CLASSICAL GARNISHES

CLASSICAL FRENCH GARNISHES

 CLASSICAL FRENCH  GARNISHES

1. ALEXANDRA 

Was the consort (the queen) of Edward VII, a king of Great Britain and Ireland in whose honour many dishes were named.

Indicates inclusion of asparagus tips.

i) Consommé Alexandra. Chicken consommé thickened with tapioca, garnished with shredded chicken, lettuce and 

asparagus tips. 

ii) Chicken Sauté Alexandra: - Cook the chicken breasts in butter, mask with thin soubise sauce reduced with cream, and garnish with asparagus tips.

2. ALASKA 

Formerly called Russian America, it is a territory of the United States of America.

i) Sole Alaska – poached whole sole in white wine, half coated with a pink shrimp sauce and the other half with white wine sauce (made with fish liquor) garnished with poached oysters and noisette potatoes.

ii) Baked Alaska is Americas favourite dessert. It is frozen vanilla ice cream placed on a sponge cake base covered quickly with Meringue and baked in a hot oven to brown the meringue immediately

iii) Cantaloupe Alaska –cut cantaloupes into 2, fill with ice cream, topped with meringue and browned.

3. ALLEMANDE 

In the German style, dishes garnished with sauerkraut or pickled pork or smoked sausages.

i) Consommé Allemande: Beef Consommé flavored with juniper berries thickened with tapioca flour garnished with julienne of red cabbage and slices of smoked sausages. 

ii) Salad Allemande: slices of apple, new potatoes, beetroot, mixed with smoked herrings fillets and gherkins sprinkled with chopped parsley and vinaigrette dressing.

4. AFRICAINE 

In the African style, as practiced by French chefs. dishes that bear this title must convey the style of foods consumed in the vast continent of North, West, Central and East Africa, and the Union of South Africa. It was however indiscriminately applied by the French chefs to dishes during the reign of Napoleon III when Meyerbeer’s opera L’Africaine enjoyed great popularity. The principal ingredients used as garnish, giving dishes the right to bear this title are:-chicken, mushroom, tomatoes, eggplant, Curried and spiced foods; dishes garnished with savoury rice or flavoured with garlic or pimento and groundnuts. Coconut and pistachio nuts find their way in the sweet course.

5. ANDALOUSE 

In the Andalusian style. A Spanish province. 

i) Chicken Consommé: garnished with diced tomatoes, cucumber and cooked vermicelli. 

ii) A cold sauce: Mayonnaise + tomato puree mixed with brunoise of capsicum.

6. BERCY 

It is a located in a suburb and market of Paris 

i) Potage: Puree of spring turnips thickened with cream and egg yolk.

ii) Sauce: Thin, meat glaze with chopped shallots reduced in white wine and enriched with fresh butter, lemon juice and chopped parsley

iii) Sole: Rolled fillets of fish, cooked under cover in butter with chopped shallots, mushroom liquor, white wine and chopped parsley masked with bercy sauce.

7. BIGARDE 

A bitter Seville orange from Spain. 

i) Canard sauvage: wild duck served with orange salad and sauce bigarde.

ii) Sauce: Gravy from duck, reduced with fine shreds of orange and flavoured with orange juice and little red currant jelly.

8. BONNE FEMME 

(Good Woman) - Housewife style.

i) Potage; Thick white bean and chicken soup with julienne of vegetables (leeks, sorrel, carrots and turnips)

ii) Sauce: creamy white sauce made with finely chopped mushrooms and shallots, blended with butter, seasoned and thickened with cream and egg yolk and flavored with white wine.

iii) Sole: Poached fillets of sole, cooked with chopped shallots, mushroom, parsley, fish stock and white wine. Masked with fish veloute and browned.

iv) Poulet sauté: young chicken sautéed with rich gravy reduced with white wine, garnished with diced bacon and button onions.

9. BOUQUETIERE (A LA) 

In the manner of flower girls, usually a garnish consisting of small fine vegetables dressed in small heaps around the meat

10. BOURGUIGNONNE 

Burgundy style: As a rule dishes in the preparation of which burgundy wine is added

i) Sauce Espagnole: Sauce flavored with finely minced shallots, Thyme, parsley, tarragon and mace. Burgundy wine is usually added.

ii) Garniture for joint (roasts) – Button mushrooms and onions tossed in butter with small dices of lean bacon and burgundy wine.

11. CARDINAL 

The highest dignitary in the Roman Catholic Church, after the pope. As a cardinal wears a distinctive scarlet dress and a scarlet cap, the kitchen term stands for any dish of that color. Usually lobster coral plays an important part in fish dishes.

i) Consommé: Chicken consommé flavored with tomato puree garnished with finely cut julienne of vegetable strips of truffles and lobster dumplings.

ii) Lobster: Cubed lobster mixture mixed with Sauce Americaine and filled in lobster shells, sprinkled with cheese and breadcrumbs and browned in the oven.

iii) Sauce: rich, white fish sauce blended with pounded lobster coral to give it a correct colour, flavored with essence of anchovies and with tarragon.

iv) Garniture for fish: diced lobster, truffle, shrimps or prawn and cardinal sauce.

v) Dessert: Strawberries, peaches or pears poached in syrup and dressed on strawberry or raspberry ice cream with raspberry or strawberry sauce and sprinkled with sliced roasted almonds and little pistachio nuts.

