Showing posts with label Rum baba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rum baba. Show all posts

Rhum- Rum. France’s Rum Agricole Martinique AOP. Rum in French Cuisine.

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

Rum on the rocks.

In every French chef’s storeroom, there are two or three different types of rum; one of them will always be France’s Rhum Agricole Martinique.AOP.   Rum will be there with AOC Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados. These four AOP 40% alcohols are behind many of France’s most famous dishes.
    
Before rum there was sugarcane, and before the import of sugar from sugarcane anything in Europe that was sweetened was sweetened with honey. In 1492 Columbus discovered South America and by 1505 Portugal began sugarcane plantations in Brazil.  Shortly thereafter Spain started their sugarcane plantations in Cuba with rum following on.  When Spain and France were at peace France had regular deliveries of sugar and rum; however, during their frequent wars, France’s supplies came from captured Spanish and Portuguese ships arriving from the New World. Sugar was worth as much as silver and only enough sugar reached France to satisfy the very wealthy.  

France begins cultivating its own plantations.

At the end of the seven years’ war in 1763, France gave England her North American possessions in return for the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique (and Saint Lucia) along with other possessions. France began her own sugarcane plantations and soon after rum production was in full swing.  At that time, all rums were made from molasses, a brown treacle left over from the sugar production process. The plantation system was behind much of France’s terrible attachment to slavery and while the French revolution was supposed to end slavery in 1794 Napoleon I in 1802 allowed it to continue. French laws ending slavery finally came into force in 1848.
   
Sugar cane in a plantation.
www.flickr.com/photos/13523064@N03/15273920249/
    
Rum on French menus:
 
Baba au Rhum Généreux –Avec sa Bouteille de Rhum sur la Table Pour l'Imbiber sur Mesure - A generous serving of rum baba with the bottle placed on the table for the diner to soak the baba according to taste.  Rum baba is one of France’s most famous desserts and indeed, the most famous dessert made with rum. Rum baba comes with a long and well-documented history. 
  
www.flickr.com/photos/bhamsandwich/3075960488/
   
Crêpes au Chèvre Fraise au Rhum – Thin pancakes, crepes, served with fresh goat’s cheese and flavored with rum.
 
Filet Mignon de Porc Flambé au Rhum A filet mignon, tenderloin, fillet of pork flambéed in rum. In French cuisine, the term filet mignon does not refer to a beef tenderloin, the beef filet, but rather to the narrow, almost pointed, end of the beef tenderloin.  If a filet mignon is on a French menu it is a pork tenderloin unless otherwise noted.
    
Pavé de Saumon Grillé (+/-230g) Flambé au Rhum, Sauce Antillaise (Crème Fraîche, Ail et Ananas), Achards de Légumes, Riz Long Thaï Parfumé au Jasmin – A thick cut of grilled Atlantic salmon (approximately 230 grams) flambéed in rum and served with a Sauce Antillaise (made with crème fraîche, garlic and pineapple)  and “archard” vegetables, with long-grain Thai rice scented with jasmine.  There is no single recipe for Sauce Antillaise, so most menu listings, like this one, will include some detail. (The Antilles Françaises, the French Antilles are France’s Caribbean departments and dependencies which include the departments of Guadaloupe and Martinique and the dependencies of Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martine). Achards de légumes are a French-Creole dish from the Indian Ocean island of Réunion; it is a mixture of lightly fried vegetables, cut into thin strips and flavored with ginger, garlic, turmeric, and vinegar. Here the dish is served with the long-grained Thai rice of which some sought-after varieties have a natural jasmine scent.

Sorbet Ananas, Vanille et Granité au Rhum – A pineapple sorbet flavored with vanilla and served with a rum granité. Granité is the French version of the Italian Granita which began as sugar, fruit, and water served with crushed ice, (it is often called sludge in the UK and the USA). Now French granités have gone upmarket and will include sweet wines, rums, and brandies.
  
The addition of Chantilly cream to a Rum Baba makes a Savarin au Rum.
 The Savarin is named after Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, (1755 – 1826), 
the first philosopher of food.  
 
Tartare de Fruits Aromatisé au Rhum et à la Vanille de Madagascar- A fruit Tatar flavored with rum and vanilla from Madagascar.

Rum and coke.
www.flickr.com/photos/ryawesome/4280728468/
   
The British Navy changes the daily ration
of French brandy for rum.
 
Rum was popular everywhere, but in the 1600s and the early 1700’s the British Navy traditionally gave its sailors a daily ration of French brandy; that, despite France and England being at war through the 1600s. In the 1700s the British Navy finally said no to French brandy, and the British Navy sailors received rum from British Caribean possessions. (I think the British still allowed their officers to drink French brandy. Since, when Admiral Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1802 his body was sent home for burial preserved in a cask of brandy). Britain formally ended the tradition of a daily tot of rum in 2007.
  
