Chartreuse (dish) facts for kids
A chartreuse of Drôme guineafowl, cut to reveal the internal layers.
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| Place of origin | France |
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| Main ingredients | Vegetables, meat |
A chartreuse is a special French dish. It's made by carefully arranging vegetables, like cabbage, chicory, or carrot. Sometimes, it also includes meat. These ingredients are tightly wrapped in pretty layers of salad or vegetable leaves. The whole thing is then cooked inside a dome-shaped mold. People have been making different versions of this dish for a very long time, since at least the 1700s!
What is a Chartreuse Dish?
A chartreuse is known for its beautiful look. It often has colorful layers of vegetables on the outside. These layers can be cut and arranged in many ways. This makes each chartreuse unique and visually appealing.
How Chartreuse is Cooked
In traditional French cuisine, a chartreuse is cooked in a special way. It uses a method called a bain-marie. This means the mold with the chartreuse is placed in a larger pan of hot water. This gentle cooking method helps the dish cook evenly. It is always served hot.
A famous chef named Marie-Antoine Carême once called the chartreuse the "queen of entrees." An entree is a main dish in a meal. Today, you might often find a chartreuse made with partridge (a type of bird) and cabbage. This version is simply called "chartreuse of partridge."
The Story Behind the Name
The name "chartreuse" comes from a group of monks. They belonged to a monastic order called the Carthusians. This order was founded in the Chartreuse Mountains in France.
The Carthusian monks followed a diet that did not include meat. Because of this, the original chartreuse dish was made only with vegetables. This connection to the monks and their mountain home gave the dish its unique name.
