Accompaniments are highly flavoured seasonings of various kinds offered with certain dishes to either improve the flavour or to counteract their richness. Standard accompaniments are served with certain dishes and the server, serving the food should have knowledge of them to ensure that proper accompaniments are offered.
MENU PLANNING
Menu planning is a managerial activity which is team work between the food production and service personnel who are knowledgeable about various cuisines, cost of preparing dishes, time for preparing a dish and the clientele.
Some major points have to be considered while planning a menu in an establishment which include: Competition: When planning a menu the team should consider the location with emphasis on cuisine, pricing, and portion size.
Nutrition: Guests are becoming very conscious regarding the number of
calories they consume, so while planning a menu it should be seen that it is well balanced and includes adequate fats, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins.
Operational: A dish may require special equipment, ingredients and requisite skill of staff which have to be considered along with the number of covers the outlet will be serving, and availability of space for preparation.
Organisational policy: The organisation will definitely want to have a return on investment so this also has to be considered while planning a menu.
Clientele: The customers’ needs and habits should also be considered, e.g., eating habits, spending power and age groups being catered to.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What are the different courses of a french classical menu and the appropriate silver that should be served with them?
According to a French classical menu there are seventeen courses which are given below though beverages are not counted as a course:
i. Appetizer (Hors d’oeuvre): This course usually comprises dishes that are tangy and salty in nature. They are served at the beginning of the meal to stimulate the appetite of guests and are always served in very small quantities, and have a good texture.
There are mainly two types of appetizers: general and classical hors d’oeuvre.
a. General hors d’oeuvre: Some examples are Russian salad, meat salad, chicken salad, potato salad, sausages, salami, pâté-de-foie gras (goose liver paste), ham mousse, and vegetable mousse. The standard cutlery for this is a fish knife and fish fork. Many establishments have introduced their own specially designed silver for the service of hors d’oeuvre known as an hors d’oeuvre knife and hors d’oeuvre fork. All the appetizers in this group are served in a half plate.
b. Classical hors d’oeuvre: Classical hors d’oeuvre are of six different types: oysters, caviar, melon, grapefruit, shell fish
cocktail, fruit juice/ fruit juice cocktail.
Oysters: Six oysters are generally served per portion.
They have to be served cold on a bed of crushed ice in a soup plate or dip plate with an under plate beneath it.
The silver used here is a fork known as an oyster fork or fish fork, which is placed on the right hand side of the cover at an angle of 45 degree with the edge of the table.
Caviar: This is the eggs of the sturgeon fish. Caviar may be black or green in colour, and is found mainly in the Black Sea. It is always served with hot pancakes (also known as hot blinis). It is served in two ways, either per portion or per gram and the rate is always mentioned in the menu card. The usual silverware is a caviar knife, if this is not available then a fish knife and a fish fork are used and it is served on a half plate.
Some of the best known varieties of caviar available are: Beluga caviar, in which the eggs are grey in colour and which is one of the most famous and best varieties of caviar; Sevruga in which the eggs are grey in colour but smaller in size than in Beluga caviar, and Shah, which is an Iraqi caviar.
Fruit juice cocktails: These are served in a fruit juice glass (also known as a pony glass) placed on an under plate (quarter plate) with a tea spoon on the under plate.
Some common juices that are served are: tomato juice, pineapple juice, fruit juice punch.
Melon: There are four types of melons: honeydew, watermelon, cantaloupe, and charentais. Melon is served with or without the skin. When the melon is overripe and served with the skin a dessert spoon is provided in addition to the usual silver i.e., fruit knife and a fruit fork. If the melon is cut into small pieces then a tea spoon is provided in place of a dessert spoon and it is always served on a half plate.
Grapefruit: This is cut into two halves and one half is served to the guest in a grapefruit cup placed on an
under plate with a grapefruit spoon. In case of non- availability of a grapefruit spoon, a teaspoon is provided on the under plate. If a grapefruit cup is not available, the grapefruit is placed on a napkin folded into a lotus shape which is placed on a half plate.
Shell fish cocktail: All kinds of shell fish cocktails are served in a tall lobster cocktail glass with a teaspoon on an under plate.
ii. Soup or potage: In general soups may be called as extracts of meat or vegetables. Usually two types of soups are provided on the menu.
(a) Thick soup or cream soup (b) Thin soup or clear soup Thick soups are served in a soup plate with a soup spoon placed at the right hand side of the cover. A soup tureen is used for the service of thick soups. Some examples of thick soups are cream of tomato soup, cream soup, Madras soup, Scotch broth, chicken corn soup etc. Some thin soups without any garnish are consommé clair, consommé en tasse. They are served in double handled soup cups with a dessert spoon placed at the right hand side of the cover.
Some thin soups with garnishes are consommé julienne, consommé royale, consommé Alexander, consommé brunoise.
