Behind the French Menu: 2012-07-29

Taureau de Camargue AOP. Choose from Among the Best Beef in France.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

The Taureau de Camargue was the first breed of French cattle to be awarded an AOC, now an AOP, for the unquestionably excellent and consistent quality of their meat. When the Taureau de Camargue is on the menu, you will have an opportunity to enjoy some of the best steaks or roasts that France can offer; in the winter fabulous stews will be on the menu.

The Camargue where the cattle are raised is a working nature reserve and part of the Delta of the Rhone River on France’s Mediterranean coast; it is partly in Provence, Alpes-Côte d'Azur; and partly in Occitanie. (The new Super Region of Occitanie was created on 1-1-2016 by combining the regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées).

Grilled gilthead seabream

Photograph courtesy of yves P

www.flickr.com/photos/ypou34/7569136082/

The Taureau de Camargue AOC/AOP are completely free range and looked after by real French cowboys, called gardiens. who also look after the Camargue’s wild white horses. The breed is black and dark brown bulls and cows that are descended from the great Spanish fighting bulls; however, they are physically much smaller and are now considered an entirely separate species.

Wild horses of the Camargue

Photograph courtesy of Barry.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/beejd1044/34729434332/

To hold their AOC/AOP the animals must be antibiotics and growth hormone free, and 90% of their food comes from natural grazing. Your first bite will tell you that the texture and taste of this meat is different.

The Taureau de Camargue on French menus:

Carpaccio de Taureau, Parmesan, Cebette et Câpres - A Carpaccio of Taureau de Camargue prepared with Parmesan cheese, spring onions and capers.

Côte de Taureau de Camargue Grillée au Thym, Sauté de Pomme de Terre à la Ciboule – A rib roast of Camargue beef grilled with thyme and served with potatoes fried with scallions (green onions). A French rib roast has four ribs and will weigh 3 kilos or more, so you will be served slices. You will be asked to choose how you prefer the meat to be cooked, so click here to reach the post on how to order steaks (and roasts) cooked the way you like them.

A Taureau de Camargue rump steak.

Photograph courtesy of patrick janicek

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marsupilami92/16897832010/

Entrecôte de Taureau de Camargue, Sauce Béarnaise, Pommes de Terre Rate au Four, Légumes du Moment - An entrecôte steak, a US or UK rib-eye. An entrecote, in France, is nearly always grilled and here it is served with Sauce Béarnaise. Accompanying the steak are baked “rate” potatoes, one of France’s most popular potatoes, along with the freshest vegetables.

Gardiane de Taureau et son Riz de Camargue - The stew of the Gardians, a stew as the Camargue's French cowboys would prepare. This stew is a variation of Provence’s memorable beef daube made with red wine, and here it is served with rice grown in the Camargue. (For more about the foods grown and served on the Camargue click here).

Pièce de Filet de Taureau de Camargue AOC Sauce au Vin Rouge, Purée de Pomme de Terre à l'Huile d'Olive – A filet steak from the Taureau de Camargue prepared with a red wine sauce and served with pureed potatoes flavored with olive oil.

Among the Camargue’s many traditions and one in which the Taureau de Camargue take part in is the Course Camarguaise, the Camargue acrobatic competition or contest. The Course Camarguaise is certainly not a bull-fight as some translations suggest; it is a unique acrobatic attraction, and the gardiens do not let their bulls, or, more often, the cows, get hurt or wounded; these animals are trained professionals. To see more on the Camargue see the post: The Camargue, France. The land, its people, and its unique cuisine.

A Course Camarguaise

Photograph courtesy of Arnaud DG

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hern42/3930446271/

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

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Dorade, Daurade Royale, or Dorade Royale. Gilthead or Gilthead Sea Bream. Gilthead Seabream on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Gilthead seabream.

Photograph courtesy of Tony Hisgett

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hisgett/5729989321/

Gilthead is a firm, tasty fish with a silver colored skin; they will be on French menus sautéed, grilled or baked. The names dorade or daurade are used interchangeably. Larger fish, certainly all those over one kilo, are caught in the Mediterranean while most of the smaller fish will have come from sea-water fish-farms. If it is my choice I will choose a filet from a larger fish as I prefer fish caught at sea; in the sea, all fish have a wider selection of food, and with fish, you very much are what you eat. Despite that caveat, the smaller farmed fish are tasty fish, and they will be on more menus.

