This week we focused on France. Our soups (potage) included French onion, Saint-Germain (fresh pea), crecy (carrot) and a consomme brunoise (very small & evenly diced vegetables).
Our entrees consisted of chicken Chasseur, supremes de poulet a l'Estragon (tarragon chicken), coquilles St. Jacques (scallops w/ mushrooms), blanquette de veau (veal stew), filet de porc farci Lyonnaise (stuffed pork tenderloin).
Our vegetables and starches were pretty basic (made fancier by writing them in French). We made puree de pommes de Terre a l'Ail (garlic mashed potatoes), egg noodles, spaetzle (a boiled batter & then it's sauteed for service. I added sage and finished them in bacon fat to give them more flavor), ratatouille, and souffles Renv erses (twice baked souffles).
For dessert we had petits souffles au chocolate (I bet you can figure that one out).
We also touched on two of the five mother sauces. Mother sauces are just like "mother" in baking bread. It is the beginning or the base or the starting point for most sauces. The five mother sauces:
1. Bechamel
2.Veloute
3. Tomato
4. Hollandaise
5. Espagnole
I could write an entire entry just on mother sauces, so I will move on.
Prior to beginning any country, we must research it. Below is my report on France. If you are interested in a recipe (the twice baked souffles were fantastic, please post!) Otherwise, see you next week for Mexico!
FRANCE
Geography
Bordering Nations:
Continental France maintains borders with the following
countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra
and Spain. And technically speaking, France also borders Great Britain because
of the tunnel under the English Channel. Although Quebec was once a French
colony, it is now part of Canada, to the disappointment of many of its
citizens. However, the most important/influential countries are Germany, Italy and
Spain.
In South America, French Guiana is bordered by Brazil and
Surinam.
Other islands under French sovereignty include Guadeloupe, Martinique,
Mayotte and Reunion
Locations of coast and major bodies of water:
France is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea,
English Channel and Bay of Biscay, all of which are used in commerce and for travel.
France also has a large system of rivers and canals including the Seine River,
the Dordogne River, the Canal du Midi and the Burgundy Canal with its 189
locks. Other rivers include Saone and Rhone.
French Guiana: North Atlantic
Guadeloupe: North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea
Martinique: North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea
Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, Mazambique Canal (near
northern Madagascar)
Reunion: Indian Ocean (east of Madagascar)
Mountain Ranges:
The Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central, Vosges, Jura Mountain
ranges.
The highest elevation is Mont Blanc at 4,807 ft.
Major Cities:
The
top 10 cities in France and their approximate locations:
1. Paris (north central France)
2. Marseille (southern France bordering the Mediterranean
Sea)
3. Lyon (Central France) *The capital of cuisine*
4. Toulouse (southern France)
5. Nice (southern France near the border of Italy)
6. Strasbourg (eastern France, bordering Germany)
7. Nantes (western France near the Bay of Biscay
8. Bordeaux (southwestern France near Bay of Biscay
9. Montpellier (southern France)
10. Rennes (northwestern France)
Climate
Topographical changes:
France usually has cool winters and mild summers, however,
along the Mediterranean, the winders are usually mild and the summers are hot.
Also, this region experiences an occasional strong, cold, dry,
north-to-northwesterly wind known as mistral.
With an area roughly smaller than the size of Texas, France
has a diverse topography. The north and west comprise of flat plains and hills.
The rest is quite mountainous with the Alps in the east and the Pyrenees in the
south. The lowest elevation is the Rhone delta at -2 ft.
History
Significant historical markers that have influenced
culture and food:
French culture and food have evolved over its history
because of political and social movements. France has a diverse regional
cuisine based on food availability in prospective regions, but they have also
been influenced by other cultures including Italy and Spain (who were influenced
by the Moors and the Americas: rice, nutmeg, saffron, cinnamon, corn, tomatoes,
potatoes and chocolate). One of the most significant event occurred with arrival
of Catherine de Médicis and her
chefs of Florence in France in the 16th century.
Christopher Columbus and other explorers brought back corn,
tomatoes, potatoes and chocolate from the Americas that greatly influenced
French cuisine and pastry.
The French may not have always been the originators, but it
can be argued they have always fostered artistic changes in food preparation
therefore creating the classic standard for many dishes. However, they may be
the first country to write down their techniques and develop methods of
teaching. The brigade system was also established in France.
Two chefs that helped develop the standards of haute cuisine
are Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (early 1800’s) and Georges Auguste Escoffier
(late 1800’s/1900’s). Modern day, “nouvelle cuisine” was introduced in the
1960’s/’70’s by Paul Bouse and his contemporaries who used the best raw
ingredients possible to produce dishes emphasizing lighter and subtler cuisine
but equally as flavorful as traditional cooking.