12. CARMEN 

Carmen Sylva was the nom de plume of Elizabeth, Queen of Romania, born 29th December 1843. Star role in the opera of the same name by Bizet which was first produced in Paris at the Opera Comedie on 3rd March 1875

Consommé-- clear beef consommé well colored with tomato puree garnished with star shapes of pimento, boiled rice and chervil.

13. COLBERT 

Two famous dishes Sole a la Colbert and Consommé a la Colbert are in constant demand. The sole is named after Charles Colbert De Croissy, famous French diplomat while the delicious soup is named after Jean Baptiste Colbert, a statesman of France in the reign of Louis XIV. The consommé is distinguished by being garnished with poached eggs while the sole is noted for its stuffing of Maitre d’ hotel butter being placed inside before being sent to the table.

i) Colbert butter: Maitre d’hotel butter mixed with a little meat glaze and chopped tarragon/parsley.

ii) Colbert sauce: Rich thin brown sauce and finely chopped herbs and lemon juice.

iii) Consommé: Clear beef soup garnished with lightly poached egg.

iv) Sole: Whole sole carefully opened along centre and backbone removed .Egg washed, crumbed and fried, stuff space with Colbert butter.

14. CRECY 

Was the site of an important battle fought by Napoleon.

City and district of France, use of carrots 

i) Puree: of young carrots thickened with barley.

ii) Consommé: rich beef consommé garnished with julienne of carrots.

15. CHASSEUR 

A Chaser, a hunter, hunter’s style from the famous chasseurs of Light Infantry or cavalry regiments who hunted for their food in the forest or on mountain heights.

i) Consommé: a rich clear game soup garnished with game quenelles made from as many varieties of game as possible.

ii) Sauce: Minced shallots and mushrooms sautéed and reduced with white wine and demi glaze, chopped parsley.

iii) Poulet sauté : chicken sauté and finished in a casserole in the oven with tomatoes, brown chicken sauce, sliced mushrooms, chopped shallots and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

16. DIEPPOISE 

In the style of Dieppe, a coastal city of northern France, seafood style.

i) Crème: Rich fish veloute, garnished with shrimp tails, mussels, sliced mushrooms finished with cream.

ii) Garnish: Shrimp tails, mussels and mushrooms rich fish veloute sauce.

17. DIABLE, A LA 

Devil – devilled, a slightly spiced dish, sharp highly seasoned and accompanied with sauce diable

Diablotins: Small Dumplings, strongly spiced mixture with grated cheese, broiled / browned under grill. Used as an appetizer or soup garnish.

Sauce: Chopped shallots sauté, reduce in vinegar, plus demi glaze, red wine, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper.

 18. A LA FRANCAISE 

French style – term applied to a number of French dishes cooked and prepared in a simple manner and chiefly denotes a style of the district in which the chef or cook originally lived.

i) Sole a la Francaise: whole or filleted sole dipped in milk and flour, fried and served with tomato and anchovy sauce.

ii) Cotelettes d’agneau a la francaise- breaded lamb cutlets, fried in butter garnished with mixed garden vegetables and sauce Madeira.

19. INDIENNE A LA 

Indian style as practiced by the French cooks 

i) Croquettes a l’indienne: lobster and rice, seasoned with curry powder shaped into croquettes then fried and served with curry sauce.

ii) Potage a l’indienne—Mulligatawny soup with addition of coconut milk and cooked rice.

20. MILANAISE 

In the style of Milan, an Italian city. The usual garnish is spaghetti with shredded tongue, truffles and mushrooms blended with a puree of tomato and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese. Breaded meats have grated cheese mixed with bread crumbs and served with tomato sauce.

i) Choufleur Milanese—cooked buds of cauliflower sauté in butter, with grated cheese, buttered and baked.

ii) Soufflé Milanese: lemon flavored soufflé, coated with biscuit crumbs and spiked with pistachio nuts.

21. NICOISE

In the style of Nice, city of southern France.

i) Consommé – Consommé with vermicelli and peeled tomatoes cut in small squares. Bring to a boil, serve grated cheese separately

ii) Sauce: Demi glace and tomato Puree.

iii) Garniture for fish - chopped tomatoes sautéed with garlic, Lemon slices and anchovy fillets topped with capers.

iv) Salad – French beans, tomatoes, potatoes, olives and anchovy fillets.

22. NOISETTE

Hazelnut. Also term, applied to small, round, boneless, fatless pieces of meat such as small loins of lamb, rolled, thin cuts into dainty rounds.

i) Butter – Clarified butter browned hazelnut color

ii) Sauce – supreme sauce, noisette butter, pounded hazelnut.

iii) Potatoes - small hazelnut sized potatoes, sautéed in butter or fried in deep fat to golden yellow.

