The French Classical Menu:

France and to some extent Switzerland took the lead in standardizing and globalising the art of food presentation and food service. The earliest form of banqueting and formal food service goes back to monarchs who used to serve up huge meals consisting of 50-80 dishes in the honor of visiting heads of state in the early 15th century. The menu slowly underwent modifications wherein the French classical menus evolved. This classical menu had some 17 distinct courses which slowly got reduced to 14,then went on to become 11.This classical menu has many regional varieties but dining in the Continent, Europe, is even today as per the sequence of courses of the classical menu. Today, very rarely are all these courses served together .We select a few, 3-5,courses from the classical menu to compile smaller, attractive and balanced menu for todays guests. 9.2 Sequence Of Courses For The French Classical Menu: Before attempting to discuss the details of the courses of the French classical menu, one should be thorough with the sequence and a basic comprehension of the courses, which make up the classical menu. The following is the sequence of the 11 courses of the classical menu:Sl.no:CourseEnglish equivalent1Hors-doeuvreStarters2PotageSoup3PoissonFish4EntreEntry of meat5ReleveRelieve or butcher joints of meat6SorbetThe rest course7RotiRoasts8LegumesVegetables9EntremetsKitchen sweets10SavoureuxSavory11DessertFresh fruits and nuts. Fig 9.1 9.3 Cover For Each Course: Each course of the continental menu has a distinct cover. The exceptions in cover set up are also well documented. Any aspiring food and beverage service professional has to be sure of the table set up, cover and the accompaniments which are served with every course so as to compliment the chefs efforts with the food service. The credit to standardization of cover set up may be attributed to the celebrated maitre dhotel Oscar of the Valdorf, who when working with the waldorf Astoria came up with a multivolume illustration in his culinary work of 1904.He has given distinct table settings and mentioned the style of service for each course of the continental menu. The following chart is a broad guideline for students of the catering trade which should help them set correct covers for the distinct courses of the French classical menu. Fig 9.2Course

Set up

Exception

Hors-d oeuvreFish knife +fish forkFish plateOrSmall knife +small fork half plateFor starters served in a coupe or bowl, coupe on a doilley covered quarter plate with a tea spoon passedPotageSoup bowl on a soup saucer on a quarter plate with soup spoon or soup plate on a large plate with a soup spoonFor consomm, consomm cup on a saucer on quarter plate with dessert spoonPoissonFish knife, fish fork with a fish plate-------EntreLarge knife large fork with a large plateWhen entre is followed by releve or roti entree gets small knife, small fork and half plate.ReleveLarge knife, large fork with a large plate-----------------SorbetSorbet glass on quarter plate covered with a doilley.tea spoon passed.-------------RotiLarge knife, large fork with a large plate--------------LegumesSmall knife, small fork with a half plate.For a vegetarian meal large knife, large fork and a large plateEntremetsDessert spoon, dessert fork, dessert plateFor entremets served in glass coupe, coupe on a doilley covered quarter plate with a tea spoon passedSavoureuxSmall knife, small fork, half plate--------------DessertFruit knife, fruit fork, dessert plateNut cracker, grape scissor; spare quarter plate, two finger bowls one with warm water and lemon wedge, another with cold water and a rose petal both on a quarter plate are passed when whole fruits and nuts in shells are presented.