Gilthead on ice

Photograph courtesy of Duncan Hull

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dullhunk/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dullhunk/7095715239/

When ordering gilthead, or for that matter, any other fish on French menus, read the translations from the French carefully. Do not confuse the dorade or daurade royale, the gilthead seabream, with the daurade rose, the bluespotted seabream. The bluespotted seabream is an excellent fish; however, its cousin the gilthead is the juicier choice.

The gold band between the eyes gave the gilthead its name.

Photograph courtesy of Marco Verch

www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/44270727142/

Gilthead seabream on French menus:

Dos de Filet de Daurade Royale de Ligne Poêlé à l'Huile d'Olive – A thick cut from a large gilthead caught with rod and line lightly fried in olive oil. When a French menu notes “caught with a rod and line” that indicate that the fish was caught at sea and did not come from a sea farm. Whether it was trapped in a net or with a rod and line is another story. Dos de filet indicates a thick cut and that cannot come from small farm-raised fish. On this menu listing the oil used for frying is noted; French diners know the benefits of olive oil and chefs will make sure that is on the menu, especially if it is French olive oil.

Whole fried gilthead.

Photograph courtesy of Oliver Hallmann

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ohallmann/6789236480/

Filet de Daurade Royale Grillé au Safran - Grilled filet of gilthead flavored with saffron, the herb. Saffron is the most expensive herb in the world, and despite it requiring hand harvesting it is still grown in France; however, here as the origin of the saffron used is not noted this may well be an import.

Gilthead roasted with rosemary butter.

Photograph courtesy of Peter Smith

https://www.flickr.com/photos/purpaboo/4499071875/

Dorade Royale Enrobée d'une Bisque d'Oursin – Gilthead served covered by a creamy bisque made from sea urchin roe. Bisques are traditionally made from seafood, and the only edible part of a sea urchin is its roe.

Grilled gilthead seabream

Photograph courtesy of T.Tseng

www.flickr.com/photos/68147320@N02/36588411451/

La Dorade Royale Grillée Pour 2 Personnes - A large gilthead grilled that will be served for a minimum of two diners. When you see a French menu listing like this ask your waiter for more information; a simply grilled gilthead is an excellent way to enjoy this fish as the fish’s natural taste is preserved. Despite that there may be other options available; a gilthead grilled with France’s much-loved herb group Les Fine Herbes adds an enjoyable light herb flavor.

Dos de Filet de Daurade Royale Poêlé à l'Huile d'Olive, Risotto de Blé Vert au Lait de Soja et Jeunes Pousses de Roquette au Parmesan - A thick filet cut from a large gilthead, lightly fried in olive oil; served with a risotto made from green wheat, soya milk and young shoots of rocket and flavored with Parmesan cheese. Note once again the chef indicates the oil used; even small French restaurants usually will include the oil used in their menu listing. Blé Vert, green wheat, more often called frik or freekeh, is a basic ingredient in North African cuisine; alongside bulgur wheat, it is very much in fashion. Green wheat with its different texture and taste creates a new take on risotto; the wheat itself is simply made by toasting and cracking wheat seeds that are still soft.

Gilthead seabream

Photograph courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library

https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/20850853616/

The gilthead seabream in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan – orada), (Dutch – goudbrasem), (German – goldbrasse), (Italian – orata), (Spanish – dorada), (Latin - sparus aurata).

The gilthead seabream in other languages:

(Basque – urraburua), (Corse – laurata or orata), (Hebrew – דניס, denis and chipura ), (Greek – τσιπούρα, tsipoúra ), (Latin - sparus aurata), (Lebanese Arabic – ajâj), (Occitan –aurada),

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

------------------------------

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from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Shrimp on the menu.

