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fins copeaux

English translation: asparagus shavings

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	fins copeaux
English translation:	asparagus shavings
Entered by:	Andrew Nimmo

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12:37 Feb 2, 2012

French to English translations [PRO]
Cooking / Culinary

French term or phrase: fins copeaux

This is from a luxury restaurant menu.

The menu item is:

Royale d'asperges,
fins copeaux et truffe d'été

The cook has supplied the following description: Une royale d'asperge, asperge cru et cuite en déclinaison vinaigrette à la truffe d'été.

Any ideas of what these "fins copeaux" are?
Thanks!

Ysabel812

asparagus shavings

Explanation:
I think the idea would be shavings as in the picture below.

An alternative to Susanne's suggestion could be 'slithers of asparagus.

Selected response from:

Andrew Nimmo
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:33

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +4

asparagus shavings

Andrew Nimmo

4 +2

slivered asparagus

NancyLynn

3 +2

fine sliver

Tony M

finely cut asparagus

LBDtr

3 +1

finely sliced [asparagus]

Colin Rowe

Asparagus shavings

LaraBarnett

very thin slices

Susanne Goepper

something missing

Miranda Joubioux

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

7 mins confidence:

very thin slices

Explanation:
he cut the "asperges" in very thin slices ? -

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 Min. (2012-02-02 12:46:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

or the truffe - both possible -

Susanne Goepper
Local time: 02:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

finely sliced [asparagus]

Explanation:
Most menu descriptions I have found on the net for “royale d'asperges” in conjunction with “copeaux” specify “copeaux de jambon”, “copeaux de parmesan”, “copeaux de magret de canard”, etc.
However, I also found the following:

“royale d'asperges vertes et crues en copeaux”

http://www.lhotellerie-restauration.fr/hotellerie-restaurati...

Given that the nature of the “copeaux” is not specified in your case, I would assume that it is the asparagus itself that comes finely sliced.

Colin Rowe
Germany
Local time: 02:33
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

11 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

asparagus shavings

Explanation:
I think the idea would be shavings as in the picture below.

An alternative to Susanne's suggestion could be 'slithers of asparagus.

Example sentence(s):

http://i55.servimg.com/u/f55/11/85/12/96/peugeo53.jpg

Andrew Nimmo
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:33
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

neutral

NancyLynn: I would never put the word slither on a menu... that's what a snake does. (Having said that, there is a famous pub in Avon called the Slug and Lettuce...) The word is slivers.// Oh my! good ref. I've never heard it used that way in Canada.

3 mins

-> according to the OED it could be slither or sliver http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/slither?q=slithers, but you're right it's not really a word for a luxury menu!

agree

Andreas THEODOROU: I'm not an expert in culinary matters but I have heard shavings used in this context and it sounds right too

2 hrs

-> thanks Andreas

agree

Kelly Harrison: Shavings is bang on, but are you sure they're not talking about foie gras (and this has been left out) because truffle vinaigrette is often what it is served with, and I can't see anyone slicing up an asparagus - they already have such a nice shape!

2 hrs

agree

Pascale van Kempen-Herlant

4 hrs

agree

JMcKechnie

4 hrs

16 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

slivered asparagus

Explanation:
If you google this phrase you'll see many examples.

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 20:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 51

23 mins confidence:

finely cut asparagus

Explanation:
copeaux de chocolat ou parmesan - shaved chocolate, parmesan, but asparagus has a soft texture, so can't really be shaved. i would say "finely cut"

LBDtr
Local time: 02:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Russian

1 hr confidence:

Asparagus shavings

Explanation:
This is a term I have commonly come across recently.

Example sentence(s):

"To serve, divide the thin asparagus among four plates, top with the pan-fried quail and a couple of slices of truffle cheese or Wigmore cheese and scatter over the ASPARAGUS SHAVINGS, shoots, watercress, chervil, parsley and micro herbs."
"Easter: Potato salad with asparagus shavings -- Mario Batali approves"

Reference: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/quailpoachedandroast_88477
Reference: http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/04/easter-potato-salad-wi...

LaraBarnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 19

21 hrs confidence:

something missing

Explanation:
I'm fairly convinced that something is missing in this dish. I don't believe that you would go to the lengths of making asparagus shavings!

See here
http://www.mamina.fr/article-24516539.html

I would certainly check that it does indeed refer to the asparagus before going any further, particularly since there is a comma between asparagus and fins copeaux!
As Kelly says above, it could well be foie gras.

Miranda Joubioux
Local time: 02:33
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 24

1 day3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

fin copeau fine sliver

Explanation:
I'm pretty sure, both from your original text and from the chef's explanation, that there is in fact a typo in the original, and it ought to read 'fins copeaux de truffes' (not 'et')

This would be much more likely, inasmuch as fine slivers of asparagus are relatively impractical, as well as being quite hard to integrate into a 'présentation en royale'.

However, 'copeaux' is exactly the word frequently associated with a luxury ingredient like truffles — why, I was doing that with them myself only last week (had to buy a special utensil that cost nearly as much as the blasted truffle!)

I think 'sliver' sounds slightly more appetizing than 'shaving', which would be the other possibility, naturally (as others have already suggested).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 jour21 heures (2012-02-04 10:08:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The problem appears to be that the chef's explanation doesn't mention the 'copeaux' anywhere — specifically, it fails to mention them in connection with the asparagus. However, in a chef's mind, 'copeaux' goes so automatically with 'truffe', they wouldn't see any need to mention it. So again, my feeling is that had it been something to do with the asparagus, they would have made a point of mentioning it (and do bear in mind the potential incompatibility with the 'royale' presentation), so by omission, that tends to favour the truffle idea.

Tony M
France
Local time: 02:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 319

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Changes made by editors

Feb 16 - Changes made by Andrew Nimmo:
Created KOG entry	KudoZ term => KOG term

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English translation: asparagus shavings

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