They are served in a similar manner to thick soups.
iii. Eggs or oeufs: Refers to all egg preparations except for plain boiled and fried eggs; some examples are oeuf en cocotte, omelettes, poached eggs. Silver used for cocotte is a cocotte dish on an under plate with a teaspoon, for omelettes and poached eggs a half plate is used with a small knife and fork.
iv. Pasta or farineux: It usually follows after the egg courses. It could be either stuffed or plain with various sauces. Some examples of stuffed pasta are ravioli milanaise and cannelloni napolitaine. An example of non stuffed pasta is spaghetti bolognaise. Silver for spaghetti is a half plate with a large fork and dessert spoon, the half plate could be substituted with a full plate if it is served as a main course, silver for other pasta is a half plate with a dessert spoon and fork, the half plate could be substituted with a full plate if it is served as a main course.
v. Fish or poisson: Fish being a lighter dish prepares the palate for
the heavy dishes to follow. Silver used for this course are a fish knife and a fish fork and the food is served on a half plate. Some examples are fish fry, fish meniuere, fish orly, sole colbert etc.
vi. Entrée or entrance: These dishes follow the fish course and are served before the main course of a meal (entrée literally means entrance). The dish is complete in itself with its appropriate accompaniments, for example, meat chops, scotch eggs, breast cutlets, small steaks, pea omelettes etc., are served on a half plate with a small knife and fork.
vii. Sorbet or rest: This is actually the rest course, and it counteracts the effect of the dishes that have already been served. A sorbet is iced water, flavoured with a few drops of champagne or brandy.
This is usually served in a tumbler or a goblet placed on an under plate with a tea spoon. Cigarettes, (if at all), preferably Russian or Egyptian are also passed at this stage. Usually 10–15 minutes will be allowed for this course.
viii. Remove or releve: It is better known as joints, such as leg of mutton, rib of beef, shoulder of lamb, saddle of mutton etc. The meat is served braised, roasted, grilled or boiled along with potatoes and at least two vegetables with their appropriate sauces.
The silver used is a large knife and fork. These dishes are always served on a full plate.
ix. Roast or rôti: This course consists of poultry and game – birds such as chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant, partridge etc. They are accompanied by suitable sauces, gravies and vegetables. The course is served on a full plate with a large knife and fork as its usual silver.
x. Vegetables or legumes: In this course dressed vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, tomato, french beans, green peas, mushrooms etc., are served as an individual vegetable dish. For all vegetables a small knife and a fork are provided. No silver is provided for asparagus. It is served with the help of asparagus tongs and eaten with the fingers, a finger bowl is provided and it is always served on a half plate.
xi. Salad or salades: In this course salads made from vegetables, fruits, potatoes, fish or meat are served with a dressing. The salads are served either in a full plate or in a half plate, depending
upon portion size, with a small knife and fork.
xii. Cold buffet or buffet froid: In this course cold cuts of chicken, beef, ham, duck etc., are served. The silver used is a small knife and fork and the food is served on a half plate.
xiii. Entremets de sucre or sweet: This course may consist of either hot or cold sweets like puddings or confectionery products. Silver used is a dessert spoon or a dessert knife and a dessert fork, which should be placed on top of the cover and the dessert is served on a half plate. Apart from the above mentioned sweets there are also some exceptions:
a. Plain ice cream: This is served in an ice-cream cup with an ice cream spoon placed on an under plate (quarter plate).
Some examples are peach melba, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry ice-cream etc.
b. Parfait ice cream: Parfait types of ice cream such as tutti- fruiti etc., are served in tall parfait glasses with a parfait spoon placed on an under plate.
xiv. Savouries or savoury: Various hot tit-bits in a very small quantity are served on toast. Some examples are sardines on toast, kidneys on toast, tuna on toast, devil on horseback. There are mainly three types of savouries served in restaurants:
a. Meat savoury: The usual silver for meat savoury is a small knife and fork. It is served on a half plate, e.g., kidneys on toast, devil on horseback.
b. Fish savoury: The usual silver for this course is a fish knife and fish fork and it is served on a half plate.
xv. Cheese or fromage: Various types of cheese may be offered on a cheeseboard to include hard, semi-hard, soft or cream, blue and fresh cheese. Cheese should be served on a cheese plate or a quarter plate with a small knife placed at the right hand side of the cover. Cheese is served to the guest by placing it on a cheese board fitted on a cheese tray with a cheese knife placed on the cheese board. A small knife may also be used in place of a cheese knife. The standard accompaniments to be served with cheese are celery sticks, radishes, watercress, cream cracker biscuits. Fresh butter, salt and pepper mills, and a finger bowl should be provided during the service.
xvi. Dessert: It consists of fresh fruits or dry fruits served after the savoury course and immediately before the coffee. Fruits are offered to a guest from a fruit bowl or a fruit basket. A fruit knife and fruit fork should be provided along with a finger bowl. If grapes are included in the fruit a pair of grape scissors and an extra finger bowl with cold water for rinsing the grapes should be provided. For nuts, a nut cracker is provided.
xvii. Beverages: These are served at the end of a meal, usually coffee in a coffee cup or a demi tasse with a coffee spoon placed on the coffee saucer. Liqueurs, brandy, cigarettes are served along with coffee.
