Behind the French Menu

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Parsley on sale.

Persil plat or persil de Naples is flat parsley (sometimes it is called Italian Parsley), and persil frise or persil double is curly parsley. Both types of parsley are grown in different strains and both may be added to nearly every form of savory dish; sometimes for flavor, at times for color and often merely for decoration.

Flat Parsley.

Photograph courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture.

www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/28446634941/

Both curly and flat parsley are used for their leaves and stalks and their roots will be flavoring soups.

Curly parsley.

Photograph courtesy of GreenMyLife.

When parsley is on a menu listing only certain chefs will indicate which type is being used; however, when there are dishes that include parsley juice, then the menu listing will often note the use of suc de persil plat, the juice of flat parsley. Flat parsley has a stronger flavor.

Parsley on French Menus:

Crème de Butternut et Jus de Persil Plat – Cream of butternut squash soup flavored with the juice of flat parsley.

Cuisses de Grenouilles à l'Ail Doux et son Persil Frisé – Frog’s legs prepared with sweet garlic and curly parsley.

King scallops on a bed of parsley.

Photograph courtesy of Kathy Maister

www.flickr.com/photos/startcooking/2759721987/

Friture d'Encornets, Persil Plat Et Citron – Deep fried small squid, calamari, served with flat parsley and lemon.

Noisettes d'Agneau en Croute d'Herbes, Mousseline de Persil Racine – The center cuts from lamb cutlets cooked inside a covering of herbs and served with a moose of root parsley.

Pavé De Sandre Sur Chiffonade De Fenouil, Crème Persil Plat – A large cut of pike-perch (zander), the fish, served on lightly sautéed fennel and served with a flat parsley cream sauce.

Poêlée de Ris de Veau en Persillade – lightly fried veal sweetbreads served in a persillade. Persillade is a sauce of chopped parsley and garlic; depending on the chef oil, vinegar, and other herbs may be added.

Escargot Provençal

Burgundy snails, tomato, fennel, garlic, persillade

Photograph courtesy of T.Tseng

www.flickr.com/photos/68147320@N02/36132482466/

Where exactly parsley originated

Where exactly parsley originated is somewhat disputed, though it likely originated in Greece as ancient Greek and Roman recipes show parsley was used much like it is used in France today. Parsley was also part of Greek tradition and found in Greek mythology.

Root parsley

The third type of parsley, a member of the same family, called the Persil de Hambourg or Persil Tubéreux, Root, Garden or Hamburg parsley is grown as a root vegetable in central Europe. Root parsley has a light parsley taste but is only rarely seen in French recipes.

Graines de Persil Tubéreux - The seeds from root parsley; these are the seeds most often used to make parsley salt.

Root parsely

Photograph courtesy of wikioticsIan

www.flickr.com/photos/51004712@N08/5112260390/

French homeopathic uses for parsley.

French homeopathic pharmacies are also fond of flat parsley, which is correctly considered a diuretic. Likewise, the chlorophyll found in parsley is thought to help prevent bad breath.

Curly parsley in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - julivert arrissat, julivert crespo ), (Dutch - krulpeterselie ), (German – petersilie, petersil), (Italian – prezzemolo), (Spanish - perejil, perejil común).

Flat parsley in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - julivert comú),(Dutch - peterselie ), (German - Italienische petersilie, glatte petersilie ), (Italian – prezzemolo, prezzemolo romano, petrosemolo).

Hamburg parsley in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Dutch - knolpeterselie),(German - Hamburger petersilie, knollenpetersilie, petersilienwurzel ), ( Italian - prezzemolo da radici, prezzemolo tuberoso), (Spanish - perejil hamburgo, perejil tuberoso).

Connected Posts :

Ail - Garlic. Garlic in French Cuisine.

Calmar, Calamar, Chipirons, and Encornets. Dining on Calamari in France;

Citron – The Lemon. The Lemon, the Lime, the Citron, the Kaffir Lime and the Pomelo in French Cuisine.

Cuisses de Grenouilles. Frogs' Legs in French Cuisine.

En Croûte (En Croute) - Cooked and Served Inside a Pastry or Herbal Casing. En Croûte in French Cuisine.

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

Huiles d'Olive Française - French Olive oils. Enjoying France's Best Olive Oils.

Ris de Veau (d'Agneau) - Sweetbreads on French Menus. When sweetbreads are on the menu in France do not pass them by.

Sandre - Zander in the USA and Pike Perch in the UK. Sandre in French Cuisine.

Tomate – Tomato. France’s Greatest Tomato, the Tomate de Marmande AOC. The Tomato in French Cuisine.

Vinegar, Vinaigrette and Verjus in French Cuisine.

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Brasserie Midi.

Photograph courtesy of Gent Verkend

A brasserie is a brewery in French. Even 200 years ago the Alsace and the Lorraine in Northern France were known for their many small but good breweries that also served light meals. Today more that 50% of the beer brewed in France comes from large breweries in the Alsace and Lorraine.

The Alsace and the Lorraine.

In 1870 Germany had mostly become a single German state and forced the Franco-Prussian War on France. This was the war that saw the exile of Napoleon III to England and the establishment of France’s Third Republic. After Germany’s victory, it annexed most of the French regions of Alsace and the Lorraine. Following the annexation, there was a rush of emigrants from the Alsace in the North to Paris and the south.

A sign in Brasserie Lipp in Paris today.

Photograph courtesy of Corinne Moncelli

The first brasseries were in Paris.

Some of these Alsatian immigrants had worked in or owned brasseries in the Alsace brewing and selling beer. In Paris, and in other cities, they opened restaurants whose first menus were typically Alsatian, and some did, in the beginning, brew their own beer. These brasseries began as open noisy restaurants and, apart from whatever else they offered, they included traditional Alsatian dishes such as Choucroute, pickled cabbage; Timbales, pies; Foie Gras, fatted goose and duck liver;Baeckeoffe, a hearty stew, and of course beer.

Le Grand Café, bar-brasserie in the town of Moulins.

Its decoration has remained since 1899.

The style is a mixture of Art Nouveau and Art-Déco.

Photograph courtesy of Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

At the end of the World War I, the Alsace and the Lorraine returned to the rule of France. Now came more Alsatian immigrants to follow on the success of those who came earlier. At the same time, by the 1920’s Art Deco had become popular and many Brasseries are still recognized by their unique Art Deco exteriors or interiors. Brasseries were well established and while they offered a full menu that included Alsatian specialties they still sold more beer than wine.

Brasserie

Photograph courtesy of Karol Franks

Brasseries menus today.

Today Brasserie menus may have less visible links to the Alsace, in some maybe just a quarter of the menu will offer Alsatian dishes and wines and they will be selling more wine than beer.Most Brasseries are open every day of the week serving the same menu all day.