The document provides an overview of the French classical menu, detailing its structure of 12 to 17 courses that include a variety of appetizers, soups, fish, meats, and desserts. Each course is briefly described along with examples, illustrating the traditional sequence and types of dishes served in French dining. Key components such as hors d'oeuvres, potages, entrees, and desserts highlight the diverse culinary techniques and ingredients characteristic of French cuisine.

1. FRENCH CLASSICAL MENU
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2. FRENCH CLASSICAL MENU
A menu represents the range of food and beverage items
offered in a restaurant. In restaurant basically two types
of menus are available, a-la-carte and table-de-hote.
The French classical menu consists of 12 courses but in some
organization follows 17 courses. Following slides will explain
the details of 17 courses in French classical menu with few
examples.
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3. 1 – Hors-d oeuvre / Appetizer
Appetizer are of spicy in nature in order to stimulate the appetite for the dishes
that are to follow in the course. In recent years, hors d’oeuvres have gained
popularity, and now appear on most of the menus in modest eating places. 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 :
• Salads: Beet root, Potato Salad, Tomato Salad, Fish Mayonnaise, Russian Salad
• 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.
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4. 2 – Potage / Soup
Soup also act as an appetizer for the further courses to come. Soups
like clear soup(consommé) and the other a thick soup (crème,
veloute, puree) are served during this course. Although it must be
noted that the clear soup is always placed first on the menu.
Examples of Potage :
• Consommé julienne : – clear soup garnished with strips of root
vegetables
• Consommé celestine : – clear soup garnished with strips of
savoury pancakes.
• Bisque d homard :- thick lobster- flavored soup
• Green Bean Soup : – cream of Green Beans
• Soup a l oignon : – clear onion soup
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5. 3 – Oeuf / Egg
Oeufs are the dishes made from egg. There are many styles of
cooking and preparation of eggs such as boiled, en cocotte, poached
or scrambled. This course is not included in the dinner menu.
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.
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6. 4 – Farinaceous / Farineaux / Pasta or Rice
This is Italy’s contribution to the courses of the menu. It includes
different kinds of rice and pasta. Pasta dishes are spaghetti, lasagne
and gnocchi. There are more than 200 varieties of pasta. The
ingredients, size, shape and colour determine the type of pasta.
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
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7. 5 – Poisson / Fish
Poisson are the dishes made from fish. Fish, being soft-
fibred,prepares the palate for the heavier meats that follow. Ideal
fish for dinner menu compilation are: Sole, Salmon, Halibut,
Escallops, etc. Rarely seen on a menu for the evening meal are: Cod,
Bass, Haddock, Brill, Hake, and Plaice.
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.
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8. 6 – Entrée / Entree
The First in the meat course 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
releve follow entrée then potatoes and vegetables are not served
with the latter; if, however a releve does not follow the entrée 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.
• Steak Daine : – minute steak shallow fried and flavoured with
onions and mushrooms finished with red wine or cream.
• Chateaubriand : – double fillet steak grilled.
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9. 7 – Sorbet / Sorbet
Because of the length of the French classical menu, this
course is considered to be the rest between courses . It
counteracts the previous dishes, and rejuvenates the appetite
for those that are to follow. It is water and crushed ice slush
flavoured as a rule with champagne and served in a glass.
Examples of sorbet :
• Lemon Sorbet
• Champagne Sorbet
• Calvados Sorbet
• Peach Sorbet
• Raspberry Sorbet
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10. 8 – Releve / Joints
This is the main meat course on the menu, Releves are normally larger than
entrees 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.
The Dish may contain any of the following:
• Lamb (Agneau) Chicken (Poulet)
• Beef (Boeuf) Duckling (Caneton)
• Veal (Veau) Fowl (Poulard)
• Ham (Jambon) Tongue (Langue)
• Pork (Porc)
Some Examples of Releve:
• 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
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11. 9 – Roti / Roast
At this stage the balance of the courses is gradually returning
from heavy to light. Roast always contain roast of 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.
Example of Roti:
• Roast chicken
• Braised duck
• Roast quail
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12. 10 – Legumes / Vegetables
We now have a vegetable dish served only with its accompanying
sauce. These are vegetable dishes that can be served separately as
an individual course or may be included along – with the entrée,
relevé or roast courses.
Examples of Legumes:
• 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
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13. 11 – Salades / Salad
Various types of salads which are served during this course.
Examples of salades are:
• Salade francaise : – lettuce, tomato, egg, & vinaigrette dressings.
• Salade vert: – Lettuce, watercress, cucumber and green pepper.
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14. 12 – Buffet Froid / Cold Buffet
In this course Chilled meat(small) pieces are served.
Examples of cold buffet items are:
• Poulet roti : – Roast chicken
• Ham in Parsley Aspic (Jambon Persillé)
• Caneton Roti: – Roast Duck
• Mayonnaise d hommard: – lobster mayonnaise
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15. 13 – Entremets / Sweets
Entremets on a menu refers to desserts. This could include hot or cold
sweets, gateaux, soufflés or ice-cream.
Examples of Entremets:
• Crepe Suzette: – pancakes in a rich fresh orange juice and flamed with
brandy.
• Ananas Flambes au kirsch: – Pineapple flamed with cherry flavored 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.
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16. 14 – Savoureux / Savory
A dish of pungent taste, such as anchovies on toast or pickled fruit.
They are served hot on toast or as savory soufflé. Welsh rarebit,
Scotch woodcock, Canape Diane are some of the examples.
• 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.
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17. 15 – Fromage / Cheese
Cheese Type County
Cheddar Hard England
Edam Hard Holland
Brie Soft France
Demi-Sel Soft France
Ricotta Fresh Italy
Fromage is an alternative to the outdated savory course and may be served
before or after the sweet course. It is usually served with butter, crackers and
occasionally celery. Gouda, Camembert, and Cheddar are some examples of
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.
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18. 16 – Dessert / Cut Fruits & Nuts
Dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal. All forms
of fresh fruit and nuts may be served in this course. Common desserts
include cakes, cookies, fruits, pastries, and candies.
• All forms of Fresh Fruits Platter
• All forms of Dry Fruits nuts may be served accompanied by castor
sugar and salt
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19. 17 – Boissons / Beverage
All types of hot or cold beverage, Tea, Coffee etc. are served. Always
remember that while compiling menus beverages are not counted as
a course.
Examples are:
• Coffee: Cafetiere, Iced, Filter, Speciality, Decaffeinated.
• Tea: Indian, Ceylon, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Orange Pekoe
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20. THANK YOU
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EDUCATIONALIST & HOSPITALITY TRAINER
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