CLASSICAL STARTERS IN FRENCH CLASSICAL MENU

1. CAVIAR

Traditionally, the term caviar referred to the roe only of the sturgeon fish coming in from the Caspian and Black sea. Though this term can be found in the history books of the Russians even though it doesn’t mention the term caviar as is but as IKRA. The term is actually derived from the Turkish word “Khavyah”. This precious roe was brought to Italy by the Holy army and then named caviar and became famous in the courts of Julius II in 1300 A.D. and from there it took on the entire Europe.

There are nearly 24 species of the sturgeon worldwide and out of these 3 are the ones that supply caviar and contribute to nearly 90% of the produce.There are 4 main varieties of the caviar that are in existence being:

a) Belugab) Sterletc) Ossetrad) Sevruga

BELUGA – It is produced from the Beluga sturgeon which has survived since the era of the dinosaurs. It is the largest amongst the sturgeons and the only species that is carnivorous. The main produce of this comes by from Azerbaijan and Iran. Beluga caviar is prized for its soft, extremely large (pea-size) eggs. It can range in colour from pale silver-gray to black.

One of the most expensive varieties of the Beluga is the ALMAS. It comes by from this fish which is 100 years old and white in colour. The lighter the colour of the caviar, the older is the Beluga and the more elegant is the bouquet. Almas is the Russian terminology which means “diamonds”.

STERLET - is a relatively small species of sturgeon from Eurasia native to large rivers. This is small golden coloured caviar earlier restricted to only the Russians, Iranians and Austrian royalties.

OSSETRA – These are medium-sized, gray to brownish eggs.

SEVRUGA – These rank the last in quality and are small and gray in colour.

PREPARATION OF THE CAVIAR

First, the ovaries are removed from a sedated female sturgeon and passed through a sieve to remove the membrane. Freed roes are rinsed to wash away impurities. Roes are now ready to become caviar by adding a precise amount of salt for taste and

preservation. The fresh product is tasted and graded according to quality. Finally, the golden eggs are packed into lacquer-lined tins that will be further processed or sold directly to customers.

The top quality caviar is called “Malassol” which means “little salt “which is used in conjunction with Beluga, Sevruga and Osetra.

Besides this there is also the salmon roe that is also sold in the market. The roe coming from the chum salmon has a pale orange hue sold as “natural salmon “and the roe of Silver salmon which is a reddish hue is called as “keta”.Caviar is considered a luxury delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread. In 2012, caviar sold for $2,500 per pound, or $3,000 to $5,500 per kilo

2 PÂTE DE FOIE GRAS

It is chiefly the French cities of Strasbourg and Toulouse and Israel which are known for their foie gras. Geese from the region of Alsace in the south western region of France became plump and their livers are enlarged considerably after intense force-feeding, which continues for a period of four weeks in winter. A plain goose liver then became foie gras or fattened liver. The liver is soft and pink in color and weighs around 1-3 pounds. The birds are fed to the limit of their capacities, but their health is closely watched and force-feeding is temporarily suspended if they show any sign of illness.

The first Pate de Foie Gras was made in France by a pastry chef in Perigaux whose name was Courtois. In 1780 a French chef by the name of Clause was the first to commercialize foie gras in Strasbourg. At that time truffle was unknown in Alsace. Francois Doyen, the chef for the magistrate of Bordeaux introduced truffles top Clause in 1798. as a result of which the foie gras of Strasbourg reached the peak of perfection in gastronomy.

How Foie Gras is made : The fattened goose livers are sorted according to their color, size and consistency. Ten years of experience is required for a sorter to predict the quality of the final product. Hence the liver of carefully fattened goose is only used for the preparation of pate de foie gras. After the liver is removed, it is cleaned and all sinews are removed before it is seasoned and stuffed with truffles and then poached or baked. The livers are cleaned by removing all sinews. They are seasoned with a special spice mixture with truffles and then poached in either Cognac or Madeira. Some livers are baked in the oven. Every manufacturer has his own formula for preparation. Foie Gras is sold fresh, canned or in terrines.

Fresh Foie Gras: Fresh foie gras has a noticeable flavor, an advantage over the canned foie gras. It keeps well and can be refrigerated for 2 to 4 weeks, depending

upon the product. Legally all foie gras contains a minimum of 75% of goose liver unmixed with any other ingredient and at least 5% truffles. It should be clearly understood that the product foie gras should not be confused with pate de foie. In fact any fresh pate de foie contains around 80% - 90% of pork liver with less than 1% of truffles and some goose fat.