Although France claims to have invented champagne through
the monk, Dom Perignon, there are discrepancies to that. However, no one can
argue the considerable influence Perignon and the Champagne region of France
did have on the world of wine and cuisine.
Major Food
& Flavor Profiles
Proteins:
Eggs, beef, chicken, pork, frog, fish (fresh water bass, eel, cod/salt
cod), snails, lamb, shellfish (oysters, shrimp clams), duck, goose, sausages,
organ meats (offal), beans/legumes and nuts
Vegetables: Eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers,
beans, onions, asparagus, beets, cauliflower, greens (lettuce, spinach, swiss
chard), corn, cucumbers, squash, garlic, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, leeks,
carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, zucchini, turnips, fennel, peas, artichokes,
haricot verts
Fruits:
apples, berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries), grapes, figs,
citrus (lemons, limes, oranges), peaches, pomegranate, olives, currents
Starches:
Grains & cereal, pasta, potatoes, rice, cornmeal, breads, crepes,
spaetzle
Dairy:
Cow/Goat/Sheep. Milk, cheese (brie, Gruyere, racelette, roquefort,
butter, yogurt, cream, crème fraiche, ice cream
Spices & Seasonings: The French are not necessarily known for their use of spices
in traditional cuisine, instead using stocks to flavor the foods. However,
common herbs are basil, parsley, chives, thyme, bay leaves, and chervil. Basil,
thyme, fennel, savory and lavender are used together to create Herbs du
Provence. Other seasonings: rosemary, tarragon, saffron, anise, anchovy, wines,
vinegar, garlic, capers, garlic, and mustard/seeds. Fat, especially butter, duck/goose,
and pork, and also used to add flavor to dishes. Salt and pepper are mandatory.
Cooking techniques
Preparation styles and “unique” cooking styles:
Braising, roasting, sautéing, poaching and steaming are the
common cooking methods in French cuisine. The French have contributed to almost
all of the culinary techniques, however, again, things that we now associate
with France may not have originated there. The croissant actually started in
Vienna, Austria, not Paris, France. Foie gras began in Egypt. But the French do
have the unique talent of taking something, nearly anything, and making it
better. Whether it is baking bread, fermenting champagne, making cheese, or
braising beef stew, the French have created the classic techniques/methods that
are the basis or foundation of how we cook (and eat) today.
Major flavor profiles:
All five flavor profiles (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and
umami) are highlighted in French cuisine. French food, whether haute or
nouvelle, is about complex flavor. Meat and fish are prepared using stocks and
or sauces containing sugar, eggs, flour, wine/brandy. Cassoulet, quiche
Lorraine, bouillabaisse, coq au vin, beef bourguignon only begin to describe some the regional
dishes and flavor profiles of France.
Unusual aspects of preparations:
Legend has it that laminated dough was invented in France
when an apprentice forgot to add butter to the dough. He did so by folding it in,
creating magnificent layers of butter and dough we now use for puff pastry,
croissants, and Danishes to name a the few.
Because the French have created the standards of western
cooking, unusual aspects of preparation are hard to find.
Classic menus and dishes:
French cooking is extremely regional. Please review the
chart below from The New American Chef.
NORTHEAST
Alsace
and Lorraine: charcuterie,
fish, game, pork, sauerkraut, sausage (baker’s
oven, German-style pastries, kugelhopf, quiche
Lorraine
Champagne: Champagnes,
herring sausage
NORTH CENTRAL
Paris
Basin: cosmopolitan
melting pot of all regions (coq au vin, baeuf
a la bourguignonne, flamiche)
NORTHWEST
Brittany: apples,
butter, chicken, eggs, fish, milk, oysters, potatoes,
sea salt (fleur de sel), shellfish/buckwheat crepes)
Loire
Valley: grapes,
pork, trout
Normandy: apples,
butter, Camembert, cream, lamb, milk, seafood
SOUTHEAST
Burgundy: bacon,
mustard, onions, red wines (beef bourguignonne)
Dijon: crayfish,
mustard
Franch-Comte: Bresse
chickens, cheese (Comte-like Gruyere), milk
Lyon: Charolais
beef, crayfish, onions, potatoes, walnuts (French
onion soup)
Provence: anchovies,
basil, fish, garlic, herbs, lamb, olives, olive
oil, tomatoes (bouillabaisse, tapenade)
SOUTHWEST
Basque: cod,
ham, onions, peppers, tomatoes (sauce basquaise)
Bordeaux: crepes,
Cognac, oysters, red wines, sausage, truffles (sauce
bordelaise)
Gascony: peppers
Perigord: black
truffles, crepes, chanterelles, chestnuts, duck
Interesting report.
ReplyDelete