9.4 Examples From Each Course:9.4.1 Hors-Doeuvre:These are spicy tit-bits of tangy food, which can be usually eaten in one or two bites. They enhance the appetite for the courses to follow. Horse-doeuvre can be classified into: Classical hors-doeuvre: I. Caviar: roe of sturgeon fish served on blinis,a buck wheat flour pancake II. Oysters III. Smoked salmon IV. Goose liver paste V. Snails: served with garlic butter. VI. Potted shrimps Hors-doeuvre varies: I. Tuna canap II. Salmon canap III. Chicken canap IV. Egg canap V. Cheese/cucumber/tomato canap VI. Russian salad VII. Beetroot salad VIII. Potato favorite IX. Tomato juice X. Mixed fruit cocktail XI. Grape fruit cocktail XII. Melon cocktail XIII. Asparagus XIV. Corn on the cob XV. Globe artichoke9.4.2 Potage: SoupsSoups are liquid food served at the beginning of a meal. In smaller contemporary menu soup is usually served as a choice for starters. Originally in France soups meant a slice of bread into which was poured the contents of the pot which most often contained unstrained slices of meat, vegetables or fish, pasta, rice etc. Hence came the word potage.Soups can be classified into: Thick soups Thin soupsThick soups: can be classified on the basis of their thickening agents intoa. Puree soup: thickened by starch content of vegetables cooked in the soup.b. Cream soup: thickened by adding roux or bchamel sauce in the stock.c. Veloute soup: thickened by adding egg yolk, butter and creamd. Bisque: made from pureed shellfish, cream and rice as thickening agent.Examples of thick soup:Puree soupi. Puree of celery soupii. Puree of leek soupiii. Puree of asparagus soupiv. Puree of carrot soupv. Puree of potato soupCream soupi. Cream of tomato soupii. Cream of spinach soupiii. Cream of asparagus soupiv. Cream of chicken soupv. Cream of mushroom soupVeloute soup: (i) Artichoke veloute soup (ii) Asparagus veloute soup (iii) Chicken veloute soupBisque : (i) Lobster bisque (ii) Mix seafood bisque (iii) Chicago bisqueThin Soups: These are usually listed before thick soups and are commonly flavored stock with pieces of vegetables or meat added as garnish. Thin soups can be of the following types( i ) Consomm and consomm derivatives : They are well flavored stock which are clarified before being passed through a double muslin. Consomms are named on the garnish added to them.(ii) Broth: These are thin soups, passed but not clarified. They have a distinct flavor of aromatic herbs.Examples of thin soups areConsomm I. Consomm clestine - A consomm garnished with slices of thin pancakes. II. Consomm Royale - A consomm garnished with savory egg custard. III. Consomm Colbert - A consomm garnished with poached eggs. IV. Consomm Julienne - A consomm garnished with long thin slices of vegetables like carrot, pimento and cabbage. V. Consomm Brunoise - A consomm with small cubes of vegetables like carrot, turnip and pimento.Consomm Derivatives I. Borsch -A duck flavored consomm II. Clear turtle soup - A consomm flavored with turtle herbs III. French onion soup - A consomm covered with slices of French bread, fried onions, cheese and gratinated. IV. Petite marmite - A beef consomm with small pieces of chicken, carrot, leek and celery.

Broth I. Scotch broth II. Fennel scented vegetable broth.Soup can also be classified as cold soups and international soup.Cold soup are soups served chilled or with ice-cubes.International soups are the national soups of different countries.Examples of cold soup I. Gazpacho: A blend of raw cucumber, pimento and tomato with crushed garlic and bread, seasoned with cumin and served with bread croutons and chopped onion. II. Vichyssoise: A stew of leek with onion and butter with a swirl of whipped cream and a sprinkling of chopped chives. III. INTERNATIONAL SOUPS:

SOUP

COUNTRY

MINESTRONE

ITALY

GAZPACHO

SPAIN

BORSCH

POLAND/ RUSSIA

COCK -E- LEEKIE

SCOTLAND

OXTAIL

ENGLAND

CREAM OF TOMATO

USA

MULLIGATWANY

INDIA/SRILANKA

WATERZOI

BELGIUM

LINSENSUPPE

GERMANY

FRENCH ONION SOUP

FRANCE

PETITE MARMITE

FRANCE

TURTLE SOUP

ENGLAND

9.4.3 Poisson: Fish:Fish is a rich source of protein in the diet. It is available in the following types: I. Round Fish e.g. Bombay duck, haddock and cod II. Flat Fish e.g. pomfret, sole, brill III. Shell fish e.g. lobster, prawn, crabs etcFish can be cooked in a variety of methods poached, baked, grilled or shallow and deep-fried.Richer fish preparation like grills, baked or deep-fried are popular for dinner whereas poached, shallow fried etc are more often featured on the lunch menu.Examples of fish dishes will include:1. Fillet of sole Colbert: Fillet of sole fish, dipped in egg white, rolled in bread crumbs, deep fried and served with Colbert butter2. Fillet of pomfret Orly: Fillet of pomfret egg washed, bread crumbed, dipped in frying batter and deep fried, served with tomato sauce.3. Fillet of sole meuniere: Fillet of sole rolled in flour, shallow fried in hot butter served with a slice of lemon, with nut butter poured on top. Chopped parsley sprinkled on top4. Fillet of pomfret Bonne Femme: Fillet of pomfret cooked in white wine and fish stock with chopped shallots, parsley and diced button mushrooms, reduced in oven with butter cream.5. Grilled white bait: Grilled white bait served with cubes of maitre d hotel butter.6. Lobster Americaine: dices of lobster cooked with tomatoes, butter, crushed garlic, shallots, white wine and finished with brandy.7. Fried fillet of pomfret: deep fried fillet of pomfret served with tartare sauce

