Entrées

Entrées are the sixth course of the classical French menu, after the
poisson (fish) course and preceding the releve (roast) course. In the
Middle Ages, entrées included such items such as crystallized fruits and
peels, andouilettes, oyster tarts, forcemeats and cheese ramekins.

At a grand dinner, the entrée is either a hot dish in a sauce or a cold dish.
When more than one entrée is served, they must be clearly differentiated;
a distinctions were formerly made between entrées volantes de boucherie
(meat entrées), entrées d’abats (offal entrées) and entrées diverses
(various other entrées). Mixed entrées are composite dishes, such as
croustades and timbales.

With the trend towards simplification and reduction in the number of

courses, the entrée usually becomes the main course of a meal; modern
menus are centered on a main dish, preceded by a starter, and followed
by salad, cheese and dessert.
The cover for an entrée is a joint knife placed on the right of the cover
and a joint fork placed on the left of the cover.
Today entrées may include:

Vegetable preparations such as artichokes, asparagus and salads

Fish, shellfish and caviar

Terrines and pates

Quenelles and savoury pastries such as quiches, patties, tarts, timbales

and vol-au-vents

Smaller cuts of meat, poultry and game (either on or off the bone) such as
tournedos / medallions, escalopes, paupiettes, cutlets, chicken supremes
and wings.

Spine marrow (amourettes) and offals such as liver (foie), tongue

(langue), heart (coeur), kidney (rognon), sweetbreads, brains (cervelles)

In theory, cold charcuterie, fish in oil or marinades, vegetable

preparations and salads, are considered to be hors d’oeuvres.
 Traditional Entrées
Steak Diane

Medallions of Boneless Beef Loin with Mushroom Brandy Pan Sauce

served with Scallion Mashed Potato.
 Traditional Entrées

Minute Steak

A minute steak is boneless beef, very thin, and is usually scored and
pounded to tenderize it. Various cuts can be used for a minute steak,
but most often it is a thinly sliced piece of boneless sirloin or eye of
round. Because of its small size, it usually requires only a minute per
side to cook, using high heat.
 
 Traditional Entrées

Shepherd’s Pie

This popular English dish consists of meat (cubed or ground) cooked with
vegetables and gravy, which is then topped with a "crust" of mashed potatoes. If
the dish is made with beef it is known as "cottage pie," while if it contains lamb, it
is called "shepherd's pie." It can be made with fresh meat, but is equally good
when made with left over roast beef or lamb. Serve with a fresh green salad and
some crusty bread.
 Traditional Entrées

Chateaubriand
May be large enough to serve a party of two, three, four or five guests.
Each portion is carved into two or three slices, each approx 13mm (½ inch)
thick.
 Traditional Entrées

Supreme De Volaille
These are grilled or flambéed chicken breasts and may be prepared using
variations such as curry powder, other seasonings or by altering the wine and
flambé spirit.
 Traditional Entrées

Entrecote Bordelaise

Peel and chop finely the shallots and garlic. Cook gently in a small pan in the
olive oil, without browning.
With a slotted spoon transfer the chopped shallots and garlic to the roux. Add a
glass of red wine, bring gently to the boil, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Finally the entrecôte. Season and oil the meat before grilling. When cooked, serve
onto warmed plates, and dress with the sauce. If this summer you are planning a
barbecue, and can get hold of dried winter prunings from a vineyard (sarments de
vigne) as fuel, your entrecôte will have the authentic flavour of the region.
 TOURNEDOS AND MEDALLIONS
Tournedos are also called medallions. They are cut from the thinner part
of the trimmed fillet, approximately 3 ½ cms (1 ½ inches) and weighing
120 gms (4 ounces). A nice round shape is desirable.

Tournedos are usually served on a round crouton of bread which have

been fried in clarified butter, or on a flat crouquette.
TOURNEDOS AND MEDALLIONS
 QUENELLES
Quenelles are dumplings made with a spiced meat or fish forcemeat (pike
being the most popular), bound with fat and eggs, and then moulded into
small sausage or egg shapes and poached in boiling water.
Served as an entrée, with a sauce and then most often gratinated.

PIKE QUENELLES A LA LYONNAISE

Pike quenelles coated with béchamel sauce, sprinkled with breadcrumbs
and knobs of butter and gratinated.