3. OYSTERS

Salt-water bivalve mollusk in which there are many edible varieties. Oysters live on the sea bottom close to where the water is usually quiet and not deep. Today, most oysters come from the undersea farm usually located along the coast.

Two species of oysters dominate the French market: the native French Oyster which is flat and round account for only 10% of the market.The second variety, which dominates the French market is the CUPPED or Japanese oyster, which is almost rectangular. This variety supplies most of the French market and has been successfully manned since 1970. it was introduced as a result of a disease, which almost finished a variety called Portuguese oyster.

In the cultivation of oyster, the seed oysters are affined to the tiles and reared in the areas some way to the sea. When they reach a certain stage they are transferred to the flattening beds, which is normally at one mouth of the sea. The mixture of fresh and salted water being essential for the fattening of the oyster. The growing period lasts between 3-6 years.

For generations oysters were supposed to be eaten in months containing an ‘r’ i.e. September to April. But due to development of agricultural and transport systems it can be produced and consumed at any time of the year.

Oysters must always be brought live and with the shell closed or closing when tapped, should be heavy and full of water. They are not opened till the last moment.Now a days oysters are almost always eaten alive and fresh accompanied by Rye bread and fresh butter. English and American cooking in particular make good use of oysters.

The finest quality pearls come from a species of oysters native to the Persian Gulf. Oysters of the Persian Gulf and Pacific Ocean make pearls that are used as jewels.

4. SMOKED SALMON

Smoked salmon is a preparation of salmon, typically a fillet that has been cured and hot or cold smoked. Due to its high price, smoked salmon is considered a delicacy. In the Atlantic basin all smoked salmon comes from the Atlantic salmon, much of it farmed in Norway, Scotland, Ireland and the East coast of Canada (particularly in the Bay of Fundy).

In the Pacific, a variety of salmon species may be used. Because fish farming is prohibited as a matter of state law, all of Alaska's salmon species are wild Pacific species. Pacific species of salmon

lude chinook ("King"), sockeye("red"), coho ("silver"), chum (keta), and pink ("humpback").

PROCESSING:

The two main processing techniques for salmon jerky are wet-brining and dry salting. In both cases the salmon is trimmed into narrow slices and then stored cold for less than one day. After being skinned and frozen, if the fish is to undergo the brining method it will require an additional step in which the salmon is left soaking in wet brine (salt solution) for one hour. It is then removed and the excess water is discarded. After this, in both the wet-brining and dry salting method, ingredients such as non-iodized salt, potato starch, or light brown sugar are added. In some smoked salmon jerky products preservatives may also be added to extend the shelf life of the final product. The salmon is then minced with the additives and reformed into thin strips that will be smoked for twenty hours. Between the brining and salting methods for smoked salmon jerky the brining method has been found to leave the salmon more tender with up to double the moisture content of salted jerky. The salmon jerky that undergoes the dry salting method has a tougher texture due to the lower moisture content and water activity. Both forms of salmon jerky still have a much lower moisture content than is found in raw salmon.

SNAILS

A Terrestrial gastropod mollusc which is characterized by a spiral shell. Some species are highly priced in gastronomy.

Scientific Classification:

Snails belong to the Phylum Mollusca, Class Gastropoda. Snails with gills are members of either the Subclass Prosobranchia or the subclass Opisthobranchia. Those with lungs belong to the subclass Pulmonara.

Snail’s body has a head with tentacles, eyes, mouth and teeth. There may be 80,000 varieties of snails. Some are smaller than a pinhead and some can grow upto around 60 mm.

Snails live almost everywhere, in forests, deserts, rivers, ponds and all parts of the ocean. Snails that live on land have both the sex organs in the same animal, but the snails which live in water can be either male or female.

Snails can be divided into three categories depending upon where they live: land, fresh water and salt water. Land snails have lungs. Most land snails live on the ground, but in tropical forests, many varieties live on trees.

Fresh water snails can have lungs and they have to come to the surface of the water to breathe. Others have gills, which take in oxygen from the water. There are around 5000 varieties of fresh water snails. There are 50,000 varieties of salt water or sea snails living. Most sea snails have gills.

Not all snails are edible. Many people feel that the Helix garden snail, which is known as ‘Escargot’, is a gastronomic delicacy.