9.4.4 Entre: Entry Of Meat:This is the first meat course of the classical menu. With the contemporary menu becoming more and more compact, entre today is probably the most favored main course. Entre comprises of small pieces of meat served with sauce or gravy.By itself an entre is a main course. However if an entre were followed by relev or rti, it would be considered a side dish in a menu.Popular examples of entre are1. Chicken Maryland: A segment of chicken given egg wash, coated with bread crumbs and shallow fried. It is classically served with bacon rashes, corn cakes and banana fritters2. Chicken Chasseur: sautd chicken cooked in demiglaze with mushrooms, shallots, tomato and white wine3. Chicken la kiev: supreme of chicken stuffed with butter, coated with egg wash, crumbed and deep fried and served with mashed potatoes4. Chicken la king: Diced chicken cooked in a cream sauce with red & green peppers served in a ring of boiled rice.5. Beef Strognoff: A preparation of thinly sliced beef, coated with cream sauce, garnished with onions and mushroom, served on a bed of rice.6. Moussaka: A dish from Greece, made from diced aubergine arranged in layers alternating with mutton and onion with aubergine pulp on the top, add bchamel sauce and serve with tomato fondue.7. Irish stew: A stew of mutton & potatoes cooked with sliced onion, simmered on slow fire. Served with pickled red cabbage and Worcestershire sauce.8. Lamb Cutlets: Seasoned cutlets of lamb with pepper, salt, coat with beaten eggs, crumb and saut in clarified butter.9. Grilled Pork chops: Season pork chops with salt and pepper, brush with butter and grill on a barbeque. Garnish with watercress sprinkled with lemon. The classical accompaniment is Apple sauce10. Kebab Orientale: Savory chunks of meat and vegetables cooked on a skewer9.4.5 Relev: Butcher joints of meat:This course is the main course of the French menu. Relev and rti are both considered main courses and unless all the 11 courses are being served in the same meal, which is a rarity today, the two courses do not appear together in the same menu.Relev generally comprises of large joints of butchers meat that are roasted, grilled, braised or pold and are served with vegetables and accompaniment sauces.Relev are carved at the table, sideboard or on a carving trolley just prior to service.Some popular examples of relevRoast leg of lamb served with mint sauceRoast leg of mutton served with onion sauceRoast leg of pork served with apple sauceRoast leg of beef served with horseradish sauce9.4.6 SORBET: The rest Course:In the classical French menu, the sorbet is considered as the rest course between two main courses relev and rti. The guest may be escorted to the nearby lounge away from the dining table. As the table is reset for the subsequent courses, the guests are served chilled sorbet. Cigars and cigarettes may also be passed at this stage though tobacco is not a part of the sorbet course.Sorbets are chilled drinks granular, do not contain fat or egg yolkThe basic ingredients are1. A fruit juice or fruit puree2. A wine, liqueur or an infusion of tea/coffee3. Sugar syrup4. Some meringue for volumeExamples of sorbet includePeach SorbetRaspberry SorbetLemon SorbetChampagne SorbetCalvados SorbetApricot SorbetSugarcane Sorbet9.4.7 RTI: ROAST:Considered the heaviest course in the French classical menu, this course comprises of roast poultry, roast games birds and roast game animals.Like relev they are served with typical sauce, roast gravy, vegetables and potatoLarge game animals include Deer , roebuck, wild boarSmall game animals include Hare , wild rabbitGame birds include Pheasant , partridge, wild turkey, woodcockGame are animals and birds that are hunted for their meat. Many countries have banned hunting of many of the above animals.Therefore Food and Beverage team should be aware of the local laws and not include any banned meat in menu.Poultry includes: Chicken, Duck, Goose, Turkey, Rabbit.Roast game animals are generally served with red currant jelly or Cumberland sauce. Roast game birds are usually served with bread sauce or cranberry sauce.Some examples of rti course include:Roast chicken with bread sauceRoast duck with apple saucePot Roasted duck with orange sauceRoast goose with apple sauceRoast turkey with cranberry sauce Roast deer with Cumberland sauce. 