French Classical Menu

French Classical Menu

The French Classical Menu is a classical menu
sequence consisting of as many as thirteen courses.

 It is offered in luxurious and expensive restaurants.

 The Classical menu sequence is one that consists

of seventeen courses and is called ‘La Grande carte’

 It is a full a la carte menu.

 La Grande Carte
 Hors-d’ oeuvre
 Potage
 Oeuf
o Starters
 Farineaux

 Poisson
 Entrée
o Main Course
 Sorbet o Rest in course
 Relève
 Rôti
 Légumes o Main Course
 Salades
 Buffet Froid

 Entremet
 Savoureux
 Fromage o Afters
 Dessert
 Beverages
 13 Course Menu
 Hors-d’ oeuvre
 Potage
 Oeuf
o Starters
 Farineaux

 Poisson
 Entrée
o Main Course
 Sorbet o Rest in course
 Relève
 Rôti
 Legumes o Main Course
 Salades
 Buffet Froid

 Entremet
 Savoureux
 Fromage o Afters
 Dessert
 Beverages
 13 Course Menu
 Hors-d oeuvre
 Potage
 Oeuf
o Starters
 Farineaux

 Poisson o Main Course

 Entree

 Sorbet o Rest in course

 Releve
 Roti o Main Course
 Legumes

 Entremet
 Savoureux o Afters
 Dessert
 1. Hors d’ oeuvres
 They are of spicy in nature in order to stimulate
the appetite, the term is accepted as a meaning of
variety of pickled or well seasoned food stuff.

 They are either served from a rotating trolley or

a tray.

 A small amount of each variety being placed on

the plate to make up a portion
 1. Hors d’ oeuvres

Examples of Hors-d oeuvres are:-

 Beetroot
 Tomato Salad
 Fish Mayonnaise
 Russian Salad
 1. Hors d’ oeuvres
(Starters)
 1. Hors d’ oeuvres

(Starters)

Canapés
 2. Potage (Soup)

Soup may also act as an appetizer for the

courses to come.

 Two soups are generally provided on the menu one

being the clear soup (Consommé) and the other a thick
soup (crème, veloute, puree).

 Although it must be noted that the clear soup is

always placed first on the menu.
 2. Potage (Soup)
Examples are:-
 Tortue Claire:- clear turtle soup

 Consomme julienne:- clear soup garnished with

strips of root vegetables.

 Consomme celestine:- clear soup garnished with

strips of savoury pancakes.

 Bisque d homard:- thick lobster – flavored soup

 Crème de tomatoes:- cream of tomato

 Soup a l oignon:- clear onion soup

2. Potage (Soup)
 3. Oeufs (Eggs)
Examples of egg dishes are:-

 Omelette espagnole – Flat omelette with egg and

potatoes.
 Omelette aux tomatoes – tomato omelette.
 Omlette aux champignons – mushroom omelette.
 Oeuf poche florentine – poached egg on a bed of
spinach coated with cheese sauce & gratinated.
 Oeuf brouille au lard – scrambled egg with bacon.
 3. Oeufs (Eggs)

Mexican Egg Curry

Omelet
 3. Oeufs (Eggs)

Boiled Egg

Stuffed
Egg
Scrambled
Egg
 4.Farineaux (Pasta & Rice)

Pasta is boiled in water mixed with oil and salt and is

usually served al dente. (firm to bit)

 When pasta is served hot , the chosen sauce should

be poured boiling hot onto the pasta and is served with
grated parmesan cheese.

 Pasta is shaped in various ways and is known as per its

shape.
Types of Pasta
 4.Farineaux (Pasta & Rice)
Examples of farinaceous dishes are:-
 Spaghetti Napolitaine – noodle type pasta filled with
a variety of stuffing..
 Ravioli - noodle type pasta filled with a variety of
stuffing , such as chicken, beef, and spinach.
 Cannelloni – rolls of ravioli pasta filled with stuffing as
for ravioli.
 Gnocchi romaine – semolina based.
 Spaghetti bolognaise – spaghetti blended with
minced lean beef with rich brown sauce.
4.Farineaux (Pasta & Rice)
 5.Poissons (Fish)
The method of cooking and type of fish used may vary
to some extent, but will be normally be as follows:-
 Poached – Salmon, Trout, (each with its appropriate
garnish and accompanying sauce).
 Fried – Whitebait, sole (sometimes)
 Hot Shellfish – Lobster, crayfish, Dublin bay
prawns.
 Fish is soft –fibred and tender meat which is easily
digested and helps to prepare the appetite for the
heavier course to come.
 5.Poisson (Fish)
Examples of Fish dishes are --
 Sole meuniere – Sole, flour, egg and bread crumbed
and deep fried. (fillets).
 Sole Cubat – fillet of sole poached, dressed on a
mushrooms puree and coated with a cheese sauce.
 Darne de saumon grille, sauce bearnaise – salmon
cutlet grilled with an egg – and butter based sauce
flavoured with tarragon.
 Homard Newburg – Lobster served with thickened
sauce of fish stock and cream flavoured with brandy and
finished with butter.
5.Poissons (Fish)
 6. Entrée

 Entrées are generally small, well garnished dishes

which come from the kitchen ready for service. They
are always accompanied by very rich gravy or sauce.

 When relevé follow entrée then potatoes and

vegetables are not served with the later; if; however a
relevé does not follow the entrée they would be
served with the dish.
 6. Entrée
Examples of this type of dish are :
 Poulet saute chasseur – saute chicken in a rich brown
sauce flavoured with tomatoes and mushroom.
 Supreme de volaille sur cloche – breast and wing of
chicken cooked under a cover in oven.
 Kebab Orientale – Savoury items cooked on a
skewer.
 Steak Daine – Minute steak shallow fried and
flavoured with onions and mushrooms finished with red
wine or cream.
 Chateaubriand – double fillet steak grilled.
6. Entrée
6. Entrée
 7. Sorbet
 Because of the length
of the French Classical
menu, this course is
considered to be the rest
between courses.