2. Mention the standard accompaniments of dishes.
Assorted fruit juices: Castor sugar Asparagus hot: Hollandaise sauce or melted butter.
Broccoli: Hollandaise sauce Boiled salted beef: Carrot and onion dumplings Boiled fresh beef: Rock salt, grated horse radish and chopped gherkins Braised ham: Chopped spinach, Madeira sauce or peach sauce Caviar: Hot breakfast toast, butter, segments of lemon, finely chopped shallots, parsley Cheese: Cruet set, butter dish, celery sticks Cold salmon: Mayonnaise sauce, cucumber salad Cold lobster: Mayonnaise sauce, salad oil, and vinegar cruet set Cold asparagus: Mayonnaise sauce or vinaigrette sauce Corn on the cob: Melted butter Fish fry (English style): Tartare sauce &
quarter of a lemon Fish fry (French style): Tartare sauce & half a lemon Goose liver paste: Hot toast with the crust removed Grapefruit (Pumplemousse): Castor sugar.
Grilled fish: Maitre d’hotel butter or hollandaise sauce and slices of lemon Melon: Castor sugar, ground ginger Minestrone: Grated parmesan cheese and grilled flutes Oysters: Oyster cruet, half a lemon, brown bread and butter Pasta: Grated parmesan cheese Poached, steamed, or baked fish: Hollandaise sauce, melted butter or egg sauce Poached fresh salmon: Hollandaise sauce, cucumber salad Potted shrimp: Cayenne pepper, pepper mill, half a lemon, brown bread and butter Prawn cocktail: Brown bread and butter Roast leg of lamb: Mint sauce Roast saddle of mutton: Red currant jelly and onion sauce Roast beef: Yorkshire pudding, horse radish sauce and roast gravy Roast pork: Sage and onion stuffing,
apple sauce and demi glaze Roast veal: Savoury and herb stuffing, bacon and brown sauce Roast duck: Sage and onion stuffing, apple sauce, roast gravy Roast chicken: Bread sauce, roast gravy Roast turkey: Cranberry sauce, Chipolata, Chestnut, roast gravy Salami of games: Red currant jelly Smoked salmon: Brown bread, butter, toasts with the crust cut off, cayenne pepper and pepper mill Spinach: Cream Stew: Worcestershire sauce, pickled red cabbage Tomato juice: Worcestershire sauce Tomato soup: Croutons
3. Give some sample menus.
Sample Menu 1 Russian salad
--- Poached salmon with Tartare sauce ---
Roast pigeon stuffed with mushrooms Garden fresh peas Anna potatoes
--- Baked Alaska
Sample Menu 2 Cold asparagus
--- Fillet of sole Newbury
--- Chicken Maryland
Crisp bacon/Saute bananas --- Mango soufflé
Sample Menu 3 Consommé Royale
---
--- Lobster Thermidor
--- Beef Strognoff
Parsley potatoes Braised peas
--- Baked coconut pudding
Sample Menu 4
Cream of spinach and walnut soup ---
Broiled duckling in Cajun spice with olive sauce Orange salad Game chips
--- Banana split
4. What are the various courses which could be included in an Indian á la carte menu?
An Indian á la carte menu would have following courses: Starters:
Various kebabs and tikkas, other starters such as fried paneer, tandoori aloo and prawn fry.
Soups: Tomato shorba, palak shorba, dal shorba, rasam and yakni.
Indian breads: Indian breads are mostly prepared in a tandoor or on a tawa (griddle) and some are deep fried. The breads prepared in a tandoor are rotis, naans, parathas, and kulchas. The breads prepared on a tawa are phulkas, chappatis, rotis and parathas. The deep fried breads are bhaturas, pooris, luchis.
Curries: The curries include both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes, which may be with gravy or semi-dry. Examples of dishes with gravy are egg curry, Goan fish curry, kadhai murg, mutton roganjosh, murg makhni, shahi paneer, navratan korma. Examples
of dry dishes are beans foogath, baigan bharta, aloo jeera, gobhi mussalam, prawn masala, patrani machi.
Rice, pulao and biryani: The rice dishes include tamarind, lemon, coconut, tomato and curd rice. Pulaos can include peas, jeera, Kashmiri or saffron. Biryani is mostly made with mutton, but can also be made with chicken, fish and vegetables.
Dal: The most common dal is dal makhni. Other dals are dal tadka, rajma, chole and panchratani dal.
Accompaniments: Common accompaniments are raita and papad.
Raitas can be made with boondi, onions, tomato, and cucumber.
Papad can be roasted or fried but mostly they are roasted. They can be served with masala.
Sweets: Halwa (moong dal, carrot, pumpkin, lauki), gulab jamuns, rasogolla, rasmalai, malpua, jalebi and balushahi.
REFERENCES
Lillicrap, D. & Cousins, J., Food and Beverage Service, Eighth Edition, Book Power, London, 2010
Singaravelavan, R., Food and Beverage Service, First Edition, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2011