PIKE QUENELLES A LA FLORENTINE

The quenelles are place on a bed of spinach, coated with béchamel

sauce, sprinkled with grated cheese, dotted with knobs of butter and
gratinated.
QUENELLES
 AMOURETTES
Amourettes refer to the spine marrow obtained from veal and / or beef.
Armourettes can be prepared in a number of ways.

CROMESQUINS D’ AMOURETTES

Cromesquins can be prepared and serve in a number of ways.

A LA FRANCAISE:- a mixture of marrow, mushrooms and truffles,

mixed with Sauce Allemande, coated with batter and deep fried.
Served with Sauce Perigueux or Sauce aux Fines Herbes.

A LA POLONAISE:- a mixture of marrow and mushrooms mixed with

Sauce Espagnole and enveloped in a thin unsweetened pancake, then
coated in a batter and deep fried.
Served with Sauce aux Fines Herbes or Sauce Duxelles.

FRITOT D’ AMOURETTES:- freshly poached marrow fritters

served with Sauce Tomate.
 AMOURETTES CONTD…..
TIMBALES D’ AMOURETTES

Timbale refers to a plain round high sided mould and therefore the
preparation cooked in it. It is also the name given to small preparations
moulded into darioles.

TIMBALES D’ AMOURETTES A LA ECOSSAISE:- a mixture

of red ox tongue, marrow and Sauce Allemande cooked in a timbale.
Serve with Sauce Ecossaise.

TIMBALES D’ AMOURETTES A LA NAPOLITAINE:- line a

dariole mould with cooked macaroni, followed by a thin layer of
forcemeat. Fill the lined mould with a mixture of marrow, mushrooms and
tomato flavoured Sauce Demi Glace.
Serve with tomato enriched Sauce Demi Glace.
AMOURETTES
 CERVELLES
Cervelles refer to the brains obtained from veal or beef.
As with amourettes, the cervelles can be cooked in a number of ways.

CERVELLE AU BEURRE NOIR:- poached brains served with a

butter that is cooked dark brown with parsley leaves and a swill of
vinegar.

CERVELLE A LA PARISIENNE:- poached brains are placed in

individual dishes, coated with Sauce Allemande, mushrooms and truffles.
Dotted with knobs of butter and gratinated.

CERVELLES A L’ ITALIENNE:- thin slices of raw brains are

coated with seasoned flour and shallow fried in equal parts oil and butter.
Served with Sauce Italienne.

FRITOT DE CERVELLES:- fritters of poached brains served with

Sauce Tomate.
CERVELLES
 LANGUES
Langues refer mainly to ox tongues.

Langues taste best braised, and can be served with garnishes such as
conti and flamande, and a puree of vegetables such as celery, chestnuts,
turnips and fresh or dried peas.
Langues can be served with a wide range of sauces, depending on the
tastes, preferences and palates of different guests. These sauces include:
Chasseur, Duxelles, Hachee, Italienne, Perigueux, Piquant, Romaine,
Soubise and Tomate.
LANGUES
 ROGNONS
Rognons refer to cock’s kidneys.

A favourite way to serve rognons is to poach and cool the kidneys, then
cut then open lengthwise and stuff them with a seasoned puree of either
foie gras, ham, white of chicken or truffles and equal amounts butter.
Serve coated with a Sauce Chaud – Froid.
ROGNONS
 COEUR, FOIE & SWEETBREADS
Coeur refers to the heart obtained from veal, beef and chickens.
The best way to serve coeur is to season them and shallow fry or sauté
them and serve them with their pan juices.

Foie refers to livers obtained from chickens, duck and goose.

The ideal way to prepare and serve foie is to cut them into thick slices,
season the slices and pass them through flour. Shallow fry them in butter
or grill them.
The shallow fried slices of foie are served in their own pan juices, while
the grilled slices of foie are served with a Beurre Noisette.

Sweetbreads is the culinary term for the thymus gland (in the throat) and
the pancreas (near the stomach), in calves, pigs and lambs.
Like foie they taste best when they are grilled or sautéed and served with
a Beurre Noisette.
COEUR, FOIE & SWEETBREADS