 23. PORTUGAISE

i) Consommé – A rich clear beef soup with stoned and halved prunes, diced ripe tomatoes and strips of leeks.

ii) Sauce – Tomato sauce reduced with rich veal gravy, flavored with garlic and onion and chopped parsley.

iii) Garniture – small stuffed tomatoes, chateau Potatoes with tomato sauce.

24. THERMIDOR

Name given during the French revolution to the 11th month of the year in the republican calendar.

Lobster – Roasted Lobster meat in a cream sauce with shallots, Parsley, Mustard, Tarragon meat, butter. Arranged in the shell sprinkled with grated cheese ground in oven.

25. WELLINGTON

Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington famous for victory over Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo in June 1815.

Beef – Seasoned beef wrapped in pate, duxelle and puff pastry. Baked and sliced and served with Madeira sauce. b1. 

26. NANTUA

A town in France

i) Sauce: Bechamel reduced with rich fish fumet, finished with crayfish or prawn butter.

ii) Garniture for fish – Crayfish (or Prawns) tails with nantua sauce and slices of truffle.

iii) Omelets – filled with chicken and truffle salpicon & sauce nantua.

27. NEAPOLITAINE

In the style of Naples city of Southern Italy often applied to dishes containing 3 distinct colors – red, white and green…the colors of the Italian flag..

i) Consommé: Clear game soup garnished with shreds of ham and celery and a generous amount of Macaroni.

ii) Sauce: Brown sauce reduced with claret and red currant jelly with minced ham shallots grated horseradish flavored with bay leaf, cloves and thyme.

iii) Glace – Ice cream layered in 3 distinct colors and flavors in oblong moulds and cut into oblong slices.

28. PARISIENNE

In the style of Paris, dishes usually dressed elaborately

i) Consommé – Garnish of vegetables white leeks and custard royal.

ii) Sauce – Rich brown sauce with chopped parsley and shallots, Madeira and meat glaze with fresh butter fine herbs.

iii) Potatoes – Marble size potatoes, sautéed in butter sprinkle and chopped herbs.

iv) Chicken Sauté – jointed chicken sautéed in butter, seasoned with done, cooked in tomato sauce with fresh sliced mushrooms for 2 minutes. Serve Chicken dressed on a platter cover with sauce and garnish with Macaroni in cream.

29. POMPADOUR

Jeanne Antoinette Poison Le Normand D’etrores, Marquis De Pompadour. Mistress of Louis the XV of France, born 29th December 1721 had a great influence in the politics of France.

i) Consommé – Chicken Consommé garnished with turnips and carrots, pink, green and plain royal, fancily cut.

ii) Salad – Sprigs of cooked cauliflower, sliced potatoes, celeriac, seasoned with celery salt.

iii) Sauce - Allemande or Veloute with slightly cooked minced shallots, cream, egg yolks chopped mushrooms and parsley.

30. PRINCE, PRINCESSE, PRINCIERRE (Prince, Princess, Princely)

i) Consommé – Clear chicken broth garnished with diced chicken and asparagus points.

ii) Sauce – White fish sauce, enriched with crayfish, butter, finely shredded crayfish and truffles.

31. PRINTANIER, A LA PRINTANIERE, PRINTEMPS

Spring like, spring, spring time.

i) Potage Printanier – Soup made of spring vegetables.

ii) Consommé - A clear soup garnished with spring vegetables which may be ball shaped or cut finely.

iii) Sauce – Rich Veloute and puree of green vegetables with finely cubed green vegetables.

32. REFORME

After the style of the famous Reform Club where Alexis Soyer was the chef.

i) Garnished for cutlets and entrees – julienne of ham, tongue, truffles, boiled white of egg, mushrooms, carrots and beetroot and gherkins + reform sauce.

ii) Sauce: Poivrade sauce diluted with port wine and red currant jelly.

33. VERONIQUE

French form of Veronica, characterized by use of seedless grapes.

Sole – Rolled, poached fillets dressed with 3-4 grapes (peeled and piped) on each and coated with a blend of sauce Hollandaise and sauce Vin Blanc.

34. WALDORF

One of New York’s famous Hotels. The Waldorf Astoria, the old Waldorf having being names after the village of Waldorf near Heidelberg, Germany.

i) Salad – Juliennes of celery, diced apples, mixed with mayonnaise, set on a bed of lettuce, sprinkled with chopped walnuts.

ii) Eggs – Poached eggs on a canapé spread with foie gras and a mushroom on top. Served with Madeira sauce and truffles.

iii) Tomato: filled with Waldorf salad.

35. MALTAISE 

Pertaining to the island of Malta.

i) Potage Maltaise – A thin veal soup with a garnish diced oranges a little shredded capsicum, chillies and very small julienne of orange peel.

ii) Ris-de Veau Maltaise — braised with béarnaise sauce decorated with the Maltese cross in Forcemeat. 

iii) Sauce maltaise - hollandaise + blood orange juice