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Sondage A/R
M.B.
Aug 3, 2022 19:57
1 yr ago
43 viewers *
French term

en crucifix

French to English Other Cooking / Culinary
I'm translating a recipe (FR>EN) for cooking fish over a campfire and struggling with this specific term.

The recipe is for "truite en crucifix", and consists of butterflying a fish, then tying it to a plank on its back with a branch running down the middle to keep it open. The plank is propped up slanting away from the fire, with the head facing up and the tail closest to the ground.
There are also two crosspieces stuck through the fish horizontally, presumably to keep it open.

'Cooked on a plank' doesn't seem specific enough.
I found 'ponassing', but that seems to traditionally use a piece of fish that has been completely filleted and cleaned before cooking.

I'm not sure if there is a specific term for this exact technique, or if the recipe is just that unusual.
Proposed translations (English)
3 on cross sticks

Discussion

Melanie Kathan (asker) Aug 8, 2022:
@FPC Yes, that was my conclusion in the end, that the author of the text/chef who came up with this recipe more or less made up this term and precise technique just for this recipe. Thanks for your input.
FPC Aug 5, 2022:
@Melanie Ok, I understand. Anyway the author of your text may have made up the term and there may not be a specific translation accounting for this slight difference. We cannot always "chercher midi à quatorze heure" in matters that by nature are not strictly codified (this s not a Cordon Bleu recipe, and you might allow yoursef a little creativity or use a term that to a good extent matches the meaning of what you have to translate). I'm quite sure not all campfire cooks or bushcrafters "ponass" their fish in exactly the same way to a common standard. Anyway, it's your choice of course. "On cross sticks" sounded ok, too.
Melanie Kathan (asker) Aug 5, 2022:
@FPC I'm the one who said 'butterfly', not the recipe itself. The recipe technically just says to "eviscérer" it, and that's it. The contrast I was going for is that 'ponassing' seems to involve a piece of fish that looks like the attached photo (from https://frontierbushcraft.com/2013/07/10/indigenous-methods-... whereas mine looks like a complete fish that's simply had its stomach cut open and a large branch stuck in it to hold it open around 120 degrees.
FPC Aug 5, 2022:
Most if not all references to this method of cooking include previous cleaning of the fish, that is removing the interiors and bone. It's logical if you've ever cooked fish, because otherwise you wouldn't be able to properly butterfly it. Cleaning it's implied in the "butterfly" IMO.
Melanie Kathan (asker) Aug 3, 2022:
@Tony M I may not be using the correct terms, never having cleaned a fish myself. The fish has been 'éviscéré', but that's all the recipe says to do. The picture definitely shows a fish that looks largely intact, though yes, the inedible inside parts have presumably been removed.
Tony M Aug 3, 2022:
@ Asker Surely by definition the fish has been cleaned and boned before you could even do this technique? If it has been opened in butterfly, it must at least have been cleaned, and possibly the skeleton removed?

Proposed translations

28 mins
Selected

on cross sticks

I would be more confident, except that this site doesn't specify the plank.

https://weareexplorers.co/how-to-cook-fish-campfire/

Note from asker:
Thanks. I found this one as well, it's just that as with 'ponassing' it seems to use a piece of fish that has already been fully cleaned. But there may not be a specific term for exactly what I'm looking for, in the end.
Regarding the discussion below, I was indeed trying to avoid the use of the word 'crucifix' for its heavy religious connotations and because I couldn't come across any examples of it being used in this context. On the other hand "poisson en crucifix" doesn't get any hits either, so I think the author of this recipe may have made it up themselves. I've ended up going with "on a cross" to tone down the religious associations a tiny bit while still maintaining the clear imagery.
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : I assume Melanie has rejected a literal translation because it's a bit tasteless. This is a good alternative.
7 hrs
Merci Phil
disagree Brice OH : The answer lies in the two sticks that are used to keep the fish open representing a cross. Crucifix is the term used for the cross on which Jesus was crucified. It's the same in English. You can say "crucified fish" or "fish on crucifix".
16 hrs
But please clarify - are you saying English speakers use that as a culinary term?
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