Entremets — The Forgotten Medieval Course Between Pottage and Roast
Paolo Veronese, The Feast in the House of Levi (1573), Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Updated: 2025-09-11 · Labels: Entremet · Feast Planning · Historical Cooking · Medieval · Renaissance

Modern feast menus often jump from a pottage or soup straight to roasts. Historically, diners expected something between. The entremet (Old French: “between-dish”) served as a bridge between heavy services, offering refreshment, surprise, and sometimes outright spectacle. This post explains the term’s origins, how it functioned, where it went, and practical ways to revive it in today’s feasts.

Etymology & Early References

Entremet derives from Old French (entre + mettre/mettre “to place/send in between”), literally a dish interposed between services. The concept appears prominently in 14th‑century French sources such as Le Viandier and later in Le Ménagier de Paris; in English material (e.g., Harleian MS. 279, c.1430) you find dishes that likely filled the same role, even when not labeled “entremet.”

Function of the Entremet

Pacing & Palate Reset: a light interlude after dense pottages or fish and before the roasts.
Spectacle & Surprise: color shifts, unusual textures, disguised forms, molded shapes.
Status & Seasonality: ingredients like saffron, sugar, almonds signal wealth and trade access; colors and motifs reflect seasonal/religious themes.

Entremet vs. Soteltie (Subtlety)

Aspect	Entremet	Soteltie / Subtlety
Purpose	Culinary surprise between services; light refreshment	Edible (or semi‑edible) display; allegory, heraldry, pageant
Form	Real dishes: rice, fritters, jellies, fruit, delicate pottages	Sculpted pastry/sugar/marzipan; sometimes inedible components
Placement	Between major courses (e.g., after fish/pottage, before roasts)	Also between courses, but primarily ceremonial/representational
Examples	Blawnche Perrye; colored rice; almond jelly; small fritters	Heraldic beasts; castles; motto banners; sugar tableaux

Historical Examples

Blawnche Perrye — a light, pale pottage; visually striking early in a feast.
Colored rice — saffron‑gold, parsley‑green, or spiced rice for contrast.
Fritters — rice or fruit fritters served in small bites.
Jellies — molded almond or wine jellies; multicolored effects.
Disguised dishes — meats/fish presented in altered forms for surprise.

Regional Variations of the Entremet

While the entremet began in French courtly dining, the idea of a “between dish” spread widely. Each region adapted the form to local tastes, ingredients, and cultural priorities.

France

In sources such as Le Viandier and Le Ménagier de Paris (14th c.), entremets often took spectacular form — multicolored jellies, stuffed or disguised animals, and occasional allegorical displays.

England

English manuscripts like Harleian MS. 279 (~1430) present plainer entremets: light pottages (e.g., Blawnche Perrye), spiced rice, or oyster dishes — emphasizing humoral balance over pageantry.

Italy

Italian masters (Maestro Martino, Scappi) blurred entremets with refined lighter courses: almond milk dishes, sugared rice, small pasta or vegetable preparations with elegant presentation.

Spain & Catalonia

Texts such as Llibre de Coch (1520) show sweet‑leaning entremets — almond pastes, candied fruits, spiced rice — foreshadowing dessert traditions.

Germany

German Speisebücher and later works (e.g., Anna Wecker, 1598) feature Zwischenspeisen (“between‑dishes”): saffron or parsley‑colored rice, Sülze (bright fish/meat jellies), and fritters like Krapfen or Strauben — practical, colorful, and texturally contrasting.

Comparison at a Glance

Region	Style	Typical Entremets
France	Spectacle & allegory	Multicolored jellies; disguised animals; displays
England	Plain & balancing	Light pottages; Blawnche Perrye; spiced rice; oysters
Italy	Refined & sweet‑leaning	Almond milk dishes; sugared rice; elegant vegetables/pasta
Spain	Sweet & aromatic	Candied fruit; almond pastes; sweet rice
Germany	Practical & colorful	Saffron/parsley rice; Sülze; fritters (Krapfen, Strauben)

Cultural Implications of the Entremet

Status & Wealth: saffron, sugar, and almonds advertised trade connections and prosperity.
Hospitality & Generosity: an “extra” dish beyond necessity signaled refined care for guests.
Symbolism & Allegory: colors, shapes, and motifs could project heraldry, virtues, or politics.
Religious Context: on fast days, almond/fish/rice entremets expressed piety while keeping celebration.
Urban vs. Rural: princely or guild feasts layered multiple entremets; smaller households scaled with fruit or fritters.

Techniques & Ingredients for Recreating Historical Entremets Today

Coloring & Flavoring

Saffron for gold; spinach/parsley juice for green; beet/red wine for red‑purple.
Pouder douce/forte-inspired spice mixes (cinnamon, ginger, grains of paradise/pepper, clove) for warming balance.

Texture & Setting

Gelatin sheets as a modern stand‑in for isinglass; almond milk (unsweetened) for dairy‑free jellies/pottages; rice flour for smooth thickening.
Use silicone molds or small ramekins for easy unmolding and portion control.

Service & Plating

Keep portions amuse‑bouche to tasting‑spoon size.
Serve on trenchers or small plates for visual “in‑between” cues.
Contrast color/temperature with adjacent courses (e.g., warm saffron rice after a cool fish pottage).

How Preparation & Serving Evolved Across Cultures

France: 14th‑c. courtly showpieces; by 17th‑c. service à la française, “entremets” shifts toward plated side dishes (vegetables/sweets).
England: lighter, balancing dishes early on; later, subtleties dominate the between‑course spectacle while “entremet” as a named category fades.
Italy: refined palate‑cleansers in Martino/Scappi; drift toward sweet course traditions.
Germany: practical Zwischenspeisen (colored rice, Sülze, fritters) persist as pacing devices; concept echoes into modern zwischenmahlzeiten (snacks).
Spain/Catalonia: sweet, aromatic dishes bridge to the rise of post‑meal desserts.

Modern Feast Planning: Reviving the Entremet

Pick one small, high‑impact dish (colored rice, fritter, molded jelly).
Plate for contrast (color/temperature/texture) and keep portions small.
Mind humoral balance: pair cold‑moist (oysters, almond milk) with warming spices (ginger, pepper).
Leverage dietary wins: many entremets are naturally GF/DF; offer a vegan variant where sensible.

🍽️ Entremet Examples on Give it Forth

Orenges after the Portugall Fashion – preserved and stuffed citrus
Gelo in Bocconcini di più Colori – jewel-like multi-colored jellies
Bolas (Poached Pears in Plum Sauce) – fruit course with sauce
Spanish Wedges – elegant 17th-c. sweet entremet
Blawnche Perrye – creamy almond & fish dish, often served between courses

FAQ: Does a Modern Galantine Count as an Entremet?

Sometimes. If served as a small, decorative “between” dish (rather than as part of the roast service), a galantine can function as an entremet. Keep portions modest and presentation striking; otherwise it reads as a main meat course.

Sources & Further Reading

Le Viandier (14th c.) — early entremet references.
Le Ménagier de Paris (c. 1393) — household menus with entremet-like items.
Harleian MS. 279 (c. 1430) — English recipes including light pottages and oysters.
Maestro Martino, The Art of Cooking — refined Italian inter-course dishes.
Bartolomeo Scappi, Opera — elegant entremet examples in Renaissance service.
Anna Wecker, Ein Köstlich new Kochbuch (1598) — German Zwischenspeisen.
Llibre de Coch (1520, Catalonia) — sweet/aromatic entremet traditions.