Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.
You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
18:36 Nov 8, 2011
French to English translations [PRO] Cooking / Culinary
French term or phrase:présenté sur le bâteau
Context; dish is présenté sur le bâteau (sic) and the diners are in a hotel, not on a boat. Anyone know a meaning of bâteau referring to some kind of serving dish?
edorling, as far as I know, bateau is only for birds. But could the dish be "gibier à plume", wildfowl? Not sure about the name for that in English, but I can imagine a French text referring to the "bateau" in a partridge or a pheasant. Still game but birds. Hope this helps.
I'm convinced by this one - my context is unfortunately meat other than poultry, but I'm sure it's along the same lines 3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
I just wonder if "served on the carcase" might be more usual in English - carcase is the term that occurred to me when reading Sandra's suggestion about the breastbone: Roast & Confit Mallard, http://patrickcarpenter.blogspot.com/2009/10/anchor-hope-blo... (the tenderest parts are next to the breastbone, of course)
After Sandra's inspired answer, I rooted around the web and have posted a couple of the more useful sources. It would indeed appear to be the 'breastbone' of fowl/game.
I hope this was not mega urgent. Had the info been a little more complete, then we might have got there faster! I appreciate the diffculties though in working on secret projects!!!
Sounds better than KFC in any case!
As I understand the information found, videos etc, it would appear to be due to the form of the bird's body/chest, when upside down, it is reminiscent of the hull of a boat.
If this is the case, it could refer to something completely different from serving boat platters: when carving a bird, if you serve the filets on part of the bone (I think it is the breast bone), which is called "LE bateau", you say that they are "servis sur le bateau". It would explain why it is "le" and not "un" bateau.
I understand the difficulty but it means this will be guesswork. Not suitable ever and certainly not for a high-brow event. Who know, a real boat may actually be part of the plan.
I reckon noone will be able to help much further without any more context. You probably just have to ask your client.
Although a couple of us suspect a typo, the point you raise about the definite article is pertinent, unless referring to a particular ‘plateau’ mentioned earlier in the text.
Yes, the idea that it could be a large display is valid, although I would suspect that for seafood and fish, that holds good, but express doubt about its being likely for game – the same criticism I leveled at my own suggestion upon discovering it was game.
Yep, context, general and specific are required!
After having supposed that this could not be anything but seafood, or at a push, fish, to discover that it concerns game comes as quite a surprise! Just goes to show that nothing can be assumed and, as ever, context is primordial!
The original French text is necessary. The sentence before and the sentence after the one containing the expression would be handy too, not to mention any other information your have to complete the context.
It has even crossed my mind that this might be a typo for "plateau" rather than "bateau"....
edorling, as far as I know, bateau is only for birds. But could the dish be "gibier à plume", wildfowl? Not sure about the name for that in English, but I can imagine a French text referring to the "bateau" in a partridge or a pheasant. Still game but birds. Hope this helps.
Sandra Mouton United Kingdom Local time: 01:32 Works in field Native speaker of: French PRO pts in category: 7
Grading comment
I'm convinced by this one - my context is unfortunately meat other than poultry, but I'm sure it's along the same lines
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks this actually seems the most likely explanation so far, but unfortunately we're not talking about poultry - ever heard of it in reference to game?
Exécution :
1. Placer le poulet sur une planche à découper
2. Couper d'abord le haut des cuisses, puis le bas des cuisses
3. Couper ensuite les ailes
4. Ôter les blancs en longeant l'os saillant de la carcasse ( la quille du bateau)
4. Vous apercevez la coque renversée d'un bateau
5. Enlever ensuite le brechet ( la partie avant) puis le croupion ( la partie arrière)
6. Ôter la coque renversée du bateau
7. Retourner le dos du poulet et séparer les deux filets en suivant la colonne vertébrale
8. Ôter les sots l'y laisse
9. Disposer les morceaux sur un plat.
10. Déglacer le jus de cuisson
4) http://www.lefloris.com/menugastronomiquefr.pdf
Le Colvert
Cuit sur le bateau, puis en croûte de pétales de fleurs et fruits, cuisse confite,
fine polenta aux figues d’Iran, jus corsé aux baies roses. 58.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
