TYPES OF MENUS

Table d hote
Table d'hte is a French loan phrase
which literally means "host's table". It is
used as restaurant terminology to indicate
a menu where multi-course meals with
only a few choices are charged at a fixed
price. Such a menu may also be called
prix fixe ("fixed price").
The terms 'set meal' and 'set menu' are
reasonably common as well. Because the
menu is set, the cutlery on the table may
also already be set for all of the courses.

A la Carte
la carte is a French language
loan phrase meaning "according to the
menu", and used in restaurant
terminology as:
A reference to a menu of items priced and
ordered separately, in contrast to a
table d'hte, at which a menu with limited
or no choice is served at a fixed price.
To designate an option to choose, at no
extra charge, a side dish to accompany a
main course item.

a_la_carte_menu[1].pdf

FRENCH CLASSICAL
MENU

French Classical Menu

Hors-d oeuvre
Potage
Oeuf
Farineaux

Starters

Poisson
Entre

Main Course

Sorbet

Rest in course

Releve
Roti
Legumes
Salades
Buffet Froid

Entremet
Savoureux
Fromage
Dessert

Main Course

Afters

Hors-D Oeuvre
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 stuffs .
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.
Examples Of Hors d oeuvres are : Beet root
Potato Salad
Tomato Salad
Fish Mayonnaise
Russian Salad
The term hors d oeuvre also covers any items which are served before the
soup usually known as hors d oeuvres substitutes.
Caviar : - Roe of sturgeon fish
Shellfish cocktail : - prawns or shrimps on a bed of shredded lettuce
covered
with tomato flavoured mayonnaise.
Melon Frappe : - Chilled Melon
Saumon Fume : - smoked salmon
Pate maison : - goose or chicken liver, cooked , sieved and well seasoned

Potage

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(consomm) and the other a thick soup
(crme, veloute, puree). Although it must be noted that the
clear soup is always placed first on the menu.
Examples : Tortue Claire : - clear turtle soup
Consomm julienne : - clear soup garnished with strips of
root vegetables
Consomm celestine : - clear soup garnished with strips of
savoury pancakes.
Bisque d homard :- thick lobster- flavored soup
Crme de tomates : - cream of tomato
Soup a l oignon : - clear onion soup

Oeuf
Examples of egg dishes are:

Omelette espagnole Flat omelette with onions,

peppers and tomatoes

Omelette aux tomates : - 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.

Farinaceous/ Farineaux
Examples of farinaceous dishes are: Spaghetti napolitine spaghetti in a tomato- and
garlic- flavoured sauce.

Ravioli : - noodle type pasta filled with a variety of

stuffing, such as chicken, beef, and spinach

Cannelloni : - rolls of ravioli paste filled with stuffing

as for ravioli.

Gnocchi romaine semolina based.

Spaghetti bolognaise spaghetti blended with

minced lean beef with rich brown sauce.

Poissons
The method of cooking and type of fish used may
vary to some extent, but will be normally be as
follows: Poached : - Salmon, Trout, Turbout (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 courses to come.

Examples of fish dishes are : Sole meuniere : - Sole shallow fried in butter.
Sole colbert : - 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 grillee, 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.

Entree

Entres 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 releve
follow entre then potatoes and vegetables are not served
with the latter; if, however a releve does not follow the
entre they would be served with the dish
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.

Sorbets
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 dishes to follow.
The sorbet is a water ice plus Italian Meringue
flavored with champagne or a liqueur. It should be
piped in to a champagne glass which should then be
served on an underplate with a teaspoon.
At this stage of the meal cigarettes were passed,
traditionally these were Russian cigarettes and
sometimes the first speech was given

Releves
Releves are normally larger than entrees and take
the form of butchers 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.
The main dish will consist any of the following: Saddle of mutton, baron of beef, boned sirloin,
braised ham.
Contrefilet de boeuf roti a l anglaise : - boned and
roasted sirloin of beef.
Carre d agneau roti : - roast best end of lamb
Cuissot de porc roti puree de pommes : - roast
legg of pork with apple sauce.
Gigot d agneau roti sauce menthe : - roast leg of
lamb with mint sauce

Roti

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 cresent shaped dish. The
latter is placed at the top left
hand corner of the cover

Legumes
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 on the cob, with hollandaise
sauce( an egg and butter based sauce) or
beurre fondue( melted butter) offered
seperately, in classic functions these
legumes may be served on their own as a
separate vegetable course.

Legumes to accompany main course might

be

Puree de pommes (de terre) : - creamed potatoes

Pommes sautees: - potaoes boiled in skins peeled sliced

and shalow fried.

Pommes Frites : - Deep fried potatoes.

Pommes au four: - baked jacket potato

Champignons grilles : - grilled mushrooms

Choufleur mornay: - cauliflower with a cheese sauce.

Haricots verts au beurre: - French beans tossed in butter

SALADES
Examples of salades are: Salade francaise : - lettuce, tomato, egg, &
vinaigrette dressings.
Salade vert: - Lettuce, watercress, cucumber and
green pepper.

BUFFET FROID
Examples of cold buffet items 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, then
coated in aspic.

ENTREMETS

The sweet may be hot or cold.

Souffles, crepes(pancakes), coupes(ice cream dishes)
Other examples:Crepe suzette : - pancakes in a rich fresh orange juice and
flamed with brandy.
Ananas Flambes au kirsch: - Pineapple flamed with cherry
flavoured liquor.
Peche Melba: - Vanilla Ice cream topped with a peach
coated with a raspberry jam sauce and decorated with
cream.
Bombes : - various Ice cream sweets.

SAVOUREUX

Savouries may take the form of savoury items served hot

on toast or as a savoury souffle.

Welsh rarebit: - Cheese sauce Flavoured with ale on toast

gratinated.
Canape Daine :- Chicken livers rolled in bacon and grilled,
placed on a warm toast.

Champignons sur croute: - mushrooms on toast.

FROMAGES

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.
Cheddar
hard
England
Edam

hard

Holland

Brie

soft

France

Demi-sel

soft

France

Caerphilly semi-hard Wales

Ricotta

Fresh

Italy

DESSERTS

All forms of Fresh Fruits and nuts may

be served accompanied by castor
sugar and salt

BEVERAGES
Examples are: Coffee: - Cona, Cafetiere, Iced, Filter, Speciality,
Decaffeinated.
Tea: - Indian, Ceylon, Earl Grey, Darjeeling,
Orange Pekoe
Always remember that while compiling menus
beverages are not counted as a course.