Two years ago I took a cooking class in Paris with Paule Caillat, a charming and knowledgeable cooking teacher. As our delicious lunch drew to a close, Paule hopped up from her seat and said something that surprised me then but that I often think of now...
Paule had cleared our plates and was bringing out the dessert, a gorgeous fig tartsprinkled with pistachios. But then she noticed that the salt dish was still on the table and she threw up her hands and exclaimed, "Ah! What am I thinking to bring out dessert with the salt still on the table?! My mother would have my head!"
I had never heard this before -- don't bring dessert to the table until the salt is taken away? But the more I thought about it the more I liked it. I like to clear plates and any dishes of food off the table before bringing out dessert, creating a little breath of space between the dinner and the sweet, and making space on the table. Taking the salt away too is a small ritual that signals the end of the main course -- we've left the salty, and are on to the sweet.
Do you do this? Is this a French etiquette point that you're familiar with? I thought it was so interesting!
See more of Paule's kitchen & cooking class:Kitchen Tour: Paule Caillat's Splendid Paris Kitchen
Related:Mop it Up! The Etiquette of Cleaning Your Plate with Bread
(Images:Faith Durand)
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