Baeckeoffe
A traditional Alsatian peasant stew that made the big time.
This post has been updated and moved.
Behind the French Menu gives a tasty background to French cuisine, French dishes, how they are made and how they should be served. Where there is a story behind a dish's creation and that story may aid the diner's enjoyment then that will also be included. Bon appétit!
Dining in the Ardèche in the Rhone Alps
from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
View over the Gorges de l'Ardèche.
Dining in the Ardèche introduces the visitor to a department that is virtually entirely agricultural and also one of France’s smallest departments. Chefs work with local produce and products and anything not available locally may be found next door in the Ardèche’s neighboring departments in the regions in of the Auvergne, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. N.B. The Ardèche is just 180 km (112 miles) north to south and at its widest point 79 km (48 miles) from east to west. Despite the department's small size the visitor to the Ardèche does needs a car or at least a bicycle or a horse; the only public transport is buses and they are not always direct, there are no trains.
Where is the Ardèche?
Dining in the Ardèche:
Assiette de Saucisson d’Ardèche Poêlée de Champignons Frais Melsat aux Chanterelles Croustillant d’Aubergine au Fromage de Chèvre Frais - A plate of Ardèche sausages lightly fried with fresh mushrooms and the local Melsat pork and egg sausage. All accompanied by Chanterelle mushrooms, crisply fried Aubergines (in the USA eggplant) and fresh goat’s cheese.
Ardèche sausages on sale.
The Ardèche pork sausages come from pigs raised in the mountainous areas of the Ardèche (above 500 meters). The sausages come in a variety of forms, but apart from different herbs, spices and shapes all are pre-salted, steamed and then air dried for four weeks. These sausages, with their red tinge, will be offered in a manner similar to salami-type sausages as part charcuterie plate or they may be grilled, or fried.
Bar Grillé aux Herbes de Provence et Fenouil, Picodon de l'Ardèche – Grilled European Sea Bass prepared with the Herbs de Provence, fennel and the Picodon de l'Ardèche AOP cheese.
The Picodon AOP goats’ cheese (also called the Picodon de la Drome AOP or Picodon d’Ardèche AOP) is a 45% fat, lightly spicy to very spicy goat’s milk cheese, made with non-pasteurized milk. The youngest and mildest of these cheeses are matured for only two weeks. These younger cheeses are likely to be in your salad or used in cooked dishes while more mature cheeses may be on the cheese trolley. The Picodon AOP cheese has, as may be expected, a Fête du Picodon and has its own French-language website easily used with the Google or Bing translation apps
Picodon AOC/AOP
Photograph courtesy of george34
Chou Farci aux Châtaignes d'Ardèche AOP– Cabbage stuffed with chestnuts from the Ardèche; usually, this stuffing will be mixed with pork and or veal sausage meat.
The AOP chestnuts of the Ardèche are the only chestnuts in France to have an AOP and that highlights their unique and consistent quality. Ardèche chestnuts are available all over France; just make sure the label on the packaging says La Châtaigne d'Ardèche AOP. These chestnuts are fresh between August and November and out of the season they keep very well. For more about chestnuts in French cuisine click here. The Fete de la Châtaignes d'Ardèche is held annually in the village of Antraigues sur Volane. As the dates seem to move between September and October check this year’s dates with the French Government Tourist Information Office in your home country if you wish to include this special French festival when planning a trip. The Ardèche chestnuts have their own French language website, but their dates for this and next year’s Fete de la Châtaignes d'Ardèche are not regularly updated.
Stuffed Cabbage.
Jambon Cru d'Ardèche – Very thinly cut slices of the Ardèche IGP cured ham. This ham comes from the same area mountainous regions as the Ardèche sausages. The ham is prepared with salt, lard, and chestnut flower and after ten days the ham is hung and cured for between seven to twelve months before being sold. (For more about cured hams in France click here).
Smoked ham from the Ardèche
Magret de Canard au Miel de Châtaigner de l’Ardèche – Duck breast prepared with the honey from the bees and chestnut trees of Ardeche.
Ardèche chestnuts.
