Behind the French Menu

Salmis - Salmis. A traditional method of cooking game birds. Salmis on French Menus today.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Salmis

Salmis originated as a recipe for leftover game birds that had already been roasted. Roasted game birds that were the leftovers would be stewed in a red or white wine or an Armagnac based sauce. Then the salmis would be served with mushrooms and other vegetables Still today most salmis dishes will still be on menus during the various hunting seasons; however, the bird or other animals will not be yesterday’s leftovers. Salmis, with some changes in the dish’s preparation for the modern French kitchen, are popular menu listings.

Salmis on French Menus:

Garbure Béarnaise et Salmis de Sanglier – The garbure is heavy winter soup famous in the old province of Béarn and the area around Béarn. In this menu listing to this ginormous meal the Salmis of farmed wild boar has been added. If the boar had been real wild boar the menu would have read Sanglier Sauvage. Béarn had its capital in the town of Pau and Pau is now the departmental capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques in the new region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The super region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine was created on 1-1-2016 and includes the regions of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes. With Bordeaux as its capital, the new region includes the Pay Basque is the largest administrative region in France.

Tartine of Squab en Salmis

A squab is a young pigeon that has not yet flown and the word tartine is often used to describe an open sandwich

Photograph courtesy of D’Artagnan.

Royale de Pigeon de Bresse en Salmis, Fondue de Chou Vert - The highly rated farmed pigeon from Bresse prepared with green cabbage cooked to a pulp.

Salmis de Faisan

Pheasant Salmis

Photograph courtesy of Le Monde Cuisinier with Chef Simon

Salmis de Canard Sauvage – A salmis made with wild duck. As the type of wild duck is not named this will be the most prominent wild duck in France and elsewhere; this is the Canard Colvert, the Mallard Duck. The male Mallard duck is easily recognised with its green collar; in French, a green collar is a colvert.

You don't have time to make a Salmis?

You can always buy this jar salmis of woodpigeon on the web.

.Photograph courtesy of Pascal MASSONDE

Salmis de Sanglier au Patrimonie – This was an aristocratic Corsican dish that had the meat of a wild boar marinated for 48 hours and then roasted. In Corsica, this Salmis would be accompanied by a great red Corsican wine like an aged red Ajaccio. Ajaccio is an AOC/AOP appellation for white, red and rosé wines from Corsica.

Ajaccio and The Napoleon I Museum

Ajaccio is the capital city of Corsica and the prefecture, the departmental capital of Corse-du-Sud. Ajaccio is 351 km (220 miles) by sea from Marseille. Ajaccio is famous as the birthplace of the French Emperor Napoleon I. Napoleon’s home is now a museum, the Musée National de la Maison Bonaparte; it is located on the Rue Saint-Charles in Ajaccio.

Napoleon’s home.

As it would have looked when he was a child.

Photograph courtesy of The National Napoleon Museum.

The Napoleon Museum Has an English language website:

http://en.musees-nationaux-malmaison.fr/musee-maisonbonaparte/

Chefs stretch good recipes and traditions, and other game meats are now prepared in the same manner and may be on the menu. Outside of the hunting season farm-raised wild boar and farmed game birds may be on the menu.

Connected Posts:

French Bread - Different Types of French Bread. (Bread in French is Spelled Pain and Pronounced as Pan).

Canard – Duck. Duck on French Menus

Faisan - Pheasant. Wild and Farm-Raised Pheasant on French Menus.

Gibier – Wild game. Wild game in French Cuisine. Wild Game on French Menus.

Pigeons and Squabs on French Menus.

Regions - France’s Mainland Regions and Their Borders Have Changed. Keep This List With Your GPS and Map.

Sanglier - Wild Boar on French Menus?

Soupe - Soup. Soup on French Menus. A lexicon of French soups.

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Bœuf de Chalosse, Label Rouge, IGP – The Chalosse, Red Label, Beef Cattle. Bœuf de Chalosse on French Menus.

from

Behind the French Menu

Bryan G. Newman

The Bœuf de Chalosse.

