around water mills because there was a mill pond with plenty of space and food for the fish. In local usage, the separate names of each of these small fish were not then in common usage. Today, of course, you can order sole, or trout, haddock and much other saltwater fish cooked à la meunière and they will be filleted and served ina butter, lemon, and parsley sauce.

Filet d'Églefin aux Moules – Filet of haddock served with mussels.

Filet de Haddock Poché sur Lit de Choucroute, Beurre Blanc. - A filet of poached, smoked haddock served on a bed of choucroute with a beurre blanc sauce. Here the use of the English name for haddock on a French menu indicates smoked haddock. Choucroute is a pickled cabbage dish that originated in the old Alsace region of north-eastern France.

Smoked haddock served with a poached egg,

The smoked haddock dish shown above is a traditional Scottish dish made with a Finnan haddie, and there are French versions of this dish. A Finnan haddie is a cold-smoked haddock and in the picture above the filet is poached, sometimes in milk, and served with a poached egg on top for a traditional Scottish breakfast.

Photograph courtesy of Flying Puffin

www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpuffin/48959168327/

Duo d'Églefin et Saumon – - A dish of haddock and salmon served together to emphasize the different, but complementary, tastes and textures.

Filet d'Églefin Posé sur une Mirepoix de Légumes aux Herbes et Coulis de Crustacés – A fillet of haddock served on a bed of neatly cubed vegetables (mirepoix), flavored with a sauce made of blended crustaceans.

Papillote de Haddock, Courgette Craquante, Crème Ciboulette - Smoked haddock baked inside parchment paper, or aluminum foil to keep all the flavors and fragrances together. When the dish is ready, the papillote, the parchment paper, or aluminum foil container will be opened in front of the diner so he or she may appreciate the concentrated fragrance. The haddock in this menu listing is served with a crisply cooked courgette, the USA zucchini, and a creamy spring onion sauce.

Haddock and cod.

Haddock and cod are related, and the French stockfish or merluche, are dehydrated and salted cod or haddock, recipes for preserving fish that originated in Scandinavia. The tradition of drying fish with the aid of salt began hundreds of years ago; then, that was the only way that fish could be sold inland far from the sea. Special recipes were made for these fish after they had been rehydrated and desalted. Many of these traditional recipes remain very popular in Europe. Dishes made with rehydrated cod and or other similar fish will be on the menu as bacalao in Spain and baccalà in Italy. In the beginning, the fish used would be either cabillaud, cod; haddock, julienne; ling; merlu, hake, and other cod family members; however, today, stockfish or merluche is nearly always identified with cod. The French have created many wonderful dishes with rehydrated cod and other fish. Menus will offer popular traditional dishes with names such as brandade and brandade Nîmoise, estoficado, stocaficado, stockfish à la Niçoise, and many others. orld and the Most Popular Fish in France.

Salted cod drying on racks in Iceland.

Photograph courtesy of quinet.

www.flickr.com/photos/quinet/3297973917/

France is not alone in having many names that confuse haddock and other members of the cod family. Young haddock are mostly called scrod or schrod in the UK while those same names are both used for young cod and pollack in North America.

The cod and haddock family.

Natural history of the animal kingdom for the use of young people

Brighton :E. & J.B. Young and Co.,1889.

biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28687540

Photograph courtesy of the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/5974413991/

Églefin, Aiglefin or Haddock in the languages of France's neighbours:

(Catalan – eglefí),(Dutch – schelvis), (German –schellfisch),((Italian – asinello, egelfino), (Spanish – eglefino),

Églefin, Aiglefin or Haddock in other languages:

Chinese Mandarin - 黑線鱈 )((Danish – kuller), Greek –bakaliaros), (Hebrew – מרוון – hamor yam - חמור ים ), (Icelandic – Ýsa), (Norwegian - hyse), (Polish - plamiak a. lupacz), (Portugues – arnica), (Rumanian – aglefin), (Russian – Пикша, piksha),(Swedish – kolja).