The turban snails of Australia are used to make pearly shirt buttons. Many fresh water snails from the tropics carry a worm that causes ‘Shishtosomiases’, a disease that kills thousands of people every year. Some kind of cone snails of the Indian and pacific oceans have a poisonous stinger that is around 13mm long and carries a poison, which is used to kill small fish, and other preys and sometimes also kills the human beings.

The sea snails can carry diseases like hepatitis, typhoid, etc if they are taken from the polluted water near the river.

In France two native species of snails are commonly eaten.

1) The Burgundy Snail: Also called as vineyard snail or large white snail is around 40 - 45mm long. It has a slightly mottled or veined body and a tawny yellow shell

streaked with brown. These snails have a very slow rate of growth and take around 2-3 years to reach maturity.

2) The Petitgris: The second vategory is called the Petit gris, which is around 26 – 30mm long with an unpatterned body and a brownish shell with a spiral of fawn grey.

These snails are sold either alive or cooked or frozen. The French species are becoming increasingly rare and hence import has also increased to meet the demand.

Snails were among the first animals to be eaten by the human being. It was the Romans who first prepared them for cooking. Snails were being eaten as snacks either before or after the meal. The Gauls it seems enjoyed them as dessert.

Preparation: Ideally the Burgundy or the petit gris are used which are hibernating otherwise make them fast for about ten days (in Provence instead of fasting, they are kept on a thyme diet which helps the mollusks to liberate all the poisonous material and flavour their flesh. Then the snails are purged into a mixture of half glass of vinegar, a small handful of coarse salt and a pinch of flour added to the mixture. This mixture is for around 4 dozen of snails. Cover the vessel with a lid and put a weight on the lid. Leave it to soak for three hours stirring from time to time. Next, was the snails with several lots of cold water and rinse in plain water, shell them and remove the black part called cloaca at the end of the tail. Do not remove the mantle as the mantle comprises the most important part of the body and is also the most delicate part of the body.

In French culture, the snails are typically purged, killed, removed from their shells, and cooked (usually with garlic butter, chicken stock or wine), and then placed back into the shells with the butter and sauce for serving. Additional ingredients may be added, such as garlic, thyme, parsley and pine nuts. Special snail tongs (for holding the shell) and snail forks (for extracting the meat) are also normally provided, and they are served on indented metal trays with places for 6 or 12 snails.

MELON

Melon is the name of the fruits of several plants that belong to the Gourd Family. Melon plant lives for only one season. Their sizes vary greatly. They may measure 30 cms or more across and weigh around 1 – 4 kg. The colour of the fruit varies from salmon pink to yellow to light and dark brown.

Melons belong to a family called Cucurbitaceae. Melons have a hard rind and a juicy flesh that is usually eaten at the beginning of a meal as an hors d’oeuvres or as a dessert. They can also be used to make jams and pickles.

The mango melon, the oriental pickling melon and the snake melons are usually used to make pickles. There is also another variety called the stinking melon whose lemon or orange sized fruit is not edible.

Three main groups of melon variety can be distinguished:

1) Musk Melon.2) Cantaloupe Melon.3) Winter Melon.

1) Musk Melon: Musk melons are oval or round and net veined and sometimes ribbed rind and pave green to pinkish and orange colored flesh. They are not cultivated much in France. They best known variety is Sucrin.2) Cantaloupe Melon: The cantaloupes usually have a warty rind and yellowish scented flesh. However, the popular Charentaise variety has a practically smooth pale green rind and constitutes 95% of melons produced in France.3) Winter Melon: Winter melons, which are oblong, have a smooth or ribbed rind with a finely scented yellow or green flesh. This type of melon keeps for the longest time and is therefore good for exporting. A common variety in this group is the honeydew.

Melons can be served in three different ways:

1) Musk melon can be cut into half and fitted into a grapefruit cup or a finger bowl and served with ground ginger and castor sugar as the accompaniment.2) Different colored melon flesh can be scooped out and arranged in an ice-cream cup in the form of a melon ball cocktail and served with the same accompaniment.3) Winter melon can be cut into a wedge and served on a half plate with a spoon and a fork laid on the cover with same accompaniments.

ASPARAGUS

A perennial plant that has an underground stem (crown) that produces edible shoots, which are regarded as a delicacy. Three varieties of asparagus may be found in France from the beginning of March to the end of June.The White Asparagus variety is harvested as soon as it appears above the ground. It is large and tender with little flavour. Purple Asparagus, which is allowed to grow several feet high. It has a full flavoured delicious taste. Green Asparagus from Rhone is harvested when it is around 15cm long and is considered as a luxury vegetable with the best flavour of all.