Photograph courtesy of Cuisine à la Française.

The origin of Chalosse.

The Bœuf de Chalosse comes from the ancient province of Chalosse that historically was part of the Dutchy of Gascony and since the French revolution is included in the department of Landes. (Landes was in the region of Aquitaine and is now part of the new super-region of Nouvelle Aquitaine; since 1-1-2016 this new super-region includes the regions of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes).

The logo of the Bœuf de Chalosse.

The IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) is the Pan-European Indication of a unique geographic area where a food product or wine of a high standard is produced. in English the IGP is the PGI, the Protected Geographical Indication. The IGP/PGI label protects the farmers who raise the cattle from unfair competition and protects the consumers from unregistered producers. No one in the European Union is allowed to claim they raise the Bœuf de Chalosse outside the defined area. An example of an unregistered product is Cheddar cheese; today 99% of the Cheddar cheese produced is made miles and countries away from Cheddar with different tastes.

The English PGI Look for the label. The French IGP

The Bœuf de Chalosse have been grazing the area for decades and was known to France’s gourmets since the early 1900’s. The beef passed all the requirements for the Label Rouge, the red label, for their continued high standard in 1991. (The IGP was awarded in 1996). The Chalosse cattle are surprisingly not a particular breed; rather, this group includes beef cattle from the Blonde d'Aquitaine, the Limousine, and the Bazas breeds and, rather obviously, the progeny from these three strains. The successful nurturing of mixed breeds is also behind the Bœuf Fin Gras du Mézenc AOC.

The Chalosse Beef

Photograph courtesy of Aquitaine on Line

The Bœuf de Chalosse on French Menus:

Entrecôte de Bœuf de Chalosse à la Bordelaise – An entrecôte steak from the Bœuf de Chalosse prepared à la Bordelaise. À la Bordelaise in this menu listing indicates that the steak will be served with that excellent Sauce Bordelaise. To order a steak, in France, cooked the way you prefer it click here.

Sauté d'Onglet de Bœuf de Chalosse aux Petits Légumes et au Gingembre - A lightly fried, flank steak, from the Chalosse beef, served with young vegetables and flavored with ginger.

Bœuf de Chalosse en Croûte, Sauce au Poivre.

The Chalosse beef en croute in a bread cover with a pepper sauce.

Photograph courtesy of qualitelandes.com

Paleron de Bœuf de Chalosse Braisé au Vin de Tursan.– A Paleron is a cut from the shoulder used for many of France’s best stews. .Here the paleron is braised in the Tursan AOC/AOP wines that include red, white, and rosé wines from the departments of Landes and Gers.

Pièce de Bœuf de Chalosse à la Plancha, Pommes Grenaille au Poêlon - One of the unique and tasty French cuts from the rump, prepared on the plancha and served with small new potatoes prepared in particular frying pan. In French restaurant tradition, the pots and pans used in preparing various dishes are often noted in the menu listing

Filet de Bœuf de Chalosse en Croûte aux Herbes – Fillet of beef from the Chalosse, (a cut from the tenderloin in the USA) cooked, “en croute”, in herbs.

Filet de Bœuf de Chalosse aux Échalotes Confites

A fillet from the Bœuf de Chalosse served with a shallot confit (jam).

Photograph courtesy of Elle à Table.

The Chalosse Beef with the Label Rouge

To be awarded the Label Rouge the nurturing of the cattle is carefully controlled. The calves must be reared by their mothers until they are weaned, and no antibiotics or growth hormones may be used. For two years the animals graze freely, and during the winter, in barns, they are fed the grasses from the same area where they grazed in summer, mostly wild grasses and wheat with vegetable supplements of alfalfa and flax. In the third year in the six or twelve months before going to market, they are fed mostly a diet of corn (USA maize). The result of the feeding and aging is a dark red, marbled, and tender meat with a hint hazelnuts and parsley in the taste. The meat must be aged for at least ten days before being sold.