Photograph courtesy of stu_spivack

www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_spivack/4978036874/

Crevettes and gambas on French menus

In France, the word crevettes may be used for any shrimp or prawn, with the Spanish word gamba being used to suggest larger sizes. A marine biologist will tell you that shrimps and prawns are two quite distinct species; however, who is going to spend the time to re-educate me, other diners around the world, as well as the chefs. When in France and you want to order shrimp or prawns in a restaurant, a fishmonger, or a supermarket, just order crevettes or gambas. N.B.: In this post, where possible, I am only using the word shrimps; that may avoid some of the confusion in English. (The Dublin Bay Prawn, in France called the langouste, is neither a shrimp nor a prawn. See the post Langoustine).

Traditional shrimp fishing with horses, Belgium.

Photograph courtesy of bDom -artiste

www.flickr.com/photos/bdom/36211807111/

Shrimps on the menu.

French chefs create wonderful dishes with shrimp and in French seafood restaurants, you may order a number of different shrimps. Two of the shrimps offered will be the two most popular pink or red shrimps; a third will be the smaller but very tasty crevette gris, a gray or brown sand shrimp. After these popular three, there are many others, with the crevette géante tigrée, the giant tiger shrimp, leading the popularity stakes. Other shrimps may be on the menu using local or traditional names. Do not be surprised if confusion with some shrimp names occasionally reaches your menu.

Shrimps in a seafood market in Avignon, France.

Photograph courtesy of David Brossard

www.flickr.com/photos/string_bass_dave/34017890395/

Shrimp dishes on French menus:

Brochettes de Crevettes Grillées - Skewers of grilled shrimps.

Cocktail de Crevettes or a Cocktail aux Crevettes - A shrimp cocktail. French shrimp cocktails will usually have a fresh mayonnaise or a Sauce Rosé also called a Sauce Calypso or Sauce Cocktail. They will not be served with American cocktail sauce; the European taste for seafood cocktails does not include horseradish. The basic recipe for this sauce is mayonnaise, ketchup, and Worcestershire Sauce or Tabasco, sometimes with added cognac.

Shrimp and avocado salad.

Photograph courtesy of Foodista

www.flickr.com/photos/foodista/14320970230/

Crevettes Décortiquées – Peeled shrimps.

Crevettes Ail et Persil a la Plancha – Shrimps flavored with garlic and parsley, cooked on a plancha. The plancha is a solid, thick, flat sheet metal cooking plate and achieves a cooking taste somewhere between grilling and frying. The plancha may look something like the flat cooking plate of a fast food restaurant; however, a real plancha has three times the thickness and that gives a very even heat. The Basques claim ownership, as do the Spanish. In the Basque language, a plancha is called a planxa and that name will be on many South-Western French menus.

The most popular shrimps on French menus:

Crevette gris:

Crevette gris, crevette boucot, crevette boucard or sauterelle– The sand shrimp, or gray or brown sand shrimp. These are small but very tasty, small, shrimps. When on the menu a sand shrimp cocktail beats a regular shrimp cocktail hands- down. These shrimps, like others, turn pinkish after cooking.

Plenty of sand shrimp

The planted tank net

La Bisque de Crevettes Grises – A sand shrimp bisque. For more about bisques click here.

Croquettes de Crevettes Grises aux Fine Herbes – Round or log shaped chopped sand shrimps, flavored with France’s favorite herb group, Les Fines Herbes, covered in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Delicious.

Crevettes Gris de Zeebrugge – The same sand shrimp as elsewhere; however, here the menu is telling you that these were caught off the coast of Zeebrugge, the port and seaside resort of Brugge, Belgium. There are places at sea considered uniquely special for the fish and seafood caught there. Provenance at sea can affect your wallet as much as it does on land. If you can taste the difference, you will have to pay for it.

Tartare d'Avocats aux Crevettes Grises et Pamplemousse – A tartar of avocado, sand shrimps, and grapefruit.

Sand shrimps in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - gamba d'esquer), (Dutch - noordzeegarnaal or grijze garnaal), (German – sandgarnele), (Italian - gamberetto grigio or gambero grigi), (Spanish – camarón gris, gamba gris, quisquilla gris).

Crevette Rose

Crevette Rose or Crevette Bouquette – The common prawn, the pink shrimp; one of the two most popular shrimps on French menus. These shrimps can be up to 10 cms long. They will be part of many recipes and nearly always part of a seafood platter. These shrimps are a favorite for shrimp cocktails. N.B.: The pink shrimp on French menus is not the same as the North American pink shrimp.

