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2020 ST. JOAN OF ARC FRENCH MARKET MENU AND WINE LIST
(BASED ON $1.00 TICKETS)
CARRY OUT AVAILABLE (except wine and beer)Appetizers
Escargot en Croute (3) 5 tickets Escargot (land snails) are a French classic. They’re also very healthy at 15% protein, only 2% fat and 80% water. But who wants healthy at the French Market? So French Market chefs cook them in garlic butter and, instead of returning the snails to their shells, we put them in a puff pastry shell with cheese! French Market escargot (5 tickets) are excellent with a glass of dry white wine (4 tickets) like the Chateau la Graviere Blanc. Having a little trouble with idea of eating a snail? Drink the glass of wine first, to loosen up your French twist!
Moules (Mussels) 5 tickets Moules (mussels) are a French Market delicacy. The morning of the French Market, volunteers sort, clean and “de-beard” the fresh mussels for later steaming. As it grows in the sea, the mussel sends out tough fibers that attach to its home on a rock. The fibers are so tough they’ve been used for surgical adhesive. However, for eating, the fibers or “beard” must be removed by hand. During WWII, mussels were widely consumed in the US and France as a meat substitute. At the French Market, moules (5 tickets) paired with Pomme Frites (4 tickets) and a glass of white wine (5 tickets) is a popular French Market lunch choice!
Plate of Assorted, Bread, Cheese & Fruit 7 tickets The St Joan of Arc French Market offers an incredible array of French foods prepared on site by our volunteer chefs. It can be difficult to make up your mind, so our chefs suggest that you relax with a glass of wine and our Plat du Fromage--an assortment of cheeses with fruit and bread--while you make up your mind. This year, the Plat du Fromage (7 tickets) features five cheeses carefully selected by our picky and argumentative group of cheese snobs (les snobets’ du fromage): Smoked Gouda, Brie, English White Stilton with Mango and Ginger, Cambozola and a Colby Jack.
Oysters Rockefeller (2) 5 tickets You might assume that Oysters Rockefeller originated in New York City, home of the Rockefellers, but the dish is from the famous Antoine’s in New Orleans. In 1889, during a shortage of escargot in Louisiana, Jules Alciatore, son of the original Antoine Alciatore, substituted plentiful oysters for snails and created tres riche Oysters Rockefeller, named for the richest man in America. Jules’ recipe remains a closely guarded secret and is only available at Antoine’s. So, in the spirit of Antoine’s, the recipe for Joan of Arc French Market Oysters Rockefeller will also remain a secret. But it’s no secret how good they are, especially with a glass of Nicholas Sauvignon Blanc or Jules Bertier champagne from the wine garden. When FDR had Oysters Rockefeller at Antoine’s in 1937, New Orleans Cajun Mayor Maestri asked, “Mr President, how you like dem erstas?” Bet you didn’t know where that famous phrase came from, did ya’?
Tarte Flambé Gratinee 7 tickets When the French bread bakers in Alsace needed to test the temperature of their wood-fired ovens, they’d roll out a piece of bread dough to a very thin circle and cover it with crème fraiche, onions, bacon and Gruyere. When the oven was at its hottest, it was perfect for the tarte flambee gratinee! Only after that was it suitable for boules and baguettes. This is one of the most popular items on the French Market menu. The lines will be long, so take your glass of Chateau d'Bon Ami with you and make some new friends.
Pomme Frites 4 tickets The most popular French food in the United States is, hands down, pomme du terre frites, shortened to pomme-frites or French Fries. The first US reference to French Fries was made by Thomas Jefferson at a White House dinner in 1827, calling them “potatoes served in the French manner”. But they really became popular when World War I soldiers returned from Belgium and France, addicted to pomme- frites.
French Market pomme-frites (4 tickets) are prepared in the classic French way and disappear within seconds. Best with a glass of white wine, red wine or a beer. Try lots of black pepper and lemon on the pomme-frites or, if you insist, “catch up”.
Gateaux de Crabe (Crab Cakes) (2) 10 tickets Though crab cakes aren’t especially French, they do come from the state of Maryland (Terre du Marie), originally intended to be the dedicated “Catholic” colony of the original 13. Our French Market crab cakes (10 tickets) are from David Allee at the Jazz Kitchen at 54th and College. They are deep-fried to order, sauced and served on a bed of lettuce, and are always among the first French Market dishes to sell out. But if you miss them at the French Market, they’re available year-round at the Jazz Kitchen, along with the best live music in the city-- except when it’s at the French Market
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Stuffed Mushrooms (4) 5 tickets French Market chefs saute mushroom caps in butter, stuff them with cream cheese, minced bacon and chives, topped with melted provolone and parmesan.
Charcuterie Plate 8 tickets A chef-selected sampling of fine smoked and cured meats, cheeses. Perfect with a Chateau Bel Air LaClotte or Chardonnay.
