Mulet and Mulet Dore on French Menus. Grey Mullet and Golden Grey Mullet, the Fish.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

  
Golden Grey Mulllet

  
All members of the Mullet fish family are popular, but two stand out, the Grey Mullet and the Golden Grey Mullet. In the fishmongers, the most attractive will usually be the slightly smaller golden grey mullet; but you will not notice any difference in taste. Another two other members of the grey mullet family may be on the menu or on sale in the supermarket, or poissonnerie, a fishmonger, and they are also tasty fish. They are the Mulet à Grosse Tête, the Flathead Grey Mullet and the Mulet Lipp, the Thick-Lipped Grey Mullet.

Mulet and  Mulet Dore in France

These tasty fish have a soft white flesh and in France, the smaller fish, less than 700 grams (25 ounces), will mostly come from fish farms and they may be offered fried or grilled. Larger fish, caught near the entrance to rivers or at sea may weigh up to 5 kilos and will be served as filets. Usually, they will be baked or poached and served with a sauce. Muge and Muge Cabot are the Provençal names for grey mullet.  N.B. None of the grey mullet family have any relationship at all to the Rouget Barbet, the red mullet.  
   
Wild Grey Mullet photographed in the harbor.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ben_salter/4060962537/

The source of Boutargue or Poutargue

Boutargue  or Poutargue is the salted and dried roe of the grey mullet and a Provençal delicacy which some compare to caviar though apart from both being fish eggs, its taste is very different.  Boutargue has a flavorful concentrated taste, and you can savor the brine with a texture that is soft but can just be felt on your teeth.
  
Botargue
  
     
Grey Mullet on French Menus:
 
Dos de Mulet Rôti – A large roasted cut from the back of a mullet.

Carpaccio de Mulet aux Oursins de Pleine Mer.-  A Mullet Carpaccio prepared with the edible part of sea urchins that have been brought in from the open sea. The only edible part of sea urchins is their roe, their eggs, which are firm but when eaten have a texture of scrambled eggs and a slightly salty taste.

Dos de Mulet Rôti aux Amandes- A thick cut from a grey mullet roasted with almonds.
  

The sea churning as dolphin hunt grey mullet.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31064702@N05/5489527652/
   
Duo de Mulet et Saumon Gravlax Gnocchi et Sauce à l'Aneth  - a double serving of mullet and salmon gravlax, the gnocchi and fish are served with an aniseed-flavored sauce.
   
NB. Gravlax originated in Sweden and it is Atlantic salmon cured for three or four days in a nearly, but not quite, freezing combination of salt, sugar, pepper and dill and served sliced as thinly as possible. Gravlax has a taste somewhat similar to smoked salmon but with a different texture. Gnocchi are those 2 to 3 cm sized free-form pasta balls traditionally made in Italy with potato flour and seen on many pasta menus.  Gnocchi are also very popular in France and are made with a variety of recipes from the traditional potato flour to the lighter durum wheat flour.
   
Grey mullet on sale.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyweeg/2971429077/
 
Filet de Mulet de Loire Beurre Blanc – A filet of grey mullet from the River Loire cooked in a butter sauce, this sauce is also called Beurre Nantaise.
  
Mulet Grillé Au Fenouil – Mullet grilled with fennel.

Tartare de Mulet de Mer et Huitre Végétale – A Tartar made with mullet caught at sea and served with the oyster plant.  The European oyster plant while looking nothing like an oyster does have an oyster taste in its green leaves.  It may be served or raw or cooked.
    
Un Filet Finement Émincé De Mulet Simplement Servi Cru, Mariné à l'Huile d'Olive, Sel de Guérande et Poivre Noir de Sarawak. A finely sliced filet of mullet  marinated in olive oil with the sea salt from Guerande and the black Sarawak pepper from Borneo in Malaysia.
  

The white-headed eagle drops his grey mullet lunch.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/7874538634/
  
Grey Mullet and Golden Grey Mullet are generally considered a freshwater fish, but they are just as home in brackish water along the coast. France's Mediterranean Grey Mullet family are a favorite of anglers along the coast.