Photograph courtesy of Mireille Muggianu
Râble de Lapin Fermier Rôti à la Bière Brune d’Ardèche et au Romarin Purée Grand-Mère - Saddle of farm raised rabbit prepared with a local dark beer and flavored with the herb rosemary. The dish is accompanied by mashed potatoes as grandma used to make them. Local lager and dark beers are available as well as special craft beers made with chestnut, honey, and verbena; all with 5% alcohol.
Tarte aux Myrtilles d’Ardeche - A tart made with wild billberries from the Ardèche.
Tarte aux Myrtilles
Truite Fario d'Ardèche, Crème d’Asperges Brise de Châtaignes, Courgettes à La Tomate, Carottes Braises. A thick cut of brown trout from the Ardeche served with an asparagus cream sauce flavored with small slices of chestnuts and accompanied by courgettes (zucchini in the USA) stuffed with tomatoes and braised carrots.
White Ardèche asparagus on sale in a farmer’s market.
Tarte Tatin aux Figues, Sorbet Myrtilles de l'Ardèche – A fig tart prepared in the manner of a Tarte Tatin and served with a sorbet made from the bilberries of the Ardèche.
Wines
The Ardèche’s wines include two AOP wines and the IGP wines include red, rosé, white and lightly sparkling white wines. The Ardèche IGP Chardonnay that I chose was excellent and inexpensive. (For more about the IGP label on wines that have replaced the Vin de Pays labels click here). Additionally, since Ardèche is situated on the western bank of the Rhone River, the visitor will also be offered many wines from the Rhone Valley.
The Ardèche, in the summer is home to campers, hikers, sports climbers, anglers, bicyclists and kayak and canoe enthusiasts.
Kayaking in the Ardèche.
For the bicycling enthusiasts, the Ardèche hosts one of France's biggest annual road cycling events,”L'Ardéchoise”, with over 15,000 entrants. To participate or watch the 2016 the races keep your calendar clear from 15 to 18 June 2016. L'Ardechoise has an English language website:
L'Ardechoise
The Ardèche contains part of the Cévennes National Park, itself a source of many unique food products and many working villages. You will find the Cevennes National Park English language website at:
http://les.cevennes.free.fr/en/national-park.htm
In the Ardèche’s many valleys are cherries, apricots, and peach orchards along with farms that raise sheep both for milk and meat as well as its many goats raised for their milk. The Ardèche is a major producer of goat’s cheese and that is not only the Picodon AOC.
The Ardeche has an English language website:
http://www.ardeche.com/en/
Connected Posts:
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Copyright 2010, 2016.
Fish and Seafood on Menus in France; the Variety is Incredible.
from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Bar, Bar Commun, Loup, Loup de Mer.
French chefs, along with the French
people, have always had an open love affair with fish and seafood. That love
may be seen in countless recipes that were, and still are, created in their
thousands. The French love of fish and seafood is consummated, in mainland
France, in more specialist fish and seafood restaurants, per capita, than any
other western nation. The choice of fish and seafood in France's fish
restaurants is staggering; to their wide variety add France's unique and
extensive selection of wines and cheeses; these additions allow for the
creation of dishes that other nations can only dream of.
Cod in cider with
Swiss chard and fried mussels.
Photograph courtesy
of Arnold Gatilao
This is not a post about one particular
fish or one specific member of the seafood family. This is an introduction to
the fish and seafood that have links in this blog. French cuisine has so much
to offer, and this is a reminder not forget when considering where to dine in
France that the fish and seafood they prepare are exceptional.
Menus of even relatively small French
restaurants that do not specialize in fish still often have one or more fish
dishes on their menu. For visitors from the UK and North America, even those
limited choices may still include a fish that is rarely seen in the UK and
probably never in North America.
Click the links below; they include many
of France's favorite fish and seafood:
Aiguillat, Saumonette, and Rousette
Aiguille, Aiguillette or Orphie.
Anchois - Anchovies, the Fish.
Anchovies on the Menu in France. Visiting the Fishing Village of Collioure. Enjoying Anchoyade and Tapenade, France’s Great Anchovy Spreads.