Soup
Ratatouille with Bread & Basil Butter 5 tickets French Market Ratatouille is a vegetarian stew made from tomatoes, garlic, onions zucchini, red bell pepper, eggplant, olive oil and herbes de Provence. It probably originated in Italy and came to France when Nice was an Italian colony, until 1860. French Market Ratatouille is served with bread and basil butter. Our basil butter is made in our kitchen from softened real butter and hand-picked, home-grown chopped basil--it’s so good it's OK eat it with a spoon right out of the cup.
Seafood Bisque 6 tickets A bisque is a creamy soup and might come from the Bay of Biscay on the French west coast. Or it may be from the French for “twice cooked” (bis cuites) because the seafood is first sautéed then simmered in wine and spices. Authentic French Bisque uses the ground-up seafood shells and legs to thicken the soup, but the French Market is not quite that authentic. Instead, we just use more cream and butter. Definitely best with a white wine.
EntreesSeafood Crepes with grapes, bread & basil butter 8 tickets Each individually-made crepe is filled with chopped shrimp and scallops in a Mornay sauce with a touch of sherry and sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley. Maybe the most delicate item on the French Market menu, especially with a glass of Nicholas Sauvignon Blanc or Jules Bertier champagne from the wine garden.
Quiche Lorraine & Fruit 6 tickets Quiche has somehow been maligned as un-masculine, as in “real men don’t eat it”. Well, maybe not that prissy California quiche but real men actually fight bare-chested over French Market quiche. Last year we had to physically separate two brawny brutes in berets who were struggling for the last piece of quiche! French Market Quiche Lorraine (6 tickets) is from the Lorraine region of Northeastern France. But quiche is actually from nearby Germany (the German word for cake is Kuchen). French Market Quiche Lorraine is made with eggs, cream, onions, Swiss cheese and BACON! How can it possibly be un-masculine if it has bacon in it?
Quarter Rotisserie Chicken with bread & basil butter 7 tickets One of the most popular dinner items on the French Market menu board, the French Market Rotisserie Chicken dinner (7 tickets) sells out quickly. Like the Barbecued Ribs, Rotisserie Chicken is perfectly cooked in our smoky, charcoal-flamed, revolving grill.
Boeuf Bourguignon with pasta, bread & basil butter 10 tickets Boeuf Bourguignon is a classic country-French Sunday dish from Burgundy, a part of France famous for both beef (Charolais) and wine (Cote de Beaune). French Market chefs sear beef chunks with bacon, onion, garlic and carrot. Then they cover it with red wine and braise for hours with mushrooms and pearl onions to make that classic sauce. Boeuf Bourguignon is served over pasta with country French bread and basil butter. NOTE: You can only be served Boeuf Bourguignon if you’re holding a glass of red wine from the wine garden, like Chateau de Bon Ami or Bel Air Laclotte. (Sorry, but it’s Chef Sam’s rule. Just go with it—we don’t want to make him mad.) C’est la vie.
BBQ Ribs or Rib Tips 7 tickets While fire-cooked meat has been around as long as we have, what we now call “Barbecue” seems to have come from the Arawak people of the Caribbean islands. The Arawaks and Tainos cooked on a wooden framework of sticks where the flames and smoke gave the meat “a certain flavor”. The first English use of the word “barbecue” was in Edmund Hickeringill’s 1661 book, Jamaica Viewed. The Arawaks apparently were angered by the invasion of their island by the English and, referring to Brit sailors, “some are slain, and their flesh forthwith Barbacu’d and eat”. French Market Barbecued Ribs or Tips (7 tickets) are 100% American Midwestern pork grilled over charcoal, chopped as you watch and best with the Chateau d'Bon Ami, the Chatuea Bel Air LaClotte or beer.
Crawfish Etouffee with rice, bread & basil butter 9 tickets In Indiana, a crawdad is an insect-like creature living in ditches and creeks that kids catch for fun. (They swim backwards and the big ones can pinch a little finger hard enough to draw blood!) In Cajun French Louisiana they’re raised on farms and are a big part of their traditional Easter dinners, like ham or lamb is here. Even though Louisiana produces 90% of the world supply of crawfish, if you can find them in a US grocery store they’re probably from China. French Market mudbugs are 100% from Louisiana, cooked by our chefs into a New Orleans etouffe, served over rice and best with any of our French Market white wines.Sandwiches
French Dip Roast Beef 8 tickets Slow-cooked, thinly sliced roast beef is layered onto a crusty French roll and dressed with pan juices fortified with red wine, garlic, bay leaf and black pepper. Of course you can have extra juice! Best with a red wine. 8 tickets
Provencal Chicken Sandwich 6 tickets Chicken breast grilled on our special rotisserie grill served on a French bun with Herbe de Provence-marinated greens and aioli sauce. Best with a glass of the Nicolas Sauvignon Blanc.