 The Grey Mullet in the languages of France’s neighbors:
        
(Catalan -  llissa llobarrera), (Durch -   diklipharder ), (German -  gewöhnliche meeräsche),  (Italian – cefalo, muggine), (Spanish -, llisa,mujol, mugil).

Golden Grey Mullet
  
Mulet Doré – Golden Grey Mullet, Golden Mullet; tasting much like grey mullet and cooked with the same recipes. This fish is smaller and rarely reaches 40 cms in length. With a very similar taste to its dull grey cousin, many of the same recipes will be used. Muge Doré and Muge-Durin are Provencal names for the Golden Grey Mullet.

Golden Grey Mullet on French Menus:

Filet de Mulet Doré  Crème à l'Ail. A filet of golden grey mullet prepared with a cream of garlic sauce.

Filet de Mulet Doré  Vapeur Purée de Topinambour aux Coques et Jus d'Un Fumet au Curcuma. A steamed filet of golden grey mullet served with a puree of Jerusalem artichoke, cockles, and a sauce made with the dish's cooking juices and turmeric. Cockles are small, popular member of the clam family. 
 
Le Mulet Dore à l'Huile D'olive, Ragoût de Legumes Oublies  - Golden Grey Mullet cooked in olive oil and served with a stew of heirloom vegetables
  

Hot smoking grey mullet
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44603071@N00/6463929257/

Mulet Doré Sur La Peau, Purée de Chou au Gingembre, Lentilles Beluga
- Golden grey mullet cooked in its skin and served with pureed cabbage flavored with ginger and accompanied by beluga lentils. These round lentils are, because of the color and shape often called caviar lentils. Most black lentils seen in France are imported from Canada as local production does not keep up with demand,

Filet De Mulet Doré Sur la Peau, Gnocchis De Pomme De Terre Gratinées Au Parmesan, Vierge de Févettes et Tomates Confits -  A filet of golden mullet cooked in its skin and served with potato flour gnocchis served browned under the grill with Parmesan cheese; all accompanied by raw fava beans and tomato confit.  NB. Raw Fava beans are not for everyone as they can badly affect people with a certain enzyme deficiency; be sure you know about your own exposure to uncooked fava beans.
   
Golden Grey Mullet in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - galta-roig), (Dutch - goudharder ), (German –goldmeeräsche), (Italian - muggine dorato), (Spanish -  lisa dorada, alise).

The Thick Lipped Grey Mullet

Mulet Lippu, Bâtard Labre, Lissa, Muge Lippu, Muge à Grosses Lèvres, Mulet Lippu – The thick-lipped gray mullet, black mullet; it tastes like gray mullet and is cooked like gray mullet.  Occasionally, there is some confusion in the translations, and the name labre is also used for this thick-lipped gray mullet. Labre is used for the fish called wrasse or cuckoo wrasse, a very different fish and an essential ingredient in certain Provencal fish soups.

The Thick Lipped grey mullet will be served with the same recipes used for grey and golden grey mullet and may be served as great mullet; there will be no obvious difference in taste,

Thick Lipped Grey Mullet in the names of France’s neighbors.
 
(Catalan - llissa vera), (Dutch - diklippige harder), (German - dicklippen-meeräsche, meeräsche), (Italian – cefalo bosega, bosega, muggine), (Spanish – lisa , muble).

Flathead Grey Mullet.
   
Mulet à Grosse Tête, Muge Céphale, Muge Cabot,  Mulet jaune - Flathead grey Mullet, Sea Mullet, Striped Mullet, Black Mullet – This member of the family is a sub-tropical fish and so is caught in the Mediterranean. It will be on the menu as Grey Mullet or with the same recipes.
   
Flathead grey mullet
Illustration from The Natural History of British Fishes (1802) by Edward Donovan (1768-1837).
www.flickr.com/photos/vintage_illustration/41894554215/

Flathead Grey Mullet in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - llissa llobarrera), (Dutch -     diklipharder), (German - gewöhnliche meeräsche), (Italian – cefalo, mùggine), (Spanish – céfalo).
    
Connected Posts:
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
  
  
    
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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyright 2010, 2016, 2018.


Milk on French Menus, in Cafes and in the supermarkets.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 



The senior production manager.

Milk in France,
 
Lait – Milk. (Pronounced lay).

