Behind the French Menu

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Wild fennel flowers.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/inra_dist/23309359959/

Using the fennel leaves and seeds.

The fennel plant seeds and leaves are herbs while its roots are a vegetable, and it is native to the Mediterranean and to the cuisine of Southern Europe. Fennel's young tender leaves are used as garnishes, in salads and to add its light anise flavor to sauces and soups. Fennel is a member of the same family as dill which is even more popular in French cuisine; fennel seeds and leaves are not used as much as dill as they have a stronger aniseed flavor and so fennel requires a light touch. Today fennel is used in modern versions of Absinthe, the alcoholic drink, and often replaces Star Anis, the spice, in Chinese Five Spice Powder.

The fennel bulb (root) bulb.

The fennel bulb or root is used as a vegetable, it is crisp and often served raw, but it may also be braised, grilled, fried or stewed; the anise flavor of the bulb is much much lighter than that of the leaves. The root or bulb of the fennel plant in French is fenouil racine.

Fennel flowers and leaves.

Photograph courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/6022562110/

Wild fennel

The fennel seeds, the graines de fenouil and leaves from wild herbs are preferred by French chefs for fish and shellfish dishes. Gathering wild fennel is somewhat like collecting wild mushrooms with many restaurants employing ramasseurs, gatherers. These professionals as well as bringing wild mushrooms, in season bring herbs and fruits. Fennel seeds and leaves will be in salads, soups, and stews and are often included in the herb group Herbes de Provence.

Fennel on French Menus:

Filet de Bar Grillé, Fondant de Fenouil aux Raisins de Corinthe – A grilled filet of European Sea Bass served with a thick warm sauce of raisins made with black Corinth grapes and fennel.

Grilled fennel bulbs (roots).

Photograph courtesy of stu_spivack

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_spivack/2110306208/

Faux-filet de Bœuf Charolais du Bourbonnais AOP-Bœuf du Bourbonnais Caramélisé à la Tomate, Purée Fenouil, Rattes de Pays. A North American rib steak or in the UK a sirloin steak from the Charolais cattle; this is one of Frances most famous breeds. The steak is caramelized with tomatoes and served with pureed fennel root and the favorite local ratte potatoes

Fennel seeds.

Photograph courtesy of zoyachubby

https://www.flickr.com/photos/zoyachubby/463983617/

Filets de Rougets Justes Saisis, Pommes De Terre Et Fenouil Fondants, Jus Réduit Comme une Soupe De Poisson – Filets of red mullet served exactly when ready with potatoes and warm fennel. The dish is served with a sauce flavored like a fish soup.

Maigre Poêlé sur la Peau, Fenouil Confit à l'Huile d'Olive de Nyons - Meagre or Croaker, the fish, cooked in its skin, prepared with a fennel jam made with the olive oil of Nyons.

Filet de Bar Sauvage Amandes et Noisettes au Beurre de Fenouil. Filet of wild European Sea bass prepared with almonds, hazelnuts, and fennel butter. The emphasis on wild sea bass is so the customer clearly understands that these are not fish from sea farms, but truly wild.

Fennel bulbs (roots).

Photograph courtesy of Noelle

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mieruzena/3428441886/

Pavé de Cabillaud sur Fenouil Confit aux Aromes d'Ananas, Beurre Au Citron Vert. A thick slice of cod prepared on a bed of fennel jam scented with pineapple and served with lime butter.

Fennel and tomato soup

Photograph courtesy of perhapstoopink

https://www.flickr.com/photos/perhapstoopink/332621820/

Médaillon de Sole au Fenouil Racine Crevettes à la Sauce aux Herbes. A filet of sole served with fennel root and shrimps with a herb sauce.

Fennel’s origins

Fennel is thought to have originated in Southern Europe and indeed has been cultivated there since before Roman times. Fennel, with its aniseed flavor, is rarely applied with a heavy hand, while fennel roots may be cooked like any other vegetable.

The taste and looks of fennel and its fruits, along with its various names have caused confusion in French and many other languages, together with anis and dill. The fennel root, from its looks, is often thought to be a member of the onion family, which it is not. Fennel and dill are both members of the parsley family.

Seared tuna with cream sauce and fennel

Photograph courtesy of stu_spivack

Fennel in the languages of France's neighbors:

(Catalan - fonoll, fonollera), (Dutch - venkel),(German - fenchel), (Italian – finocchio), (Spanish – hinojo).

Connected Posts:

Amande or Almondine – The almond, the nut, in French cuisine.

Bar or Loupe, the European Sea Bass. Bar or Loupe on French Menus. Searching for the Most Popular Fish in France.

Beurre - Butter in French. French Butter in French Cuisine

Cabillaud and Morue. Cod, the Fish; Cabillaud or Morue de l'Atlantique on French Menus . Morue and Stockfish Rehydrated Cod.