Thanks for most of these translations to: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2014. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (04/2014)

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

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Gewurztraminer the white, semi-dry wine. The best is the Gewurztraminer AOP (AOC) from the Alsace, France.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Gewurztraminer

Photograph courtesy of pinchables.net.

I was introduced to the Gewurztraminer AOP, a white wine from the Alsace some 40 (plus) years ago. Then, at a dinner in the Alsatian town of Mulhouse, my hosts served a semi-dry, incredibly floral wine. The wine had me spellbound. At that time, few visitors France had heard of Gewurztraminer, including yours truly, and practically no one would see a Gewurztraminer on a wine list unless they were here in the Alsace region in north-eastern France. Gewurztraminer, called Gewürzt, by the locals, is a white wine that is very different, full of flavor, and scented like no other.

Gewurztraminer grapes.

Photograph courtesy of fleecetraveler

www.flickr.com/photos/25005304@N04/2372316220/

Unlike most other French AOP wines, the AOP (AOC) wines of Alsace are allowed to be named after the grape variety from which they are produced. Today Gewurztraminer wines are produced in just about every wine-producing country in the world. However, the best of the Alsatian Gewurztraminer AOP wines beat the best of the best from anywhere else. For some clarity on these AOP and AOC labels, see my post: AOC and AOP on France's Foods and Wine labels?

Mulhouse France and Basel Switzerland.

The town of Mulhouse in the Alsace, France, where I was introduced to Gewurztraminer, is close to the Swiss city of Basel that holds many important exhibitions. The two towns are interlocked and even share the same airport.

I spent ten or more days every year, for over twenty-five years, at exhibitions in Basel. The evening were filled with endless opportunities to enjoy excellent French cuisine and wonderful French wines, including my favorite Alsatian white wine: Gewurztraminer.

The oldest wine barrel in the world.

Ste Caterine cask dated 1715 at Hugel Winery, Alsace, France.

Still in use according to the Guinness book of records

Photograph courtesy of http://www.Hugel.com

Before or after an exhibition, I would join friends and explore the Alsace Route des Vins, the Alsace wine road. The wine road begins close to Mulhouse which is thirty minutes from Basel and continues on for another 115 km ( 72 miles) past Colmar and onto the region's capital of Strasbourg. (Strasburg is also home to the European Union's parliament and Colmar, less than an hour's ride from Basel is the Alsace’s second-largest city. Colmar and to the left and the right are tens, maybe hundreds, of excellent French restaurants, large and small. While there are many outstanding restaurants in Basel itself, France is always beckoning, and the wines are from France).

The City of Colmar

In the Alsace region of France.

(On 1-1-2016 the Alsace became part of the new super region of the Grand Est).

Photograph courtesy of Flavio Ensiki

www.flickr.com/photos/flavouz/11908478103/

Choosing a Gewurztraminer AOP wine.

When choosing a Gewurztraminer AOP or another regular Alsatian white wine (not a Grand Cru or Vendange Tardive wine), do not buy wines more than three years old. Trust me; most Alsatian three-year-old AOP white wines will be no better than a two-year-old wine. Four or five-year-old white Alsatian wines are best when left in the wine shop unless you have an expert to advise you. Ordinary Gewurztraminer wines are excellent wines with only a few meant to be kept for years; drink them young.

Gewurztraminer Grand Cru

Grand Crus are different, and so when Grand Cru is on the bottle of an Alsatian wine, it indicates a separate appellation, a distinct and unique growing area. The vineyards with the right to produce Grand Cru wines are the home of the best of Alsatian wines. In 1975, the right to add Grand Cru on an Alsatian wine’s label was legalized after tests (a rarety for French wines),that included taste tests. Other vineyards that applied later are tested, tasted, and some are added. When you buy a Grand Cru wine, then the name of the vineyard must be on the label, and you need an updated wine guide to choose among the many vintners and different years. N.B. If you find a surprisingly cheap ten-year-old wine in a supermarket or wine shop leave it; if it was any good the real experts would have bought all there was long before you got there.

Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Zotzenberg.