N.B. You may be used to buying fresh milk at home from the supermarket freezer, and in France, most supermarkets will have fresh milk in the freezer. Neverthless,  Lait UHT or Lait Ultra-Haute-Température – UHT or Ultra-high-temperature milk is the milk preferred in French homes.  Sterilized milk may be kept outside of a refrigerator for up to 90 days before opening. Small groceries and Tabacs will only offer UHT milk. UHT milk is not kept in the refrigerators. The milk offered in cafes and restaurants is nearly always UHT.
    
Lait au Chocolat Chocolate Milk.

Lait Bio-Ecrémé - Skimmed, fat-free, organic milk.

Lait Biologique or Lait Bio –  Organic milk; Green milk.  Organic milk is milk from organically raised cows that graze in organically approved fields or barns that in the winter are fed grasses and organic farm products. No silage may be fed to these cows. The cows themselves are raised free of artificial growth hormone additives and antibiotics. Organic milk is always marked with the AB logo for Agriculture Biologique. For more about organic foods in France click here.
  
On the left: The AB initials that are on all France’s organic products.
On the right:  The leaf indicates the European Union’s Organic products,
  
Lait Complet - Full cream milk. Full cream milk; also called lait entier for whole milk; this and the other milk products that follow are regular milk products. 
   
Lait Condensé  - Condensed milk.


Organic Milk Powder for Babies.
This product is for babies up to six months and the label also notes it is palm oil free.
Note the green AB marking on the tin.
  
Lait Cru – Unpasteurized milk. 

Organic French Camembert made with unpasteurized milk.
As seen in this picture the words lait cru will appear on the packaging of most of France's best cheeses.
To see the post on buying and taking home French cheeses click here.

Lait d'Amandes Almond milk.
  
Lait d'ânesse – Donkey’s milk. Donkey milk is one of the milks that may be given to babies with allergies to mother’s milk but not a lactose allergy. Donkey milk is considered the closest animal milk to human milk.
  
Lait de BrebisSheep’s milk.

Lait de ChèvreGoats’ milk.

Goat’s milk
Goats’ milk and sheep’s’ milk are popular in France,
Both will be on most large supermarket shelves.
 
Lait de Coco - Coconut milk.
  
Lait de jument – Mare’s milk. 

Lait de Soja – Soy Milk

Lait de VacheCows’ milk.
 
Lait  de Vache San LactoseLactose-free cow milk.

Lait Demi-Écrémé - Semi-skimmed milk with 1.5% - 1.8% fat. Semi-skimmed milk is easily identified by the bottle or carton’s blue top or label.
   

A statue in honor of the provider of French cowsmilk
  
Lait en Poudre – Powdered milk.
 
Lait ÉcréméSkimmed milk. Skimmed milk contains less than 0.3% fat.  It is identified by the bottle or carton’s green top or label.
   
Lait Bébé – baby milk.
Photograph courtesy of julien haler
https://www.flickr.com/photos/titlap/2484666358/
   
Lait Entier – Whole milk. 3.5% - 3.8% fat. Whole milk has a red cap on the bottle or a red label.
      
Lait Frais -Fresh milk.

Laits Frappés or Milk-Shakes - Milk-shakes.  
 
Lait UHT  or Lait Ultra-Haute-Température UHT or Ultra-high-temperature milk. Sterilized milk can be kept outside of a refrigerator for up to 90 days before opening. In supermarkets, small groceries and in private homes, unopened this milk is not kept in the refrigerator.


Using milk

Au lait - With milk, (pronounced oh lay).
Café au Lait - Coffee with milk, (pronounced cafe oh lay). For the A- Z on ordering coffee in France click here

Butter – Beurre.
 
Lait Chaude - Hot milk.

Lait Froid  - Cold milk.
   
Thé au Lait – Tea with milk.

Yaourt Yogurt.

For more about ordering breakfast in France click here.  
  
To hear and see how to pronounce French correctly see this excellent website:
https://www.howtopronounce.com/
  
Connected Posts:
 
 
 
 
   
   
    

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

                                                                             2010, 2016.
     

Pleurote – The Oyster Mushroom in French cuisine. The Mushrooms of France VI

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

  
Wild oyster mushrooms.
                                                                                                                            
The oyster mushroom is very popular and with at least five members of the family cultivated in France, they will be on many menus. These family members also come in at least five colors and so they are popular not only for their taste but also for their looks.