9.4.8 Lgume: Vegetables:This course indicates a stage of the classical menu where the dishes become lighter again. The lgume course adds fiber, minerals and vitamins to the diet. Vegetables served with relev or rti are accompaniments and are not included in the legume course. The lgume course consists of such vegetables that are served with some accompaniment sauces. In a vegetarian menu this course would become the main course, otherwise it is a side course.When served as a side course it is served in a smaller portion on a half plate whereas when it appears as main course it is served in a larger portion and is dished on a very large plate along with its accompanimentsIn this aspect it is similar to the entre. Unless it is a vegan menu (food without eggs and meats) some sauces used in legumes course could contain eggs.Examples of legume course:Boiled Asparagus tips served hot in hollandaise sauceArtichoke hearts served cold with mayonnaise sauceRoasted corn cobs served with melted butterVegetable au gratin: vegetables in bchamel sauce, cheese sprinkled on top and gratinated in a salamander.Vegetable Cutlets: Mashed mixture of boiled vegetables like potato, carrots, bean, and peas seasoned with salt and pepper, given an egg wash, crumbed and deep fried, served with potato chips and boiled vegetables.9.4.9: Entremet: The Sweet Course:Entremet are kitchen, bakery and confectionery sweets served towards the end of the French classical menu. The misnomer we need to understand is that entremet gets dessert spoon and dessert fork on the cover, where as the dessert course is eaten with a fruit knife and fruit fork.The dessert indicators, meant for the entremet, are placed on the top of the cover.These sweets may be of two typesCold SweetsHot SweetsExamples of sweets served hot or warm:Puddings like cabinet pudding, diplomat pudding, bread and butter pudding, caramel custard.Fruit fritters like banana fritters, apple fritter, pineapple fritters etc.Pancakes like : Crepe suzette, crepe au sucrSouffl like : Chocolate Souffl , Coffee souffl, Vanilla SoufflCold sweets include:Bavarois like: coffee bavarois, ribbon bavaroisFruit salad: Served with cream or ice creamMousse: like coffee mousse, Chocolate mousse etcIce cream sweets: Peach Melba, Sundae, and different flavors of ice-cream.9.4.10 Savoureux: The Savory Course:In the French classical menu, guests who do not wish to have sweets at the end of the meal choose savoury to close their meal. Savoury are small tit-bits of canap or toast on which spicy fillings are placed. Savouries and entremets are not served together in small meal. Infact most contemporary meals are closed by any one of the three courses: entremet, savoury or dessertExamples of savoury course:Anchovies on toastSardines on toastMushrooms on toastCheese chilly toastAngels on horseback: Poached oysters wrapped in bacon , grilled on skewers and served on toastDevils on horseback: Stoned , cooked prunes stuffed with spicy chutney , wrapped in bacon , grilled and served on toast.9.4.11 Dessert: The Last Course:The finale of the French classical menu, this course includes fresh fruits and nuts which are presented in a basket or a fruit stand. As mentioned earlier the cover for dessert is a fruit knife and fruit fork and a cold dessert plate. Nut crackers, Grape scissors and a spare quarter plate for the shells is passedThe following fruits and nuts are usually served in the dessert course:Fresh ApricotsKiwi FruitFresh StrawberryGrape FruitMangoesLycheesGrapesApplesOrangesNuts that may be offeredCashew nutsAlmondsPistachioWalnuts Hazzlenuts9.5 Accompaniment For Common Dishes in the Classical MenuFruit cocktails and juices: castor sugar .Tomato juice : salt , pepper, Worcestershire sauce.Oyster: Oyster cruet consisting of (cayenne pepper, pepper mill, chili vinegar, Tabasco sauce)and brown bread & butter.Snails : Hot garlic butter , brown bread.Smoked salmon: Cayenne pepper, pepper mill, brown bread and butter, segment of lemon,tabasco sauce.Caviar: Blinis, Sieved hard boiled egg white and egg yolk, chopped parsley, chopped shallots, brown bread and butter, cayenne pepper, pepper mill, lemon tied in muslin cloth.Melon: Ground ginger, castor sugarAsparagus: When served hot: Hollandaise or melted butter when served cold: Mayonnaise or vinaigrette.Corn on the cob: Melted butterGoose liver paste: Hot breakfast toastMinestrone Soup: Grated parmesan cheeseCream of Tomato Soup: Cream, Fried CroutonsBorsch: Sour cream, Beetroot juice and bouchees filled with duck pasteMuligatwany: Boiled RiceFillet of Pomfret: Tartare sauceFillet of Sole Orly: Tomato SauceChicken Maryland: Corn cakes, Banana fritters, bacon rashesRoast turkey: Cranberry Sauce, Chipolatas ,Roast gravy, game chips ,bread sauceRoast chicken : Bread Sauce, Roast Gravy, Game ChipsRoast lamb: Mint Sauce, Roast Gravy , Roast potatoesRoast mutton: Red currant jelly, Roast gravy. Onion SauceRoast Pork: Apple Sauce, Roast Gravy, Sage and onion stuffing.Cheese Platter: Cream Cracker biscuits, Melted butter, Celery sticks, Salt & pepper, Mustard.