Organic

Photograph courtesy of Domaine Haegi

I leave the Gewurztraminer Grand Cru wines at dinner to the real mavens who can afford them, and enjoyed them when I was invited. Though the Grand Crus do include the very very best, I do find excellent Gewurztraminer AOP wines without Grand Cru on the label, and when the bill comes, they are easier to digest.

Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive (VT) wines

Vendange Tardive wines are made with grapes that are left on the vine long past the usual harvest date; then, as the grapes begin to dry out, the sugars and flavors are concentrated, resulting in the perfect grape for a sweet dessert wine. Open a bottle of a Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive, and the area around is filled with the scent of flowers. These wines may be offered as an aperitif or as a single glass accompanying certain dishes.

Gewürztraminer Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN)

Sélection de Grains Noble (SGN) Alsatian wines are even sweeter than the vendange tardive wines and are considered the highest grade of the Alsatian dessert wines. These wines are made when the grapes, on the vine, have been infected by a helpful fungus called botrytis cinerea (mostly known in English as the “noble rot”). As long as the climate is not damp, this fungus does its magic and concentrates the sugars and scent a few steps higher than the vendange tardive wines. The famous sweet Sauterne wines of Bordeaux are also produced with the aid of the “noble rot.” When you buy any of these fabulous SGN Alsatian dessert wines, remember this is a wine for sipping and smelling, not for quaffing.

Marc de Gewurztraminer

Marcs, like Italian Grappas and similar brandies from other wine-producing countries, are made from grape skins, leaves, pulp, and seeds that are leftover from the production of wines. Initially, these leftovers were processed into very rough brandies that were given freely to the workers in the vineyards; they got drunk, and that took their minds off their poverty. These cheap marcs and grappas were then slightly improved and subsequently sold, cheaply, to the townspeople who could also get drunk cheaply and forget their problems. Over the years, the methods of distillation developed, and a second distillation produced a brandy that was smoother, tastier, and more fragrant that could be sold to more discerning customers.

Today the better French Marcs and Italian Grappas, with a 40 % alcohol content, are offered like other fine brandies in the finest restaurants. A pleasant Marc’s scent will tell you the type of grape that was used, and In the Alsace, your digestif should be a Marc de Gewurztraminer.

Vinaigre de Gewurztraminer:

Gewurztraminer vinegar adds its unique scent and taste to sauces. Vinaigrette and other sauces made with vinegar bring that scent of flowers.

Vendanges Tardive Grand Cru Zinnkoepfle

Leon Boesch Gewurztraminer

Photograph courtesy of VintageandCo.com

Menus in the Alsace may Include:

Un Verre de Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives - A glass of sweet Gewurztraminer late harvest wine. One of the best ways to enjoy this wine without buying the whole bottle.

Asperges Blanches d'Alsace et Écrevisses au Vinaigre de Gewurztraminer - White asparagus from the Alsace served with crayfish and flavored with a Gewurztraminer vinegar. N.B. The white asparagus from the Alsace is fabulous and during the season will be on nearly every restaurant menu.

White and green asparagus

Along with other goodies in the market.

Photograph courtesy of Sarah Bodri

www.flickr.com/photos/juniper_trees/3035879144/

Foie Gras de Canard "Maison," Gelée au Gewurztraminer et Pain de Campagne Toasté – Fattened duck’s liver prepared with the chef's own recipe, served with a jelly made from the cooking juices flavored with Gewurztraminer and accompanied by toasted country bread.

N.B. On French menus "Maison" while also indicating a home or implying "homemade" does not infer that the competition is buying their product in the local supermarket! On a French menu, "Maison" indicates a particular restaurant's or chef's take on a well-known dish.

Dos de Maigre aux Effluves d'Epices Cuit sous Vos Yeux Sauce Beurre Blanc au Gewurztraminer et son Risotto aux Champignons - A thick cut of meagre the fish, also called croaker, scented with spices; all cooked in front of the diner in a Beurre Blanc sauce made with Gewurztraminer wine and accompanied by a button mushroom risotto. (Be careful using the word "maigre" as it also means lean).