The different French rums.

There are many excellent rums produced in all of France’s island departments and dependencies as well as in French Guiana. They include dark rums which get their color from caramelized sugar or molasses. The darkest rums are generally based on molasses and aged in heavily charred barrels that give them much stronger flavors than the darkest Rhum Agricole made directly from sugarcane.

Nevertheless, in the 1900’s nothing except the producer's credentials guaranteed the age and how a rum was produced. An amber or dark rum from one producer can taste very different to that of another. Today’s French rums are made from molasses or sugarcane juice, with only Martinique’s AOC Rhum Agricole legally limited to sugar cane juice. For other rums, the reputation of the producer and the language on the label is the only guarantee of the method of production and the rum’s age.
 
The introduction of factories that produced sugar from sugar beets closed hundreds of sugarcane plantations.
  
When France began making sugar from sugar beet on the mainland France’s Caribbean sugar plantations lost their primary market. The plantations which fought off closure began to make rum directly from cane juice of which they had plenty. That started the argument over which was better rum from sugarcane juice or rum from molasses?
   
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were still hundreds of rum distillers with a huge variety of names, colors and alcohol levels in their products.  Unless the background of the producer was known there was little to differentiate the product from bottle to bottle with many using generic names like Captain’s rum or similar.  In the 20th century with so much sugar being made from sugar beets the world prices for sugar went down and down, and more and more sugarcane plantations closed.  With so many plantations closed the lack of sufficient molasses for rum production for many distilleries was a real rum do.  (I apologize, but I couldn't help myself). To continue production many Caribean distilleries have begun to import molasses from China and elsewhere.
     
The only AOP rum is Rhum Agricole Martinique.

Only France’s islands made enough rum at competitive prices to keep their sugarcane plantations open, but there were still hundreds of different labels and no control. In 1996 France issued regulations for Martinique’s Rum Agricole AOC (now AOP) that only permitted rum made directly from sugarcane from the island of Martinique. In 2004 Martinique’s Rum Agricole received its Pan-European AOP.  (France INAO office is the trusted controller and enforcer of all AOC, AOP, and Label Rouge quality standards). Martinique’s AOP rum can only be made with the sugarcane juice distilled within 48 hours of harvest.  The initials and names used to show the age of the rum are very similar to those used for AOP Cognac, Armagnac, and Calvados.
   
4 AOP Rum Agricole Martinique producers and products.
 
The name and ages of Rhum Agricole Martinique AOP:

Rhum Agricole Martinique Vieux– A minimum of two years in oak barrels.
 
Rhum Agricole Martinique Très Vieux, Réserve Spéciale, Cuvée Spéciale or  VSOP – Aged for at least  four years.
 
Rhum Agricole Martinique Extra Vieux, Grande Réserve, Hors d’Age,  XO  - Aged for more than six years.
 
Older Martinique Rhum Agricole is produced by some of the AOP producers, and they have added their own labels for 10 year, 15 year and older rums.
 
Other French rums have a variety of labels which include the words traditional, planter's choice, navy rum, Caribbean rum, and more.  But only rums with a Martinique AOP  have AOP on the label.  
   
Ti – Punch.
   
When dining in any of France’s islands or in a French mainland restaurant serving French-Créole Antillaise Cuisine a Ti-Punch will be the cocktail of choice at the bar or on the menu.  A Ti-Punch began as a rum and lime cocktail drunk at celebrations; now it is served whenever a rum cocktail is called for and its recipe may change slightly with the location.
  
T-Punch
 
The English language website of Martinique is


The English language website for Rum Agricole Martinique is:



Connected Posts:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Searching for the meaning of words, names or phrases
on
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 470 posts that include over 4,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations.
     

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman 
Copyright 2010, 2018, 2023.
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com


Caille - Quail. Quail on the Menu in France.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

  
Quail and their eggs.
Photograph courtesy of Yay Micro.
  
Farm-raised quail taste slightly sweeter than chicken and when simply roasted you will note that slightly sweeter taste.  N.B. Quail is also more easily flavored than chicken and so often that slightly sweeter taste is lost among the other flavors in the cooking process.

Roast quail for three.
Photograph Yay Micro

A serving of quail, a whole European quail, will most likely weigh in at less than 150 grams (5.30 ounces)  and that’s with the bones; if the quail are smaller you will often be served two.
  
Quail on the French menu:
   
Caille à la Stanislas - Quail in the manner prepared for Stanislas, Duke of Bar and Lorraine, France. In the original recipe, the quail was deboned, roasted and then served stuffed with fattened goose liver, foie gras de oie. Caille à la Stanislas is still on some French menus today; however, the amount of fois gras will be greatly reduced from the serving in the original dish. That should not be too surprising, given today's cost of foie gras in France.