        The oyster mushrooms is found in many French recipes.
 
The different strains of these mushrooms vary in texture from very soft to very chewy. Their association with oysters comes from the looks of a number of family members and not from any oyster taste or texture.
    

Farmed pink oyster mushrooms.
    
In the kitchen oyster mushrooms are usually added at the last stage of cooking as they cook quickly and if left may cook down to virtually nothing, for that reason they are often used in combination with other mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms cooked for longer will often be part of a sauce.

Oyster mushrooms on French menus:
   
Grenadin de Veau aux Pleurotes  -  A small cutlet of veal prepared with oyster mushrooms.
   

Wild golden oyster mushrooms
    
Ravioles de Champignons à la Crème d’Épinard et Pleurotes Sautées – Ravioli stuffed with button mushrooms and served with a cream of spinach and lightly fried oyster mushrooms
   
Filet de Bœuf, Sauce au Porto, Fricassée de Cèpes, Pleurotes et Champignons de Paris  -  A cut from a  USA beef tenderloin and in the UK a beef fillet. Here the fillet is prepared with a Port wine sauce and served with a stew of French Porcini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and button mushrooms. (The mushrooms offered in this dish are chosen with care.  The oyster mushrooms will become the sauce in the mushrooms stew. The cepes, the French porcini mushrooms are wild mushrooms and have the most mushroom taste and the button mushrooms will offer the most texture).
  
Magret de Canard Roti Sauce aux Pleurotes, Pommes Sautées Maison  - Roasted duck breast served with an oyster mushroom sauce and potatoes fried in the manner of the house.
   

Farming yellow oyster mushrooms.
   
Rognons de Veau, Mousseline de Charlottes, Crème de Pleurotes – Veal kidneys, served with a Charlotte potato moose and a cream of oyster mushroom sauce.
   
Filet De Canette Grillé, Risotto Aux Pleurotes Et Jus Corsé De Champignons – Breast of grilled duckling served with an oyster mushroom risotto and a sauce made with the natural cooking juices and button mushrooms.
   

Blue oyster mushrooms
     
Oyster mushrooms in the languages of France’s neighbors:
 
(Catalan -Pleurotus ), (Dutch - oesterzwam), (German –austernseitling), (Italian - gelone), (Spanish - seta de ostra).


The King Oyster mushroom or King Trumpet Mushroom
The Eringy or Pleurote du Panicaut.

This is the largest and meatiest of the family of oyster mushrooms. It tastes and looks very different to the rest of the family with a much meatier texture and a different taste.
   

The King oyster mushroom
        
When young the mushroom has practically no cap, and the cultivated variety has a small cap.  However, in the wild, if allowed to grow it will have a brown cap up to 6 or 7 cms across and the white stalk can be as tall as eight cms.

This is a mushroom that can be grilled, put into a soup or served raw in a salad; they cook slowly; I like them best when lightly fried and crunchy.

The King Oyster mushroom on French menus:

Risotto aux Pleurotes du Panicaut – A risotto made with the king oyster mushroom.

Ris de Veau croustillant, Cannelloni de Pomme de Terre et Eringuy Poêlé - Crispy veal sweetbreads served with potato cannelloni and king oyster mushrooms.

Filet de Bar Sauce Thé fumé, Écrasé de Pommes-de-terres et Champignon "Eringi"  - European Sea Bass prepared with a smoked tea flavored sauce and served with hand-mashed potatoes and king oyster mushrooms.
   

A king sized wild King oyster mushroom.
  
N.B. When picking mushrooms in the wild remember an expert must identify them before they are eaten.    In France, most pharmacists will have the phone number and addresses of volunteer mushroom experts who  will check  the mushrooms before you cook them.
 
The King oyster mushroom in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan -  gírgola  gírgola d'espinacal   gírgola de card), (Dutch -  koningsoesterzwam, kruisdistel oesterzwam), (German – kräuterseitling), (Italian - cardoncello, cardarello, gelone), (Spanish -  cardo).
      
Connected Posts:
  
   
   
 
 
 
 
 

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyright 2010, 2016.
 

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