The Basses Côtes on French Menus. Particular Cuts from the USA and UK Chuck and are the Tastiest Cuts of Beef.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 
 Basse Côte à Rôtir de Bœuf
will be prepared like a rib roast rather than individual short ribs.  However, the cooking method will be very slow roasting, even longer than a prime rib roast. The goal is to tenderize the connective tissue as Basses Côtes need extended cooking time. 

Dining in France on meat dishes is much more than just excellent fillets or entrecôte steaks from grass-fed beef served with French fries. French chefs utilize their expertise in selecting the finest cuts for stews and other dishes, where the authentic flavor of the beef can be fully appreciated.  An example is the way the French use Basses Côtes

The Basses Côtes come from the lower rib area of the beef, specifically the first five ribs, which in the UK and USA are referred to as the chuck. While the chuck continues further towards the neck, in France, the first five ribs require slow-cooking methods, such as stews, where long cooking times tenderize the meat beautifully. This cut is often used for beef daubes.  (Beef daubes began as traditional Provençal stews made with added garlic, herbs and a local red wine).


Daube de Bœuf, Purée de Panais, Carrotes, Champignons de Paris, Échalotes, Lardons et Vin Rouge.
A beef daube with parsnip puree, carrots, button mushrooms, shallots, lardons and red wine.
Photograph courtesy of tpholland
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tpholland/4122574973/

 


The French Cuts.The UK Cuts

The UK cuts.


 

The USA cuts.

Before they graduate from cooking school, French chefs must be able to buy, choose, cut, and prepare all cuts of meat. France has no equivalent of the USDA Choice, Select, or Prime, so all French chefs must learn how to select meat themselves. They look for the required marbling, know how to eliminate tough cuts, check the thickness covering the bones, etc.  French chefs need to know almost as much about the different cuts as a professional butcher does.

A menu list offering a Bœuf Bourguignon or a Provencal Daube will rarely tell you which cut is used, but a French diner will know that the best of these is from the Basses Côtes. The Basses Côtes offer more flavor than any other cut, and most North American and UK chefs agree. 

 

On your menu in France:  

 

Basse Côte de Boeuf Black Angus, Effeuillée d'Ėpinards, et Pommes Anna - The best part of the chuck from Black Angus beef served with spinach leaves and Anna potatoes. The meat will be cut thinly and marinated overnight, producing a tasty and delicate cut that will be lightly fried. (The Basses Cotes can be used for steaks, but they cannot be cooked more than medium-rare).

Black Angus This breed of cattle originated in northeastern Scotland, and the appeal of Black Angus in France comes from the meat's quality. The breed has a lot of competition from local cattle such as the four AOP breeds: Charolais, Fin Gras du Mézenc, Rouge des Prés and the Taureau de Camargue.  Nevertheless, there is a strong French demand for additional well-marbled beef with which the Black Angus breed excels.

Effeuillée d'Ėpinards: Spinach leaves lightly sautéed or wilted, preserving their color and mellow taste.  The listing emphasizes that you're getting the tender spinach leaves rather than, say, creamed spinach.

Pommes de Terre Anna: A popular potato dish with an indiscreet past. These are thinly sliced potatoes baked in butter in a casserole, a dish created by the chef Adolphe Dugléré in the mid-19th Century, and today it is more popular than ever. Dugléré was a pupil of the famous Antonin Carême and became the Chef de Cuisine, the head chef, at the Café Anglais in Paris in the 1860s. An important customer at Café Anglais was Anna Deslions, a famous Parisian courtesan who entertained her wealthy customers in one of the restaurant's private upstairs rooms. (The Café Anglais holds an important place in French culinary history, and from the early part of the 19th Century through the early 20th Century, individual private rooms for secret meetings of all types were an important part of most of the best restaurants' business.)

 


Pommes de Terre Anna
Photograph courtesy of Sherry Main
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ladykeli/4380899275/

 

Cœur de Basse Côte de Bœuf aux Baies de Séchouan – The heart of the chuck flavored with Sichuan Pepper Berries.

Poivre de Sichuan - Sichuan Pepper, Szechwan Pepper or Chinese pepper. Sichuan berries, although not a true pepper, can be as hot as chili and are one of the spices used in Chinese five-spice powder. Nevertheless, this pepper comes with an extended family that, when dried, may be used as a pepper or spice. Only the fruit’s shell is used in cooking and may be used in its dried, ground, or roasted form. Do not be surprised if, on a visit to a food store in China, you discover that there are many different types of these peppers, at least 100 or more. The Sichuan Pepper first came to France through trade. Later, when France sent emigrants to fight and colonize its overseas Southeast Asian protectorates, the French settlers, who had brought their own chefs, quickly adapted French dishes to incorporate Sichuan pepper, not just as replacements for peppercorns.