Citron – The lemon; the fruit behind many of France’s culinary successes. Also the Citron Vert - Lime, the Cedrat – the Citron, the Combava – the kaffir lime and the Chadec - the Pomelo.

Bœuf Charolais. Le Bœuf Charolais du Bourbonnais AOC.

Crevettes - Shrimps and Prawns. Some of the Many Tasty Crustaceans on French Menus.

French Olive Oils. Enjoying France's Best Olive Oils.

Herbes de Provence - The Herbs of Provence

Meagre – Croaker, Drum Fish or Salmon Bass on French Menus.

Rouget Barbet and Rougets de Roche, Red Mullet and Striped Red Mullet, the Fish on French Menus.

Sole Française. Dover Sole or Sole Française on French Menus. Dover Sole in France may be on your menu as Sole Française. The Fish are the Same, They Just Have Different Passports.

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Golden Grey Mulllet

Photograph courtesy of renotonna.yolasite.com.

All members of the Mullet fish family are popular, but two stand out, the Grey Mullet and the Golden Grey Mullet. In the fishmongers, the most attractive will usually be the slightly smaller golden grey mullet; but you will not notice any difference in taste. Another two other members of the grey mullet family may be on the menu or on sale in the supermarket, or poissonnerie, a fishmonger, and they are also tasty fish. They are the Mulet à Grosse Tête, the Flathead Grey Mullet and the Mulet Lipp, the Thick-Lipped Grey Mullet.

Mulet and Mulet Dore in France

These tasty fish have a soft white flesh and in France, the smaller fish, less than 700 grams (25 ounces), will mostly come from fish farms and they may be offered fried or grilled. Larger fish, caught near the entrance to rivers or at sea may weigh up to 5 kilos and will be served as filets. Usually, they will be baked or poached and served with a sauce. Muge and Muge Cabot are the Provençal names for grey mullet. N.B. None of the grey mullet family have any relationship at all to the Rouget Barbet, the red mullet.

Wild Grey Mullet photographed in the harbor.

Photograph courtesy of Ben Salter

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ben_salter/4060962537/

The source of Boutargue or Poutargue

Boutargue or Poutargue is the salted and dried roe of the grey mullet and a Provençal delicacy which some compare to caviar though apart from both being fish eggs, its taste is very different. Boutargue has a flavorful concentrated taste, and you can savor the brine with a texture that is soft but can just be felt on your teeth.

Botargue

Photograph courtesy of J. Barthouil

Grey Mullet on French Menus:

Dos de Mulet Rôti – A large roasted cut from the back of a mullet.

Carpaccio de Mulet aux Oursins de Pleine Mer.- A Mullet Carpaccio prepared with the edible part of sea urchins that have been brought in from the open sea. The only edible part of sea urchins is their roe, their eggs, which are firm but when eaten have a texture of scrambled eggs and a slightly salty taste.

Dos de Mulet Rôti aux Amandes- A thick cut from a grey mullet roasted with almonds.

The sea churning as dolphin hunt grey mullet.

Photograph courtesy of Dawn

https://www.flickr.com/photos/31064702@N05/5489527652/

Duo de Mulet et Saumon Gravlax Gnocchi et Sauce à l'Aneth - a double serving of mullet and salmon gravlax, the gnocchi and fish are served with an aniseed-flavored sauce.

NB. Gravlax originated in Sweden and it is Atlantic salmon cured for three or four days in a nearly, but not quite, freezing combination of salt, sugar, pepper and dill and served sliced as thinly as possible. Gravlax has a taste somewhat similar to smoked salmon but with a different texture. Gnocchi are those 2 to 3 cm sized free-form pasta balls traditionally made in Italy with potato flour and seen on many pasta menus. Gnocchi are also very popular in France and are made with a variety of recipes from the traditional potato flour to the lighter durum wheat flour.

Grey mullet on sale.

Photograph courtesy of Tony Weeg

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyweeg/2971429077/

Filet de Mulet de Loire Beurre Blanc – A filet of grey mullet from the River Loire cooked in a butter sauce, this sauce is also called Beurre Nantaise.

Mulet Grillé Au Fenouil – Mullet grilled with fennel.

Tartare de Mulet de Mer et Huitre Végétale – A Tartar made with mullet caught at sea and served with the oyster plant. The European oyster plant while looking nothing like an oyster does have an oyster taste in its green leaves. It may be served or raw or cooked.

Un Filet Finement Émincé De Mulet Simplement Servi Cru, Mariné à l'Huile d'Olive, Sel de Guérande et Poivre Noir de Sarawak. A finely sliced filet of mullet marinated in olive oil with the sea salt from Guerande and the black Sarawak pepper from Borneo in Malaysia.

The white-headed eagle drops his grey mullet lunch.

Photograph courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/7874538634/

Grey Mullet and Golden Grey Mullet are generally considered a freshwater fish, but they are just as home in brackish water along the coast. France's Mediterranean Grey Mullet family are a favorite of anglers along the coast.