While the commercial center of Chalosse is the spa town of Dax, the seat of the Beef Association of Chalosse is located in the small village of Lourquen. There are about 370 farmers, with the average farmer sending 40 animals to the market every year; so there is a very limited supply. The beef is sold by less than 80 artisanal butchers throughout France; consequently finding this very special beef on a restaurant’s menu will be a special occasion.

The Trophée Bœuf de Chalosse

If you are in the area of Landes close to the end of July, do not miss out on the Trophée Bœuf de Chalosse; this is a one-day exhibition and fete held every year on the last Saturday in July in the small town of Montfort-en-Chalosse. The exhibition shows off the best of the years' cattle along with culinary demonstrations and tastings.

Bulls on show at the Trophée Bœuf de Chalosse.

Photograph courtesy of MODEF.

Connected Posts:

Araignée, the Spider; Merlan, Whiting, the Fish; Poire, the Pear; Langue de Chat, the Cat's Tongue. France’s Unique Cuts of Beef That are also Called the Butcher’s Choice.

Boeuf de Bazas. The Beef from the Bazadais Breed of Cattle. Among the best Beef on French Menus.

Bœuf Fin Gras du Mézenc AOC. Searching for the Finest Beef in France. This is Only on French Menus between February and early June.

Bordeaux and Bordelaise on the Menu, and Bordeaux AOC/AOP Wines on the Wine-List.

Confit? All About That Confit on Your French Menu. Confit in French Cuisine.

Dining in Aquitaine. The Products and Produce of its Five departments

En Croûte (En Croute) on French Menus.

Entrecôte (Entrecote). Ordering a Perfect Entrecote Steak in France.

Échalotes - Shallots. Shallots on French Menus. Shallots are One of the Most Important Herbs in the French Kitchen

Filet Mignon on French Menus and Filet de Bœuf in French Cuisine.

Gingembre – Ginger, the Spice. Ginger is very important in French Cuisine, and Gingerbread is Very Popular.

Onglet and Bavettes on French Menus.Steak Frites in French Cuisine.

Ordering a Steak in France, Cooked the Way you Like it.

Paleron – A French cut from the center of a shoulder of beef or veal and occasionally pork

Persil - Parsley in French Cuisine. Parsley on French menus.

Regions - France’s Mainland Regions and Their Borders Have Changed. Keep This List With Your GPS and Map.

The Plancha or Planxa in French Cuisine. The Plancha on French Menus.

The Dacquoise or the Biscuit Dacquoise. The Town of Dax and the Pays Dacquoise in Nouvelle Aquitaine France.

Bryan G. Newman

Behind the French Menu

For information on the unpublished book behind this blog contact Bryan Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Civet – A traditional French stew associated with small wild game. Civet on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Civet de Lapin au Pommes de Terre Puree

Rabbit stew with mashed potatoes.

Photograph courtesy of jimcollins

https://www.flickr.com/photos/73852597@N00/370295962/

The traditional civet would be a wild rabbit, wild hare, and sometimes young, wild boar. Today the animals will mostly have been farmed, and other animals will often be prepared in a similar fashion. The traditional civet took tough, stringy, wild animals and marinated them in wine for 24 hours or more. After they were well marinated, they would be slowly cooked with lardons, bacon pieces, wine, and herbs.

Most French chefs prefer farm-raised rabbits, hares and young farmed wild boars for their tables. Yes, even wild boars are farmed in France. The rabbits, hares, and wild boars are larger and meatier than those caught in the wild. They are generally available all year round for whenever the chef decides to put them on the menu. Also, the chefs’ choices have expanded beyond rabbits, hares and young wild boars.

In the case of the wild boars, it is interesting that they do not even know they’re being farmed. They are kept in a large forested area where the always have enough food.

A mixed litter of a farmed wild boar. The piglets are being fostered.

Photograph courtesy of Vilmos Vincze

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vilipix/25976851163/

Civet on French Menus

Civet de Chevreuil au Vin de Bourgogne – A stew of roe deer made with wine from Burgundy.

Civet de Chevreuil

Photograph courtesy if Inspirational Food

Civet de Lapin – Rabbit stew.