 

Basse Côte de Bœuf, Façon Bourguignonne Revisité - Here the beef is prepared like a "revisited" Bœuf à la Bourguignonne. Revisiting any traditional recipes indicates that the chef will be making some changes. Cuisine Bourguignonne is exceptionally varied, and Façon Bourguignonne does not point to a specific type of cooking or a particular ingredient. However, since the dish is beef and Bœuf à la Bourguignonne is just about Burgundy's most famous dish this is what the chef is offering, even if it is “revisité”.  Ask the waiter what the changes are.

Bœuf à la Bourguignonne or Bœuf Bourguignon:  This is the dish from Burgundy that nearly everyone knows, or at least has heard of. Bœuf à la Bourguignonne is a beef stew braised in a red Burgundy wine. It is such a fundamental part of French cuisine that it will, in the winter, be featured on menus in all parts of France.  For Bœuf à la Bourguignonne, the meat is marinated for 24 hours in a dry red Burgundy wine, and that is the secret. No other wine will do. After marinating, the beef will be slowly cooked with added wine, veal stock, and vegetables. Bacon, in the form of lardons, bacon pieces, may sometimes be added for flavoring; the dish will, traditionally, be served with boiled potatoes.





Bœuf à la Bourguignonne
Photograph courtesy of Arnold Gatilao
www.flickr.com/photos/arndog/2414896865/

 

Basse Côte de Bœuf Black Angus de U.S.A. Sauce Choron – The Basse Côte chuck from imported USA Black Angus Beef served with a Sauce Choron.

Sauce Choron:  This sauce is a child of Sauce Bearnaise, itself a child of Sauce Hollandaise. Many sauces were developed from Sauce Hollandaise, and that is why it is called a mother Sauce. Sauce Choron is Sauce Béarnaise with added tomatoes.

 


Basse Côte aux asperges
Basse Côte with green asparagus

 

Noix de Basse-Côte de Bœuf Black Angus, Jus Vin Rouge et Moelle, Frites - The middle rib from the Black Angus chuck served with a sauce made from red wine and bone marrowFrench fries will be served on the side. 

Moellé: Bone marrow. Dishes cooked with bones, such as beef, veal, roasted chicken, or baked fish, taste better than the same dish prepared bone-free. That special taste comes from the marrow in the bones.  In French cuisine, beef and veal marrow are behind the flavor and texture of many French dishes. 

 

Basse Côtes Farci de Boeuf Braisé aux Trompettes de la Mort A braised cut from the Basses Côtes is stuffed with wild Black Chanterelles (Black Trumpet mushrooms). The first name for this mushroom in French translates to "Trumpet of Death," although this mushroom is not poisonous; the second name sounds much better and means "Horn of Plenty."

Trompettes de la Mort, Corne d'Abondance or Craterelles: The Black Trumpet Mushroom or the Horn of Plenty Mushroom in English, is an important member of the Chanterelle mushroom family.  Chanterelles are a family of very tasty wild mushrooms that will be on many French menus during their season, which, depending on the area in France, runs from the end of June through September. 

 


The horn of plenty mushrooms in the woods.
Photograph courtesy of Björn S...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/40948266@N04/29072509564/

 

Basse Côtes d'Agneau Rôti aux Girolles – Lamb does not have a cut called chuck in English; nevertheless, the placement of the Basses Côtes is still the cut between the shoulders. In this listing, the lamb is roasted with wild Chanterelle Girolle mushrooms.

The Girolle Chanterelle mushroom on this listing will be gathered in the wild. Most restaurants have year-round agreements with professional gatherers, who collect wild mushrooms, herbs, and spices throughout the year and sell them to restaurants. Despite that, sometimes the chefs are mushroom addicts, and they may be up early for long walks and searches in the woods after the rain.

 


Wild Chanterelle Girolle Mushrooms
Photograph courtesy of
Per Arne Slotte
https://www.flickr.com/photos/paslotte/5503226929/

 

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Copyright 2010, 2016, 2021, 2025

Carpe – Carp. Carp on French Menus. Smoked Carp, Fried Carp, Carp Sausages and More.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 


   
 
Carp - Carpe
Photograph courtesy of Thomas Kohler
www.flickr.com/photos/mecklenburg/4841354483/

Carpe, Carpe Commune  -  Carp, Common Carp.

