Scene from the 1973 movie La Grande Bouffe.

This could be helpful: food writer Patricia Wells offers a downloadable French-English Food Glossary.

For many diners, the restaurant menu can present a confusing and intimidating barrier to the pleasures of dining out. The French language, of course, is no help with so many sound-alike words. It is so easy to confuse tourteau (crab) with tortue (turtle), ail (garlic) with aile (a poultry wing), chevreau (young goat) with chevreuil (venison). The variety of fish and shellfish found in France’s waters can be equally confusing, particularly when one is faced with a multi­tude of regional or local names given to each species. The large, meaty monkfish, for example, might be called baudroie, lotte, or gigot de mer; depending upon the region or the whim of the chef.

Source | Download Food Glossary (PDF)