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Gastronomy
Monsieur Alain DucasseI am very interested in gastronomy, the art of French fine dining and the science of gourmet food and drink. I know that the French take their food extremely seriously. For instance, buying a meal never consists of stopping in only one store because just about every food group has its own specialty store.
From reading “Almost French,” by Sarah Turnbull I’ve learned that the French are very concerned with the quality of every ingredient in a dish, that sauces are extremely important, and that health-food is not understood. Also, says Turnbull, the order of dishes served at dinner parties rarely varies from an appetizer with the
, the main course, green salad, a cheese selection, and finally dessert.
Below, I’ve made a list of some dishes I should know:
Steak frites - steak and fries
Poulet frites - chicken and fries
Blanquette de veau - blanquette of veal
Coq au vin - chicken in red wine
Pot au feu - beef stew with mixed vegetables
Bouillabaisse - fish soup
Endives - Belgian endive
Boudin blanc - Delicate flavored sausage similar to bockwurst
Foie de veau - calf's liver
Andouillette - chitterling sausage
Foie gras - fatty duck or goose liver
Also, in “Almost French,” Turnbull describes a 6-star, the highest honor from the Michelin Guide, restaurant she has the privilege of reviewing called
. Below, I translated the restaurants current menu and then highlighted key vocab words I think I will find useful on my trip. I would love to go to the restaurant, but it looks like I will have to save up for the pigeon dish I want to try which alone costs 85 Euros!
[ AUTOMNE ] – Fall Menu
• Pithiviers de canard colvert sauce rouennaise
Wild duck cake w/ almond paste filling from Rouen (a province) 110 €
• Homard breton, pêches de vigne, vin chaud épicé
Breton lobster, sinful ? vine, warm wine to spice 135 €
SPÉCIALITÉS - Specials
• Caviar osciètre d’Iran, langoustines rafraîchies, nage réduite, bouillon parfumé.
Caviar from Iran, cooled scampi, a swimming reduction, fragrant broth 175 €
95 € - en demi -
• Volaille de Bresse, écrevisses “pattes rouges” et girolles à peine crémées
Poultry from Bresse, crawfish « red legs » and mushrooms in a difficult cream 160 €
- prix par personne – price per person
PLAISIRS DE TABLE – pleasure for table
• Araignée de mer décortiquée en chaud et froid, émulsion coraillée
Hot spider crab in shell and cold and hot coral (?) emulsion 90 €
• Légumes et fruits cuits/crus, marmelade tomato/truffe
Vegetable and fruit to bake, tomato and truffle marmelade 70 €
• Paté en croûte selon Lucien Tendret
Pate and crust according to Lucien Tendret (pastry chef). 95 €
• Bar de ligne agrumes/poivres, ventrèche caramélisée
Sea bass with citrus fruit/pepper, ? caramelized 90 €
• Sole de petit bateau, marinière de coquillages, suc de persil
Sole of a small boat ( ?), smock (?) of shellfish, juice of parsley 100 €
• Turbot de Bretagne en matelote
Turbot from Bretagne in matelote (no idea what that is even though it is same in english) 95 €
• Agneau laiton, cèpes et artichauts au sautoir, miettes de fruits secs
Lamb brass, boletus and sautéed artichokes, crumbs of dried fruit 90 €
• Pigeonneau rôti, garniture d’une diable, pommes gaufrettes
Young pigeon roast, garnish of a devil, apple wafer 85 €
• Veau fermier clouté et rillons confits à la florentine
Free range (haha) calf/veal stud and ? crystalized w/ spinach? 95 €
• Fromages affinés pour vous
Cheese chosen for you (direct translation: to slim down for you hahaha) 25 €
MENU COLLECTION « AUTOMNE » Menu Series (aka Préfixe)
• Trois mets "Crustacés" en demi, fromages et dessert
3 dishes « shellfish » and a half (maybe a salad?), cheese and dessert 360 €
MENU « PLAISIRS DE TABLE »
• Trois mets "Plaisirs de Table" en demi, fromages et dessert
3 dishes « pleasure for the table » and a half, cheese and dessert 240 €