Near to rivers and streams, nearly every restaurant in France will have carp on the menu. Carp is popular and inexpensive, but not always on the menu in big city fish restaurants where the customers have been trained to expect more expensive fish on their menus.

Not only the French diners love carp, but carp are also among the most popular fish for French anglers who are happy when they catch a 12-kilo (26 L.B.) carp even though they know that rarer 20 kilos (44 lb) and 25 kilos (55 lb) specimens are out there.


17 kilo (38 lb) carp ready to be returned to the lake.
Photograph courtesy of Tim Creque
www.flickr.com/photos/timjc513/3814857918/

The carp on restaurant menus are usually 3-4 kilos (6 - 9 lb) fish that come to the table from fish farms. Fish farms with carp are found all over France. The most well-known is in the Alsace in the Grand Est, in the Dombes in the region of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and those grown in the many lakes of the Limousin area of Nouvelle Aquitaine.


Carp
Photograph courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

Carpe on French menus:

Friture de Filets de Carpe, Sans Peau et Sans Arêtes aux 4 Sauces, Pommes FritesSalade – Fried filets of carp with the skin and bones removed, served with four sauces, French fries and a salad. The southern part of the Alsace in the region of the Grand Est and is famous for its traditional carp dishes, and fried carp will be on many menus. This menu listing includes French fries; however usually, you will usually have to order the French fries separately. N.B. Carp is a bony fish, and you are well-advised to order it fileted.

The menu listing above is clearly Alsatian and fried carp is the culinary specialty of Sundgau, a small southern region of the Alsace. This particular region has some 40 restaurants that specialize in traditional carp dishes. The tourist information office offers a map with a carp restaurant route. You may also join the Alsace Wine route des vins that runs close by, and in the restaurants, combine the wine with the fish.

The Tourist Information of Office of Sundgau has an English-language website. 

https://www.sundgau-sud-alsace.fr/en/

Salade de Carpe Fumée Maison – A salad served with home-made smoked carp. Smoked carp is popular and is available in supermarkets all over France.

Filet de Carpe Sauce à l'Oseille - A filet of carp served with a sorrel sauce. Sorrel has a light lemony flavor, making it a popular herb to use in fish dishes.


A baked carp filet with a herb crust
served on glazed beetroot with cabbage and a chive foam.
Photograph courtesy of Golf Resort Achental Team
www.flickr.com/photos/chiemseehotel/15545623117/
 

Boudin de Carpe aux Ėcrevisses et Crème au Lard Fumé – Carp sausages, made with minced carp, served with a creamy shrimp sauce and smoked bacon.

 


Freshly smoked carp ready for the lunch-time customers.
Photograph courtesy of Torrenegra
www.flickr.com/photos/alextorrenegra/7788492038/

Filet de Carpe “des Dombes “ Vapeur, Sauce Crustacés  – A steamed filet of carp from the Dombes served with a shellfish sauce.

The Dombes, which combine fish farming as well as agriculture, also has a bird sanctuary. There is a French-language website, and using Bing, or Google translate apps make the website easily understood.

http://ladombes.free.fr/

Salade de Carpe FumeLentilles du Berry, Fromage Frais de ChèvreBasilic - salad of smoked carp served with the famous green lentils from Berry along with fresh goat’s cheese flavored with basil. This dish is from the old province of Berry, now the departments of Cher and Indre, in the region of the Centre-Val de Loire.

In Berry, the chefs take full advantage of the freshwater fish from the National Park of Brenne. The park has over 1,000 freshwater ponds and freeing-running streams, lakes, and freshwater fish farms. Fresh carp, pikefreshwater eelszander (pike-perch), freshwater perch, and frogs (for frog’s legs) come from here.

The Parc Naturel Régional de la Brenne has a France-Voyage introduction to the park in English:

https://www.france-voyage.com/tourism/brenne-regional-nature-park-1566.htm

The official website is only in French; however, the Google or Microsoft translation apps the site is easily understood:

www.parc-naturel-brenne.fr/fr/


Fried carp, mango and broccolini.
Photograph courtesy of Marco Verch
www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/50650389408/

Goujonnettes de Carpe Frites à l’Huile de Pépins de Raisin, sur Lit de Verdure – Tiny carp and small pieces of carp fried in oil made from grape pits/pips served on a bed of vegetables. Goujonnettes can be any small fish, and in France, any small sea fish, or freshwater fish, when used for a fish soup, or served as part of a petite friture, a fry up of small fish, maybe called a goujon. Here, at least, you know they are serving small carp.

