Behind the French Menu

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Pandora Bream

Photograph courtesy of wordnik.com

The sea bream family is very large and certainly one or more of the popular members from the Mediterranean or Arlantic will be on most French fish restaurant menus. Pageot or Pagel is the Common Pandora, Pandora Bream, Becker or King of the Breams. The other bream family member often seen on restaurant menus is the Pageot Rose or Dorade Rose, the Common Sea Bream, Black Spotted Sea Bream or Red Bream. Another preferred member of the sea bream family is the Daurade or Daurade Royale, the Gilthead or Gilthead Sea Bream and it has its own post.

The Pageot, Pagel, Pageot Commune

Common Pandora. Pandora Bream, Becker, King of the Breams.

Photograph courtesy of Nathan Gray

The Pandora bream is a tasty and a much-appreciated member of the sea bream family. Caught wild in the fish may be up to 2 kilos (4.4 lbs) and nearly all Pandora breams on French menus come from the Mediterranean, but smaller fish may come from fish farms.

The Pandora Bream on French Menus:

Filet de Pageot Rôti au Romarin – Filet of Pandora bream

roasted with rosemary

Friture de Petits Pageots (selon saison) – A fry-up of baby Pandora bream (depending on the season). A friture indicates tiny fish that may be eaten from head to tail.

Filets de Pageot de Méditerranée à la Planxa, Sauce au Banyuls et Mousseline d'Amandes – Filets of Pandora bream from the Mediterranean cooked on the Planxa, served with a sauce made with the sweet Banyuls wine and an almond moose. The wine comes from Banyuls sur Mer on the Mediterranean coast in Languedoc- Roussillon.

Sea bream, Jerusalem artichokes and caviar

Photograph courtesy of Inspirational Food

Pageot Grillé au Fenouil – Pandora Sea Bream grilled with fennel.

Pavé de Pageot Sauvage, Vierge de Légumes et Riz Vénéré – Large cut of wild Pandora bream served with raw vegetables and the black Venere rice from the Po Valley in Italy.

Salade Variée + Filet De Pageot à la Sauce au Bisque de Homard + Garniture – A mixed salad accompanying a fried filet of Pandora bream served with a sauce made from a lobster bisque and accompanied by vegetables.

The Pandora bream in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - pagell), (Dutch - zeebrasem), (German - rotbrasse), (Italian - pagello fragolino), (Spanish - pajel).

Street name on Fish Island in Tower Hamlets, London E3.

Photograph courtesy of George Rex

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/7604209210/

Pageot Rose, Dorade Rose

Common Sea Bream, Black Spotted Sea Bream, Red Bream on French menus:

This fish is a relatively bony fish, but it is delicious. Some consider this fish to be the best of the bream family, and it is one of the larger members. Like most bream, it will be on the menu grilled, pan-fried, but with the larger fish baked and served as filets the bones present no problem.

Aiguillettes de Dorade Rose Sauvage, Crème de Ciboulette – Slices of wild black spotted sea bream served with a cream of chive sauce. The indication of a wild fish here is to make sure the diner realizes that this is not a farmed fish, and he or she should expect a better tasting fish that will cost more. Fish are very much what they eat and fish caught in the wild have a much larger choice.

Dorade Rose Entière Farcie au Gingembre et Crevettes Roses – A whole black spotted sea bream stuffed with ginger and pink shrimps.

Dorade Rose, Ecrasé De Pommes De Terre, Ciboulette, Black spotted sea bream, mashed potatoes, and chives.

Pageot Rose, Dorade Rose

Le Pageot Rose Rôti au Citron et au Thym – Black spotted sea bream roasted with lemon and thyme.

Nems de Crevettes et Dorade Rose Sauce Aigre Douce, Cœur de Laitue, Menthe Fraîche – Spring rolls with shrimps and black spotted sea bream served with a sweet and sour sauce, lettuce heart and fresh mint.

Pageot Rose, Asperges Vertes et Sauvages - Black spotted sea bream served with green and wild asparagus.

Tartare de Dorade Rose, Tourteau et Avocat – A Tartar of black spotted sea bream, made with the meat of the brown edible crab and served with avocado.

The black spotted sea bream in the languages of France’s neighbors.

(Catalan - besuc de la piga), (Dutch - zeebrasem), (German – graubarsch, meerbrasse, seekarpfen), (Italian – rovello, pagro), (Spanish- barazo, goraz and vorazo),

Other members of the Sea Bream family that may be on the menu. On the menu, they will be cooked like the other bream, but both of the fishnoted below are smaller and usually caught when under one kilo (2.2lbs).

Pageot Acarne, Pageot Blanc or Acarne– Axillary sea bream, auxiliary sea bream

(Catalan - besuc blanc ), (Dutch - spaanse zeebrasem ), (German – achselfleckbrasse ), (Italian – pagello, pagello bastardo), (Spanish - aligote, besugo, pancho picudo),

Griset, Brême de Mer. - Black Bream. Black Sea Bream.

(Catalan – càntera), (Dutch - zeekarper), (German - streifenbrasse ), (Italian - tanuta), (Spanish Choupa )

A good catch.

Photograph courtesy of Vasiok1

With thanks to www.fishbaser.org for help in translations: courtesy of Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2015. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (10/2015).

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Copyrights 2010, 2016.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Wild fennel flowers.

Photograph courtesy of Inra Dist.

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.