Barracuda, the European Barracuda.
Barracuda – Barracuda, the fish. The European Barracuda in French Cuisine.
Barracuda – Barracuda, the fish. The European Barracuda in French Cuisine.
Bar or Loupe - European Sea Bass.
European Sea Bass - Bar or Loupe on French Menus. Searching for the Most Popular Fish in France.
European Sea Bass - Bar or Loupe on French Menus. Searching for the Most Popular Fish in France.
Béryx or Dorade Rose - Red Bream or the Splendid Alfonsino.
Béryx and the Dorade Rose - Red Bream and the Splendid Alfonsino. Two of the Tastiest Fish in French Cuisine
Béryx and the Dorade Rose - Red Bream and the Splendid Alfonsino. Two of the Tastiest Fish in French Cuisine
Largemouth Bass
Black-Bass, Black-bass à Grande Bouche – Largemouth Bass or Largemouth Black Bass. Largemouth Black Bass on FrenchMenus.
Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse and Bouillabaisse Marseillaise. Bouillabaisse on French Menus and Links to Recipes for Bouillabaisse.
A genuine
bouillabaisse is a whole meal.
Do not order an hors d’oeuvre or an entrée if
you are in a
restaurant that serves a real
bouillabaisse; it is a very large meal.
Photograph courtesy
of Mira nyaa_birdies_perch.
www.flickr.com/photos/birdies-perch/407676260/
Pike
Photograph
courtesy of Biodiversity Library.
Cabillaud and Morue – Cod.
Cod
Photograph courtesy of the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs
Carpe – Carp.
Carp, the Fish, on French Menus.
Congre
Corb or Corb Noir– Brown Meagre.
Daurade Rose or Pagre à Points Bleus
Denté, Denti or Denté Commun
Dorade or Dorade Royale – Gilthead.
Gilthead or Gilthead Sea Bream. Dorade, Daurade or Dorade Royale on French Menus.
Dorade Grise or Griset - Black Seabream.
Dorade
Grise or Griset - Black Seabream. Black Seabream in French Cuisine.
Dorade Coryphène – The Pompano Dolphin Fish
Dover Sole or Sole Française.
Églefin, Eglefin, Aiglefin, and Haddock
Swordfish in the Eastern Mediterranean
Fera, Féra, or Palée du Léman – Broad Whitefish.
Hareng
Lotte or Baudroie
Monkfish; Lotte or Baudroie on French Menus. Searching for the Most Popular Fish in French Restaurants; Monkfish is Number Five in the Top Ten.
Pageot or Pagre, the fish. Sea Bream on French Menus.
Pollack, the fish.
Lieu Jaune – Pollack, the Fish. Pollack is also called Callagh and Coley in the UK. Pollack on French Menus.
Maigre
Marlin de la Méditerranée
Marlin de la Méditerranée – The Mediterranean Spearfish on French Menus.
Maquereau – Mackerel.
Merlu – Hake, the fish.
Merlu – Hake, the Popular White Fish. Hake in French Cuisine.
Mérou
Mulet and Mulet Dore
Pageot - Sea BreamPageot or Pagre, the fish. Sea Bream on French Menus.
Pollack, the fish.
Lieu Jaune – Pollack, the Fish. Pollack is also called Callagh and Coley in the UK. Pollack on French Menus.
Maigre – Meagre.
Mulet and Mulet Dore on French Menus.
Merlan – Whiting.
Omble Chevalier
Freshwater
Char
www.flickr.com/photos/63457916@N00/4306254774/
Pageot, the fish – Sea Bream.
Perche, Perche Commune.
Rascasse - The Scorpion
Rouget Barbet and Rougets de Roche
Saint-Pierre - John Dory.
Sandre – Zander or Pike-Pearh.
Sardine, Sardine Commune - Sardines.
If you
have not tasted freshly grilled sardines,
you have
not really tasted sardines.
Saumon
The Atlantic Salmon
Silure or Silure Glane - France’s favorite catfish.