 


Fried Carp
Photograph courtesy of Chris RubberDragon
www.flickr.com/photos/rubberdragon/6568839579/

Carpe à la Juive  - Carp in the Jewish Manner. This dish is carp filets lightly fried with onions and herbs and served in the restaurants of the Alsace as a cold entrée. The dish was created by Alsatian Jews for the Sabbath when no cooking was permitted. Though the large Jewish population of the Alsace ended with WWII, this recipe is still enjoyed and will be on many Alsatian restaurant menus. Carp is also, traditionally, the main component of the Jewish dish called Gefilte Fish.

 


Carpe à la Juive
Photograph courtesy of Tout le Vins

Taramasalata – Taramasalata is one of the most well-known dishes in traditional Greek mezes and a popular entrée (the French first course) in many French seafood restaurants. Taramasalata should be a light beige to a light creamy pink mixture of salted and cured carp roe, olive oilgarliconions, lemon juice, and breadcrumbs. (Initially, gray mullet roe was used, but that was changed to carp roe when gray mullet roe became too expensive). When you see bright pink versions of Taramasalata, then you know that food coloring has been added to the roe of a fish that is almost certainly neither a gray mullet roe nor carp roe.

In a Greek restaurant, in France, I learned that formerly Taramasalata was only served during the Christian holiday of Lent when meat was not eaten. Traditions, however, do change, and tourists to Greece and diners in Greek restaurants in France look for Taramasalata. Now Taramasalata is available all year round inside and outside Greece.

Farming Carp

Fish farming, including carp, began in China in 2,500 BCE, and Egypt farmed tilapia from 1,500 BCE. Nevertheless, the 5th century BCE was probably when the Romans started commercially farming fish though wealthy Romans had their own seawater and freshwater fish ponds long before. When the Romans occupied France in 121 BCE, along with the trees, fruits, vines for grapes, public baths, and aqueducts, they brought fish farms. Following the Frankish victory in the 5th century CE, a large part of France came under the rule of the Merovingians, the first kings of France. However, there is no extant reference to fish farming under the Merovingian’s.


A carp jumping for its dinner
Photograph courtesy of Philippe Garcelon

For France and elsewhere, the first modern commercially productive fish farms only became important from the mid-twentieth century. The carp that the Romans brought to France are the ancestors of the carp now in French rivers and streams. These wild carp are now considered a pest in many rivers as they damage the ecosystem for other fish.

Koi (or Japanese) carp

Koi (or Japanese) carp are the extremely expensive ornamental carp so highly valued in Japan and China. These ornamental carp are the original species behind the common carp on the menu listings above. The Koi carp were developed from the Amur or Amour carp that originated in the Amour river system in Asia. For over 2,000 years, they have been bred for their unique colors and markings. 

 


Koi Carp
Colored varieties of the Amur carp.
Photograph courtesy of Frédéric BISSON
www.flickr.com/photos/zigazou76/51412907569/

Common carp are members of a large family with other family members on the menu in other parts of Europe and Asia. One member of the carp family is on offer in all pet shops; that is the goldfish, the smallest member of the carp family.


The smallest member of the carp family.
Photograph courtesy of Dean McCoy.
www.flickr.com/photos/deanmccoyphotos/5493432536/

Common carp - Carpe in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan -  carpa), (Dutch – karr). (German – karpfe, karpen, weissfische, wildkarpfen).  (Italian- carpa), (Spanish - carpa), (Latin -  cyprinus carpio carpio).

Amur or Amour Carp - Latin - cyprinus rubrofuscus.

Crucian carp - Carassin Commun in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Dutch - kroeskarper), (German - karausche), (Italian - carassio), (Spanish - carpin), (Latin - carassius carassius).

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

Searching for the meaning of words, names or phrases

on

a French menu? 

Just add the word, words, or phrase that you are searching for to the words "Behind the French Menu" (best when including the inverted commas), and search with Google.  Behind the French Menu’s links, include hundreds of words, names, and phrases that are seen on French menus. There are over 450 articles that include over 4,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations.

---------- 

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyright 2010, 2016, 2021
 
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