Escalope de Saumon Frais, Sauce Légère au Gewurztraminer – Fresh salmon served with a light Gewurztraminer flavored sauce.

Le Sorbet Citron Arrosé au Marc de Gewurztraminer – A lemon sorbet lightly flavored with a Marc de Gewurztraminer; this may be offered between the main course and the dessert menu:

Granité au Melon Rose et Gewurztraminer AOC Alsace Grand Cru - A granite made with crushed frozen melon and rose water, flavored with a Gewurztraminer Grand Cru. Granités were originally the French take on Italian granitas, and in the beginning, they were sugar, fruiKougelhopf cake, and water served with crushed ice, a sludge. Many guide books still translate a French granité as sludge in English. However, the granités served in most French restaurants have moved on and are now very different from a sludge.

Kougelhopf Glacé au Marc de Gewurztraminer, Coulis aux Fruits Rouge - This is a popular Alsatian dessert where an ice-cream cake is often made using the traditional engraved Kougelhopf cake pan. You will receive a slice of this ice-cream cake shaped like a regular Kougelhopf cake. In this menu listing the ice cream is flavored with a Marc de Gewurztraminer and accompanied by a puree of berries, strawberries and other red fruits.

Un Verre de Gewurztraminer Vendanges Tardives - A glass of sweet Gewurztraminer late harvest wine. One of the best ways to enjoy this wine without buying the whole bottle.

At the end of a meal, Alsatian menus may offer an Alsatian coffee:

Café Alsacien – An Alsatian coffee; a shot of black espresso coffee served with whipped cream and a shot of Gewurztraminer Marc. (A similar coffee elsewhere in France, without the whipped cream, will be a Café Cognac).

Kougelhopf (Gugelhupf) with Alsatian Coffee by the side.

Photograph Courtesy of Lyons Coffee

The Kougelhopf cake, also called Gugelhupf, Kouglof, and other similar names, include cakes that today have a wide variety of recipes. The original Kougelhopf was a raisin-filled yeast bread made in traditional engraved pans with a hole in the middle; these pans with their engravings have become collectors’ items. As a child, I remember my Oma, my Austrian Grandmother making these cakes on the stovetop.

Kougelhopf pans

Betschdorf and Soufflenheim for Alsatian pottery

Photograph courtesy of Stars and Stripes

Exploring the Alsace

With friends and family who joined us after the annual Basel exhibition, we would explore the Route des Vins d’Alsace. This Alsace wine road extends from the South, near the small town of Thann, 25 minutes from Mulhouse to the North of the Alsace, just past Marlenheim, 24 minutes from Strasbourg for over 120 km (75 miles); however, that is as the crow flies, but double that distance if you follow the route on the map. There are close to 100 towns and villages along the way, all with wine and tourism an important part of their economies. We quickly learned the way to enjoy a weekend in the Alsatian wine country with the wine road as our guide was to take a single 5 km to maybe 10 km (3 to 6 mile) section.

The village of Eguisheim,

(Forty minutes from Basel and fifteen minutes from Colmar).

Photograph courtesy of Tambako The Jaguar.

_{www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/6083024453/}

We would wander around beautiful small towns and villages. There we could join in the wine tastings that sometimes seem to be set up every 20 meters and enjoy the beautiful houses, many with nesting storks on their roofs. For lunch, we would have a traditional Alsatian tarte flambé and then wander or drive around the beautiful countryside while discussing dinner.

A stork sitting on a house in Hunawihr, Alsace

(Thirty minutes from Colmar and one hour from Basel).

Photograph courtesy of Steven & Courtney Johnson & Horwitz

www.flickr.com/photos/unnormalized/7832026576/

The Gewurztraminer fete.

If you are in the Alsace at the end of July, then on the last Saturday and Sunday, there is a Fête du Gewurztraminer, a Gewurztraminer fete, in and around the communes of Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr. Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr, the small town and the village, are about 20 minutes' drive north of Colmar. You will find more information about their communes and their wine fete's exact dates on their English language website at:

http://www.ribeauville-riquewihr.com/en/

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