Wild asparagus with similar green shoots has slightly bitter taste but is also good to eat.Asparagus when served, as an hors d’oeuvre should be served 300gm/portion. Asparagus should always be first cooked in steam or water. Canned asparagus is also available either whole, in slices or in tips. They are sometimes referred to as Picnic.

AVOCADO

Avocado is an evergreen fruit that grows on an evergreen tree of the same name. The fruit may be round, oval or pear shaped. Its skin color varies from green to deep purple depending on its variety. Avocado has a yellowish – green pulp with a large seed called Stone. Avocado can be eaten as dips in salads and desserts. Guacamole is a Mexican dish made from avocado, tomatoes, onions and lots of other seasonings. Avocado is native to Central and South America, but now it is grown all over the world. Mexico is the leading avocado producer in the world followed by Brazil, Israel and South Africa. In United States, California and Florida produce majority of the crops.

Avocado tree grows between 9 to 18 metres high. Avocado tree thrives in moist, well-drained soil. The many varieties of avocado are divided between two or three main groups:

1) Mexican. 2) Guatemalan. 3) West Indian.

The names indicate where each group originated.

1) Mexican avocados have smooth thin skins. The fruits are small and often more than 0.2kg.2) Guatemalan avocados have thick rough skin and may weigh more than 1.5kg.

3) West Indian avocado is of the same size as the Guatemalan avocados, but they have leathery skin.

Scientific Classification: The avocado is a member of the laurel family that is Lauraceae. It is Persea Americana.

GRAPEFRUIT

Grapefruit is a large round citrus fruit. People in many parts of the world enjoy grapefruit for breakfast and salads. Grapefruit probably originally got its name because it grows in clusters like grapes. It is around 11 – 17mm in diameter. It consists of 10 –14 sections surrounded by a leathery rind. The sections of pulp contain juice and seeds, though most commercially available grapefruit does not have any seeds. The fruit is rich in Vitamin C.

The pulp and the juice of the grapefruit range in colour from white and pink toned. The white marsh grapefruit is the most important variety. The principal pink variety is the Pink Marsh also called as the Thompson. The chief red grapefruit variety is called the Ruby. Grapefruit probably originated in West Indies and majority of the crops are now grown in southern United States. They are normally eaten as starter but they are also enjoyed as dessert.

ARTICHOKE

A perennial vegetable also called Globe Artichoke whose edible immature flower head is formed of a fleshy base or heart surrounded by scaly leaves. The heart is eaten after the hairy central core (choke) has been removed. The bases of the leaves are also edible. Artichoke has originated in Italy and most extensively used in Italian cooking.

Artichoke was considered as an aphrodisiac and the woman and the women were forbidden to eat in. When young and tender, artichoke can be served as au-gratin. Large artichokes can be cooked in water or steamed and served whole, either hot or cold with a sauce. Only the ones can be eaten raw with salt.

EATING AN ARTICHOKE

CORN

A perennial plant with white, yellow or mustard colored grains, rich in starch attached to a cob and covered or protected by layers of fibrous leaves with a spindled top. It is also called as corn or Indian corn in United States. It originated in America being discovered by Christopher Columbus and brought to Europe by Cortes. Maize plays an important role in the nutrition of United States. These have several varieties.

1) Grain Maize: It is hard and bright yellow with a fairly small cob. It is usually used as animal foodstuff, but can also be ground to make bread, fritters, pancakes, waffles and many other dishes. Cornflakes are also made with maize flour. Cornstarch is quite extensively used as a thickening agent and is normally made from grain maize. This type of maize is also used for the preparation of bourbon whiskey, certain types of beer and corn oil.2) Sweetcorns: Brought fresh on the cob from July to October. The grains are pale yellow and the cob is usually larger than the cob of grain maize. It is harvested while still unripe and should be quickly consumed as it tends to deteriorate quickly after being harvested. It should be harvested with milky grains and covered with pale green leaves. It is sold either fresh, canned or frozen. The fresh cobs are boiled with the inner leaves or grilled without their leaves. They are served with fresh or melted butter, lightly flavoured with lemon juice or cream and especially in America with red currant jelly or maple syrup. Small cobs can be pickled in vinegar. Sweetcorn can be served hot or off the cob as an accompaniment with meat dishes or roast poultry. The grains can also be used in mixed salad.

Popcorn can be prepared by heating the grains in oil until they puff up and burst; forming white light masses, which can also be caramelized. Popcorn can be served as a snack or sweetmeat.