Stanislas, before he became a French Duke, was a Polish king who was fired from that job, twice! Unemployed kings do not usually have good job prospects. Nevertheless, Stanislas received the title Duke of Lorraine with a job to go with it from his son-in-law, who was King Louis XV of France. Stanislas also received a chateau outside the city of Nancy in the Lorraine. The chateau was not a small one, and it is still known as the Versailles of the Lorraine. Stanislas's building of three stunning squares in the City of Nancy would make the city world-famous, and the squares are now UN World Heritage sites. Despite Stanislas's great works and (for the times) progressive rule, he is best remembered as the man who gave the name to the dessert Rhum Baba.  Rhum Baba or Rum Baba and other dishes that were first served in Stanislas's chateau.   The Savarin or Savarin au Rhum is based on the Rhum Baba but named after Jeanne Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who lived over 100 years later.

Fig and quail egg salad.
Photograph courtesy of Yay Micro
   
Caille Rôtie Farcie de Girolles, de Cèpes et de Roquette, Sauce Porto – Quail roasted while stuffed with the girolle chanterelle mushroom,  and cèpes, the French Porcini mushroom,  along with rocket leaves. The dish is served with a port wine sauce.  Despite France having its own Port style wines, both Port and Madeira wines will be in every French kitchen and in many sauces.
 
Caille Aux Raisins - Quail prepared and served with grapes.
  
California quail
www.flickr.com/photos/71073348@N08/6920753719/
     
La Crème de Topinambours en Cappuccino et Son Effilochée de Poitrine de Caille – A frothy cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup served with small pieces of quail breast.
 
 The use of the word cappuccino in this menu listing refers to the froth on the soup and not to coffee. When the Italians named their coffee creation cappuccino little attention was paid to the froth. Cappuccino coffee received its name from the color of the milky coffee, which is similar to the color of the hood of a Capuchin friar's robes. However, do not let us get confused by the facts.  On today's French menus cappuccino, apart from when the word is actually used for cappuccino coffee, means froth. The word effilochée in this menu listing indicates the way the quail meat has been cut. Your French-English dictionary  will show the translation of effilochée as frayed; however on a French menu effilochée refers to the way  meat is cut and here it indicates the slicing of quail breast into small pieces to serve in the soup.
  
Salade d'Oeuf de Caille, Pointe d'Asperge et Aiguillette de Canard -  A salad of quails’ eggs, they will be served either fried or boiled, whichever looks better, along with asperge, asparagus spears, and slices of  Magret de Canard, duck breast.
     
Fig and quail egg salad.
Photograph by Apolonia courtesy of freedigitalphotos
    
Salade de Cailles Rôties au Vinaigre Balsamique – A salad of roasted quail dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.     
  
Quail Eggs
      
The European quail is a little smaller than the American quail. Despite the quail family's connection to pheasants you would not know it to taste one or to look at one. Farms that raise quail also raise these birds for their beautiful eggs; quail eggs are an essential part of quail farming economics.
    
Quail eggs
Photograph by Phiseksit courtesy of freedigitalphots.net
   
Quail eggs taste exactly the same as a chicken egg; however, if you were planning to make an omelet the size of a two chicken-egg omelet you will need about 10 quail eggs.
    
A hen’s egg and a quail egg.
Photograph courtesy of Yay Micro.
    
During the short hunting season, wild quail are legally hunted in France; if they appear on a restaurant’s menu the term used will be caille sauvage, wild quail. Wild quail are smaller and stronger tasting than the farmed variety, but they are also tougher and so they will be prepared with different recipes to farmed quail.
   
Wild quail in the bushes.
www.flickr.com/photos/sidm/4220112535/

In the Old Testament, Exodus 16, it is the quail, along with Manna that God sent for the Israelites to eat in the desert. The original recipe served at that time, has been lost in the sands of the Sinai desert. In France, there are many new and recreated recipes for quail.  

Caille - Quail in the languages of France's neighbors:
  
(Catalan - guatlla, guatla, guàtlera), (Dutch - kwartel), (German - wachtel), (Italian - quaglia comune), (Spanish -  codorniz común).

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

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyright 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019.
 
--------------------------------

Searching for the meaning of words, names or phrases
on
French menus?
 
Just add the word, words, or phrase that you are searching for to the words "Behind the French Menu" (best when including the inverted commas), and search with Google, Bing, or another browser.  Behind the French Menu’s links, include hundreds of words, names, and phrases that are seen on French menus. There are over 450 articles that include over 4,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations.
 
Connected Posts:

  

  

 
  
 
  

Responsive ad