The Grey Mullet in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - llissa llobarrera), (Durch - diklipharder ), (German - gewöhnliche meeräsche), (Italian – cefalo, muggine), (Spanish -, llisa,mujol, mugil).

Golden Grey Mullet

Mulet Doré – Golden Grey Mullet, Golden Mullet; tasting much like grey mullet and cooked with the same recipes. This fish is smaller and rarely reaches 40 cms in length. With a very similar taste to its dull grey cousin, many of the same recipes will be used. Muge Doré and Muge-Durin are Provencal names for the Golden Grey Mullet.

Golden Grey Mullet on French Menus:

Filet de Mulet Doré Crème à l'Ail. A filet of golden grey mullet prepared with a cream of garlic sauce.

Filet de Mulet Doré Vapeur Purée de Topinambour aux Coques et Jus d'Un Fumet au Curcuma. A steamed filet of golden grey mullet served with a puree of Jerusalem artichoke, cockles, and a sauce made with the dish's cooking juices and turmeric. Cockles are small, popular member of the clam family.

Le Mulet Dore à l'Huile D'olive, Ragoût de Legumes Oublies - Golden Grey Mullet cooked in olive oil and served with a stew of heirloom vegetables

Hot smoking grey mullet

Photograph courtesy of Kathy

https://www.flickr.com/photos/44603071@N00/6463929257/

Mulet Doré Sur La Peau, Purée de Chou au Gingembre, Lentilles Beluga

- Golden grey mullet cooked in its skin and served with pureed cabbage flavored with ginger and accompanied by beluga lentils. These round lentils are, because of the color and shape often called caviar lentils. Most black lentils seen in France are imported from Canada as local production does not keep up with demand,

Filet De Mulet Doré Sur la Peau, Gnocchis De Pomme De Terre Gratinées Au Parmesan, Vierge de Févettes et Tomates Confits - A filet of golden mullet cooked in its skin and served with potato flour gnocchis served browned under the grill with Parmesan cheese; all accompanied by raw fava beans and tomato confit. NB. Raw Fava beans are not for everyone as they can badly affect people with a certain enzyme deficiency; be sure you know about your own exposure to uncooked fava beans.

Golden Grey Mullet in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - galta-roig), (Dutch - goudharder ), (German –goldmeeräsche), (Italian - muggine dorato), (Spanish - lisa dorada, alise).

The Thick Lipped Grey Mullet

Mulet Lippu, Bâtard Labre, Lissa, Muge Lippu, Muge à Grosses Lèvres, Mulet Lippu – The thick-lipped gray mullet, black mullet; it tastes like gray mullet and is cooked like gray mullet. Occasionally, there is some confusion in the translations, and the name labre is also used for this thick-lipped gray mullet. Labre is used for the fish called wrasse or cuckoo wrasse, a very different fish and an essential ingredient in certain Provencal fish soups.

The Thick Lipped grey mullet will be served with the same recipes used for grey and golden grey mullet and may be served as great mullet; there will be no obvious difference in taste,

Thick Lipped Grey Mullet in the names of France’s neighbors.

(Catalan - llissa vera), (Dutch - diklippige harder), (German - dicklippen-meeräsche, meeräsche), (Italian – cefalo bosega, bosega, muggine), (Spanish – lisa , muble).

Flathead Grey Mullet.

Mulet à Grosse Tête, Muge Céphale, Muge Cabot, Mulet jaune - Flathead grey Mullet, Sea Mullet, Striped Mullet, Black Mullet – This member of the family is a sub-tropical fish and so is caught in the Mediterranean. It will be on the menu as Grey Mullet or with the same recipes.

Flathead grey mullet

Photograph courtesy of rawpixel.com.

Illustration from The Natural History of British Fishes (1802) by Edward Donovan (1768-1837).

www.flickr.com/photos/vintage_illustration/41894554215/

Flathead Grey Mullet in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - llissa llobarrera), (Dutch - diklipharder), (German - gewöhnliche meeräsche), (Italian – cefalo, mùggine), (Spanish – céfalo).

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Ail -Garlic in French Cuisine. Herbs and Spices in the French Kitchen.

Amande or Almondine – The almond, the nut, in French cuisine.

Cabbage; Cabbage in a French restaurant? Of Course, Cabbage is very important in French Cuisine.

Carpaccio on French Menus.

Coques. Cockles. Coques on Your French Seafood Menu.

Fenouil - Fennel, the Herb, and the Vegetable. Fennel on French Menus.

Fleur de Sel - The flower of salt

France's Butter Sauces I. The Three Most Popular Butter Sauces on French Menus.

French Olive Oils. Enjoying France's Best Olive Oils.

Haricot, Feve or Coco - Beans. Beans in French Cuisine.

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Parmesan, the Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano is an Important Ingredient in French Cuisine.

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