Civet de Lapin au Sang – The traditional rabbit stew cooked with some of the rabbit’s blood.

Civet de Lièvre – Hare stew.

Freshly frozen farmed hare from the UK

on sale in a French supermarket.

Photograph courtesy of Mon Œil

https://www.flickr.com/photos/claveirole/23484699833/

Civet de Lièvre au Sang – The traditional hare stew cooked with some of the hare’s blood.

Civet de Lièvre au Sang

Photograph courtesy of sprohon

https://www.flickr.com/photos/39905561@N04/4099877539/

(The most famous hare dish is Lièvre à la Royale – Hare in the Royal manner. It is a dish that outside of specialized restaurants usually has to be ordered a day or two in advance. For this dish the hare, and traditionally this was a wild hare, is marinated for two or three days with thyme, cognac, and red wine and then cooked with pork, foie gras, red wine, onions, garlic, shallots, and truffles if available.

Sometimes Lièvre à la Royale is mistranslated on a French menu into English as Jugged Hare. Jugged hare is a traditional English dish, and they are not the same Jugged Hare is wild hare marinated for a few days in red wine, garlic, and herbs and, then served fried with salt pork prepared in its own wine marinade. Alas, the jugged hare misses the cognac, foie gras, shallots, and truffles that are part of Lièvre à la Royale).

Lièvre à la Royale

Photograph courtesy of Inspirational Food

https://www.flickr.com/photos/food-porn/15002478084/

Civet de Marcassin. - A stew of a young farmed wild boar. A wild young wild boar would be a marcassin sauvage.

Civet de Tripes d'Oies – A stew of goose tripe, red wine, onions, shallots, flavored with bacon pieces and garlic. On a local menu in the department of Gers, Armagnac country, I saw a listing offering Civet de Tripes d'Oies Au Armagnac. The addition of Armagnac should not be too surprising as the old province of Gascogne includes the departments of Gers. The departments of Ger, Landes, and Lot-et-Garonne are the heart of Armagnac country.

Baron de Sigognac XO Platinum Armagnac

Photograph courtesy of Dominic Lockyer

https://www.flickr.com/photos/farehamwine/10961995923/

The civet, your chef, will prepare today will often be marinated the night before. Marinating, as opposed to the old days, is today done for the flavor and not because the meat is tough. After being marinated the meat will be lightly fried together with bacon and onions along with additions for a new recipe that the chef has created. Then the meat will be slowly stewed with the wine and herbs. Shortly before serving vegetables may be added

Nevertheless, during the hunting season, some restaurant will be offering Menus de Chasse; a menu dedicated to wild animals caught during the regulated hunting season. If the menu only offers a single wild animal the chef will add the word sauvage; for example, a rabbit is a lapin, and a wild rabbit is a lapin sauvage.

The traditional civet recipe for hares was Civet de Lièvre au Sang; that meant the hare’s blood was used to both to flavor and to thicken those stews. Chefs know that the old recipe is now considered politically incorrect, and so now many chefs add the rabbit or hare’s liver and kidneys to the stew instead and by so doing so they claim the same flavor is achieved. The stew itself will be reduced, thickened further, if required, by longer cooking, that allows the sauce to thicken without any added blood or other additives.

Connected Posts:

Ail - Garlic. Garlic in French Cuisine.

Armagnac one of France’s two fabulous AOP grape brandies.

Bacon in France. Bacon and Salted Pork on French Menus. Lard in French Means Bacon in English.

Cognac the Town, and Visiting Cognac and Tasting the Product. Cognac IV

Échalotes - Shallots. Shallots on French Menus. Shallots are One of the Most Important Herbs in the French Kitchen

Foie Gras - Fattened GoFoieose or Duck Liver. Foie Gras on French Menus. Foie Gras in French Cuisine.

Gibier – Wild game. Wild game in French Cuisine. Wild Game on French Menus.

Lapin - Rabbit on French Menus.

Oignon or Ognon – An Onion. Onions on French menus. France’s most famous onions and their history.

Rognons - Kidneys on French menus.

Sanglier - Wild Boar on French Menus?