Shrimp buffet

Photograph courtesy of INRA DIST

www.flickr.com/photos/inra_dist/25605258181/

Cocktail de Crevettes Rose à l'Avocat – A pink shrimp served in half an avocado. Fresh mayonnaise or Sauce Calypso (Sauce Marie Rose), will accompany the serving.

Crevettes Roses Grillées au Beurre à l'Ail – Pink shrimps grilled with garlic flavored butter.

Flan d'Endives aux Crevettes Rose, Sauce Moutarde – A flan or tart made with Belgian endives. Here the pink shrimp will be cooked together with the endives and when ready placed on the flan and served with a mustard sauce.

Pink shrimps in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan -pandàlids), (German - tiefseegarnele), (Italian – gambero rosso), (Spanish - camarón, rosado).

Crevette Nordique:

Crevette Rouge, Crevette Nordique – The Northern shrimp, the Norwegian wild prawn, the Northern pink shrimp, the Deep-Water prawn. These shrimps are almost always part of a shellfish platter. N.B. The Northern pink shrimp on French and other European menus is not the same as the North American pink shrimp.

Salade de Crevettes Nordiques et Artichaut aux Agrumes - A salad of the northern pink shrimps served with artichokes and citrus fruits.

The crevette rouge, the Northern shrimp.

Photograph courtesy of Håkan Dahlström

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dahlstroms/4408094771/sizes/l

Filet de Lotte avec Crevettes Nordiques – A filet of monkfish tail served with northern pink shrimps.

Tagliatelle aux Crevettes Nordiques et au Pineau des Charentes – The northern pink shrimp served with tagliatelle and flavored with Pineau de Charentes. Pineau de Charentes is a unique and popular aperitif from France’s Cognac region. For more about Pineau de Charentes click here.

Northern pink shrimps in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - gamba boreal), (German - eismeergarnele, nordmeer or nordische garnele), (Italian -, gamberetto boreali), (Spanish – camarón norteño).

Crevette Géante Tigrée

Crevette Tigrée or Crevette Géante Tigrée - The tiger shrimp, giant tiger shrimp, the jumbo tiger prawn, the black giant tiger shrimp. This large shrimp originated in Asia and while giant tiger shrimps are caught in the wild most come from shrimp farms. The stripes gave the shrimp the tiger in its name. Caveat emptor: Other large shrimp from the Mediterranean and shrimp farms are also called tiger shrimps. If you really want the giant tiger shrimp, check with the server if the menu listing is for the crevette géante tigrée.

Tiger prawns

Photograph courtesy of Henrik Bennetsen

www.flickr.com/photos/mysterybee/141083247/

Crevettes Géante Tigrée Flambées Rhum, Ananas, Piments d'Espelette – Giant tiger shrimps prepared with pineapples and Espelette Peppers flambéed in rum. Espelette AOP peppers have been grown in France for hundreds of years. The town of Espelette is in the French Basque Country and its peppers are part of many Basque and Basque-influenced French dishes. In season, the houses in and around Espelette may be seen covered in drying peppers.

Crevettes Tigrées Géantes et Pétoncles Sautés de l’Atlantique Nord dans Notre Sauce Rosée – Giant tiger shrimps and queen scallops from the North Atlantic served with our sauce rose.

Giant tiger shrimps in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Dutch - grote tijgergarnaal or reuzen-tijgergarnaal), (German – riesengarnele), (Italian - gambero tigre gigante), (Spanish - camarón tigre gigante, langostino jumbo).

Shrimps, when cooked, have meat that will be white, pinkish or bluish-white and firm when cooked. If it you are served a shrimp that is soft or pasty then it is not fresh; do not eat it. Send it back. Do not eat pasty shrimps unless they are being sold as fish paste!

The general name for shrimps in the languages of France's neighbors:

(Catalan – gambe), (German – garnelen, krevette, crevetten), (Italian -gamberetti, gamberone), (Spanish – gamba).

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Searching for the meaning of words, names or phrases

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.