Sole Limande
Thon
Truite
Seafood
Algue or Algue de Mer – Seaweed.
Amander de Mer – the Sea Almond.
Anguille, Anguille d'Europe
Bulot, Bourget or Buccin.
Calmar, Calamar, Chipirons, and Encornets – Calamari.
Caviar and Esturgeon.
Caviar on French Menus. Sturgeon, the fish, Esturgeon on French menus.
Cigale de Mer - Slipper lobster.
Cigale de Mer – The Slipper Lobster. The Slipper Lobster on French Menus
Cigale de Mer - Slipper lobster.
Cigale de Mer – The Slipper Lobster. The Slipper Lobster on French Menus
Cocktail de Fruits de Mer
A Conger Eel looking out from its cave
and considering a possible main course for dinner.
Coques - Cocques
Coquilles Saint-Jacques and the Vanneaux or Pétoncle
Cuisses de Grenouilles
Crabes
King
Crab.
This is a
six and one-half kilo (14.3 lb) King Crab.
Photograph
courtesy of A. Lau.
Crabe de Neige -The Snow Crab
Crevettes – Shrimps and prawns.
Écrivisse
Homard
Huitres
Oysters
Huitres II Oysters II
Langouste
The Langouste, the rock lobster on the Left
the Homard, the two clawed lobster is on the right
Langoustine – The Dublin Bay Prawn or Scampi.
Moules - Mussels in France.
Mussels along with Moules Frites and Much More. Moules on French Menus.
Palourdes - Clams
Palourdes - Clams
France borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea; to those borders add the oceans and seas that border France's five overseas departments and its many administered territories. These oceans and seas provide France with fishing rights greater than all the other countries of Europe combined. To these fishery resources add mainland France's hundreds of freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, and its immense aquaculture industry. France's fishermen and fisherwomen are working 24/7, and they are working very hard. The result is a diversity of fish that is truly astounding.
The Pink Shrimp
Visitors to France will have heard or read that the majority of French men and women enjoy a daily glass, or two, of red wine. Their daily intake of red wine has been proven to contain unique antioxidants that are good for the heart; with that knowledge the French now enjoy their red wine even more. In fish restaurants, the product looking after the hearts and the health of the French citizenry is not their many superb white wines which do not contain the same antioxidants; like the rest of us the French only occasionally drink red wine with fish. In fish restaurants, looking after the health of the diners are essential fatty acids that come from fish Omega-3. Today, France competes only with Iceland, Japan, Spain and Portugal with the amount of fish eaten per capita. Omega-3 is helping to keep French citizens healthy. Fish, French cuisine, and good health are inseparable.
Cockles.
Usually, my search for the correct English names for the fish offered in France’s restaurants, along with the origins and information behind certain recipes, begins with lunch or dinner. Those searches included many mangled French and English discussions with Maitre D's, waiters and waitresses, and occasionally with the chefs themselves. I visited fish restaurants, sometimes just to see their menus, I visited fish markets, and on a few occasions the port-side fish markets in fishing villages. When I later double checked the information that I had acquired, I learned again and again that the French citizenry certainly do know their fish and seafood.
Shad
Local names for a fish sometimes make it to menus of the larger restaurants and can confuse the visitor. So do not be surprised when occasionally your French-English dictionary offers no help. The multiplicity of different names for a single fish is not unique to France. Most other countries have more than one name for a particular fish; the UK, the USA, Germany, Spain, and Italy all have more than one name for many popular fish. In France, some of the names come from old French, old French dialects; others come from Basque, Spanish, the Occitan language and its dialects. I still, occasionally, needed the help of professional ichthyologists; ichthyologists are those who study fish and they also search for or know the correct English names along with the Latin. That professional help with fish names and other bits of fishy information came mostly from Froese, R., and D. Pauly. Editors. 2011. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org.
Bon Appétit – Enjoy!
Searching for words, names or phrases on French Menus?
Just add the word, words, or phrase that you are searching for to the words "Behind the French Menu" 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 400 articles that include over 3,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations.
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Copyright 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)