DessertsMacaron 3 for 5 tickets A macaron is a French cookie, not to be confused with a coconut macaroon. Two brightly-colored meringue and ground almond cookies enclose a dollop of buttercream to make an incredible sandwich. Macarons originated in Venetian Catholic monasteries in the 8th century and were brought to France by the chef of Catherine de Medicii during the Renaissance. French Market macarons (3 for 5 tickets) are baked by Confectioneiress in Zionsville and would be perfect with a glass of Ces Anges Rose d’Provence or Jules Bertier Champagne.
Beignets (French Donuts) (3) 5 tickets Historians believe that the Ursuline Nuns of France, who came to Louisiana in 1727, brought this simple pastry to New Orleans, where beignets have been associated with the Café du Monde in Jackson Square ever since. Using the actual Café du Monde mix, St Joan of Arc French Market volunteers mix, shape, cut and fry hundreds of beignets to order, dusting each with powdered sugar. WARNING: French Market beignets (5 tickets) are only seconds out the fryer! If you can’t wait for these addictive treats to cool down a bit, painful burns can occur. It happens every year!
Cream Puff (Profiterole) 4 tickets Profiteroles, or cream puffs, are made from French choux pastry dough. Choux has a very high moisture content so, when it is baked, the steam generated puffs the dough, creating a large pocket inside that begs to be filled with whipped cream or custard. Choux was invented in France by an Italian named Pantarelli after he left Florence in 1540 with Catherine de Medici. Pantarelli used choux to make popelins, small cakes in the shape of women’s breasts. Later, a man named Avice used the dough to make somewhat larger pastries that he called choux or, in French, cabbages! The French are just weird.
French Market cream puffs are made by Kim’s Kakery, Bakery and Café, an award-winning bakery at 5452 Madison Avenue in Indianapolis. How about a profiterole from Kim’s for dessert at a birthday dinner, with a café au lait or a cognac?
Chocolate Éclair 4 tickets Eclairs au Chocolat, Chocolate Eclairs, are made from the same choux pastry as Profiteroles but the dough is piped into an elongated oval. Choux pastry is boiled water, butter and flour with eggs beaten in after it’s cooled. Because it’s a very wet dough the hot oven creates steam that makes a large pocket in the center , which is then filled with pastry cream and iced with chocolate ganache.
The éclair originated in France in the 19th century and was called “pain a la Duchesse”. The Duchesse of where we don’t know, but she must have made them disappear quickly because “éclair” in French means “a flash of lightning”.
French Market chocolate eclairs are made by Kim’s Kakery, Bakery and Café, a spectacular bakery at 5452 Madison Avenue in Indianapolis. How about chocolate eclairs from Kim’s at your next event, with an expresso or crème de cacao? http://www.kimskbc.com
Madeleines (3) 3 tickets Madeleines are small French cakes baked in sea-shell shaped pans. French Market madeleines (3 tickets) are made especially for us by a local baker and are wonderful with some Café du Monde chicory coffee (3 tickets) or dipped in Pacific Rim Reisling (5 tickets). Their spongey quality relies on well-beaten egg, not chemical leavening. The name comes from someone in the 17th century named Madeleine who baked in the Lorraine region of France. It could have been Madeleine, a cook for rebel Cardinal Paul de Gondi who had a castle in Commercy. Or it could have been Madeleine Paulmier, a cook for Stanislaus the First, Duke of Lorraine in the 18th century. Merci beau coup, Madeleine, whoever you were.
Chocolate Mousse 4 tickets Mousse is French for “foam”. French Market Chocolate Mousse (4 tickets) is air whipped into egg white, whipped cream, sugar and chocolate. It makes such a sinful topping on a piece of French Market Chocolate layer cake (4 tickets) that Father Guy will be standing-by to take your confession! Or have it straight, using a Madeleine cookie (3 tickets) as a spoon. Best with some Café du Monde New Orleans chicory coffee (3 tickets) or Fleur de Lis iced tea (3 tickets) or yet another glass of white wine (4 tickets).
Cheesecake or Layer Cake 4 tickets
BeveragesSoft Drinks or Bottled Water 2 tickets
Coffee 2 tickets
Cafe du Monde New Orleans coffee 3 tickets
Iced Tea 2 tickets
Fleur de Lis Punch 3 tickets
Beer 6 tickets
Wine 5 tickets
Wine by the Bottle 25 tickets
2020 FRENCH MARKET WINE LIST (5 tickets for a glass, 25 tickets for the bottle)
FRONTERA MALBEC ROUGE
CHATEAU LA GRAVIERE BLANC BLANC
CHATEAU D’BON AMI ROUGE
CHATEAU TARIN ROUGE
CHATEAU BEL AIR LACLOTTE ROUGE
MOVENDO MOSCATO BLANC
NICOLAS SAUVIGNON BLANC BLANC
NICOLAS CHARDONNAY BLANC
PLACIDO PINOT GRIGIO ROUGE
PACIFIC RIM RIESLING BLANC
CES ANGES ROSE D’PROVENCE ROSE
JULES BERTIER CHAMPAGNE CHAMPAGNE