Menu Planning What is menu planning? What is the purpose of a menu? Defined as a process by which menus are planned. What is the purpose of a menu? To reflect the overall style of the restaurant

What is the function of a menu? What is a menu? List of dishes that are available to be served at a meal. What is the function of a menu? Communication Marketing Information – Customer - Staff

Communication inform them of what is offered let them know about the preparation styles currently in fashion to tempt the guest to try something he/she might not have thought of trying to encourage conversation about your menu and style of food.

Menu’s should therefore: accommodate a wide range of dietary needs and culinary preferences accommodate the current trends in dining. For example, there is an increasing trend towards healthy eating, while heavily sauced food has fallen out of favour be sufficiently innovative to appeal to the most adventurous eaters, while accommodating the more conservative ones give enough information to enable guests to make an informed choice

Factors influencing menu planning: Customer preferences Number of customers to be served Nutritional needs based on age, gender, activity levels Food habits Season and availability Pleasing combinations (gastronomic aspects)

Formal Dinner What is a formal dinner? Sit down dinner Special occasions Silverware placed on table, in order

Menu planning for formal dinners: Courses carefully planned Courses – smaller - spread out 5/8/10/12/21 courses Table d’hôte menu Limited choice

Classical vs. Modern Classical Modern Hors d’oeuvre (appetizer) Potage (soup) Oeufs (eggs) Farineaux (rice & pasta) Poisson (fish) Entrée (entry of 1st meat course) Sorbet (flavoured water) Reléve (meat course) Rôti (roast) Légumes (vegetables) Salades (salad) Buffet Froid (cold buffet) Entremet de sûcre (sweets) Savoureaux (savoury) Fromage (cheese) Desserts (fresh fruits & nuts) Starter Soup Fish Sorbet Main dish: meat/poultry Dessert Cheese

HORS D’OEUVRE CLASSICS Aimed to stimulate appetite   Aimed to stimulate appetite Composed of tangy and salty dishes Small portion sizes, to set off the palate Potato salad, Caesar salad, Russian salad, caviar, smoked salmon, oysters, etc. CLASSICS Caviar served with blinis, butter, lemon wedges, sieved egg whites and yolks, chopped shallots and parsley Chilled melon served with castor sugar and ground ginger Oysters with cayenne pepper, Tabasco and chilli vinegar, lemon wedges and brown bread and butter Smoked salmon with lemon wedges, onion rings, capers, lettuce garnish, brown bread and butter Snails with melted butter and bread cubes

CLASSICS POTAGE Refers to soups Two types – clear (consommé) and thick (cream, veloute or puree) Clear soups usually listed first Borscht, Ox tail, French onion, Clam chowder, Mulligatawny, Gazpacho CLASSICS Consommé Julienne – garnished with strips of root vegetables Consommé Celestine – garnished with strips of savoury pancakes Petite marmite – beef and chicken flavoured consommé Soup a l’oignon – clear onion soup Borscht – duck flavoured consommé  

POISSON CLASSICS Normally poached/steamed/baked fish Served with appropriate sauce and boiled vegetables Certain farinaceous dishes like risotto, pastas or gnocchi may be served in place of fish Egg dishes may also be served instead, especially during lunch CLASSICS Meuniere – fish shallow fried in butter Veronique – in white wine sauce, garnished with white grapes Bonne femme – in white wine sauce with mushrooms Lobster Newberg – with thickened sauce of fish stock and cream, flavoured with brandy and marsala, finished with butter Fried fish with tartar sauce

ENTRÉE CLASSICS The first of the meat course in the sequence Usually compete in itself Does not have much accompaniments, if at all Very small and light Pan fried goose liver, carpaccio, vol au vents CLASSICS Poulet saute chasseur – chicken in rich brown sauce flavoured with tomato and mushroom Minced chicken with savoury rice Chicken liver with savoury rice Steak Diane - minute steak shallow fried and flavoured with onion and mushroom finished with red wine sauce or cream

RELEVEE CLASSICS Larger joints of meat Usually grilled or braised Served with accompanying sauce, potatoes and vegetables Butchers’ cut – need to be carved CLASSICS   Roast leg of pork with apple sauce Gigot d’aigneau – roast lef of lamb with mint sauce Roast ribs of beef with horseradish sauce Roast sirloin of beef

SORBET ROTI Intended to give a pause in the middle of the meal It settles the dishes already consumed and stimulates appetite for the following dishes It is water ice flavoured with champagne or fruit puree or any Liqueur Usually served in a champagne saucer People may break for cigars or cigarettes during this course ROTI   Consists of roast poultry or game Chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant, partridge Served with accompanying sauces or gravy A dress salad is usually served along

LEGUME The French usually serve vegetables as a separate course Asparagus with hollandaise sauce, artichokes with garlic mayonnaise, butter tossed Brussels sprouts etc. Now days these dishes are had as appetisers CLASSICS Pommes lyonnaise – sauté potatoes blended with shallow fried shredded onions Petit pois a la francaise – peas, button onions, diced bacon and shredded lettuce in a thickened sauce Champignons grille – grilled mushrooms Choufleur polonaise – cauliflower garnished with a mixture of fried bread crumbs, sieved egg white and yolk and parsley Haricots verts au beurre – French beans tossed in butter

ENTREMETS CLASSICS This is what we know today as ‘dessert’   This is what we know today as ‘dessert’ Consists of hot sweet hot dish such as souffle, rum omelette Cold desserts are newer, modern versions of this course Petit fours are usually served with this course CLASSICS Crepes Suzette – pancakes with orange sauce Crepes Georgette – pancakes with pineapple sauce Jam omelettes Rum omelettes Peche Melba – poached peach copated with raspberry jam sauce topped with vanilla ice cream Pineapples flamed with Kirtsch

SAVOUREUX Consists of a tid bit on a hot canape of toast or fried bread Welsh rarebit, bruschetta etc. Now days usually served as appetisers Alternatively cheese platter may be presented with crackers, watercress, walnuts etc. CLASSICS Welsh rarebit – cheese sauce flavoured with ale on toast and gratinated Scotch woodcock – scrambled egg on toast decorated with capers and anchovies Canape Diane – chicken liver rolled in bacon and grilled, placed on warm toast Champignons sur croute – mushrooms on toast

DESSERT This is the final course Consists of fresh fruits and nuts Sometimes placed on the table as a decoration

Banquet What is a banquet? Formal/informal Def: ceremonial dinner party for a large number of people Breakfast Luncheons Dinner Cocktail parties Weddings End of year functions

Compiling a banquet menu Keep the following in mind: Serve food quickly Avoid heavy garnishes (time consuming) Don’t let food stand for too long

Menu Planning for banquet luncheon or dinner Sit down Luncheon 3 or more courses Dinner opportunity to excel 4 courses and coffee

Cocktail functions What is a cocktail function? Cocktail party Informal/casual, friendly get togethers No sit down Light hors d’oeuvres

Menu Planning for Cocktail party All elements of menu planning are relevant Include: Hot and cold items Baked and fried Keep flavour, colour and texture in mind Small, easy to eat hot and cold bites

Quantity Make sure there is enough Amount of food depends on: Type of function Duration of function Variety of food Chips and nuts are not included 6 pieces per hour 1st hour 4 pieces for 2nd hour 10 – 20 guests – 6 different hors d’oeuvres +20 guests – 8-10 different Try not to repeat main ingredients TYPE OF PARTY NUMBER OF BITES Pre-dinner nibbles 3-5 pieces per person Two or three hour cocktail party 3-5 pieces per hour per person Full length part – four hours 12-15 pieces of finger food