 The sorbet must

therefore be able to
counteract the richness of
dishes already served and
build up the appetite of the Pineapple Sorbet
dishes to follow.
 7. Sorbet

 The Sorbet is a water ice plus with Champagne

or a Liqueur. It should be piped in to a champagne
glass which should then be served on an under
plate with a teaspoon.

 At this stage of the meal cigarettes were

passed, traditionally these were Russian
Cigarettes and sometimes the first speech was
given.
 7. Sorbet

Cranberry Sorbet
 8. Relevé (Large joints of meat)

 Relevés are normally larger than entrées and

take the form of butcher’s joints which have to
be carved.

 These joints are normally roasted.

 A sauce or a roast gravy with potatoes and

green vegetables are always served with this
course.
 8. Reléve (Large joints of meat)

The main dish will consist any of the following –

 Saddle of mutton, Baron of beef, Boned sirloin,
Braised ham.
 Contrefilet de boeuf rôti a la anglaise – boned and
roasted sirloin of beef.
 Carre d’ agneau roti – roast best end of lamb.
 8. Relevé (Large joints of meat)

Grilled Lamb Chops

Dry Pork Chops

 9. Rôti (Roast)

 Roast always contain roast game or poultry –

Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Pheasant, Quail.

 Each dish is accompanied by its own particular

sauce and gravy, with a green salad served
separately on a crescent shaped dish.
 9. Rôti (Roast)

Roasted Chicken

Roasted Lamb
 10. Légumes (Vegetables)
 At this stage the balance of the courses is
gradually returning from heavy to light.
 We now have a vegetable dish served only with its
accompanying sauce.
 Such vegetables, are – Artichokes, Asparagus &
Corn with Hollandaise sauce (an egg and butter
based sauce) or beurre fondue (melted butter)
offered separately.
 In Classic functions these legumes may be served
on their own as a separate vegetable course
 10. Légumes (Vegetables)
Legumes to accompany main course might be –
 Puree de pommes – potatoes boiled in skins peeled
sliced and shallow fried.
 Pommes Frites – Deep Fried potatoes.
 Pommes au four – Baked jacket potato.
 Champignons grilles – grilled mushroom
 Choufleur mornay – Cauliflower with a cheese sauce.
 Haricots verts au beurre – French beans tossed in
butter
 10. Légumes (Vegetables)

Hungarian Asparagus
Steamed

Sauté Legumes
 11. Salades

Examples of salades are –

 Salad Française – lettuce, tomato, egg, &

vinaigrette dressings.

 Salad verte– Lettuce, watercress, cucumber

and green pepper.
 11. Salades

Salade Verte

Salade Francaise
 12. Buffet Froid (cold buffet)
Examples of cold bufffet are –

 Poulet roti – Roast Chicken.

 Caneton Roti – Roast Duck.

 Mayonnaise d hommard – Lobster Mayonnaise.

 Galantine de volaille - Cold chicken coated with a

chicken flavoured sauce and decorated.
 12. Buffet Froid (cold buffet)

Cold Meat Platter

Pepper Sausage
 13. Fromage (cheese)

 All type of cheese may be offered together

with appropriate accompaniments

 The ideal cheese board will combine hard,

semi-hard, soft or cream, blue and fresh cheese.
 13. Fromage (cheese)
o Cheddar Hard England

o Edam Hard Holland

o Brie Soft France

o Demi-sel Soft France

o Caerphilly Semi-hard Wales

o Ricotta Fresh Italy

 13. Fromage (cheese)

Cheese Platter
 13. Fromage (cheese)
Cheddar Cheese

Mozzarella Cheese
 14.Entremet
The sweet may be hot or cold
 Soufles, crepes (pancakes), coupes (ice-cream
dishes)
 Crepe Suzzette – pancakes in a rich fresh orange
juice and flamed with brandy.
 Ananas Flambes au Kirch – Pineapple flamed with
cherry flavoured liquor.
 Peach Melba – Vanilla ice-cream topped with a peach
coated with a raspberry jam sauce and decorated with
cream.
 14.Entremet

Chocolate Cake

Pre-plated Dessert
 14.Entremet

Cheese Cake

Orange Meringue
 15. Savoureux
 Savouries may take the form of savoury items
served hot on toast or as a savoury soufflé.

 Welsh Rarebit – Cheese sauce flavoured with ale

on toast.

 Canape Daine – Chicken Liver rolled in bacon

and grilled, placed on a warm toast.

 Champignons sur croute – mushrooms on toast.

 15. Savoureux
Cheese Straws

Quiche Lorraine
 16. Dessert
 All forms of Fresh Fruits and Nuts may be
served accompanied by castor sugar and salt.

Dried Fruit Platter Cut Fresh Fruits

 17.Beverages
Examples are ---

 Coffee – Cona, Iced, Filter, Decaffeinated.

 Tea – Indian, Ceylon, Earl Grey, Darjeeling,

Orange Pekoe.

Always remember that while compiling menus,

beverages are not counted as a course.
 17.Beverages

Green Tea

Lemon Tea
 17.Beverages

Coffee

Irish Coffee
 17.Beverages
Examples are ---

• Coffee – Cona, Iced, Filter, Specialty, Decaffeinated.

• Tea – Indian, Ceylon, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Orange

Pekoe.

Always remember that while compiling menus, beverages

are not counted as a course.
 Assignment

Recommend, with reasons, a six course French

Menu for an international delegation. Design a
suitable table layout for your suggested menu.