Steak frites and coq au vin and éclairs, oh my. French cuisine has long been lauded as one of the most precise in its cooking techniques. The best French recipes use top-quality produce and intricate techniques to make simple ingredients and flavours shine.
Classic French techniques are often simple, but when done right they are the cornerstone to creating enormously flavourful dishes — you likely employ French techniques in your cooking without even realising it. Braising meats low and slow in whatever wine is available is the key to creating a rich, comforting French favourite, boeuf Bourguignon. And a well-balanced, meticulously flavoured Bouillabaisse, originally considered a poor man’s soup, was first created to elevate the catch of the day, but is now a mainstay on Michelin-star menus around the world. Even sautéing, a technique so simple that most take for granted, is the essential first step in classic dishes like a buttery chasseur.
From fragrant French stews to buttery pastry, soufflés and ratatouille, and not to mention spectacular French desserts, French cuisine has contributed culinary delights across the globe. In short, French recipes are well worth mastering.
So, you already have the skills — it’s time to test them. This is our collection of the best French recipes to master.
Masterclass: Coq au vin
France-Soir’s omelette au fromage
Restaurant Hubert’s chicken fricassée
Crème brûlées
Salmon rillettes with pickled baby vegetables
How to make bouillabaisse with Damien Pignolet
Prune clafoutis
Twice-baked goat’s cheese soufflé with Manchego and chive
Blueberry millefeuille with rosemary and sweet vermouth crème pâtissière
Crêpes Suzette
Flour and Stone’s salted caramel chocolate éclairs
Tarte Tatin
Pork hock croque-monsieur
Leek and chèvre soufflé omelette
Puy lentils with bacon and Brussels sprouts
Ratatouille with ruby snapper
Steak frites with paprika and anchovy butter
French onion soup
Madeleines with lemon sugar
Chocolate marquise
Pork and veal terrine
Coq au vin
Moules à la Normande
Cassoulet
Easy duck and sausage cassoulet
Duck à l’orange
What is traditional French food?
Traditional French food is wonderfully diverse thanks to France’s many regions and their characteristic culinary traditions. For example, traditional Niçard dishes include salade Niçoise and ratatouille, while traditional Breton dishes range from buckwheat crêpes to kouign-amann, a classic buttery Breton pastry. However, some French dishes can be called quintessential French, from baked goods like croissants, baguettes and tarte Tatin to stews like coq au vin, bouillabaisse and cassoulet. Other widely known French foods include escargots de Bourgogne (snails cooked in garlic, butter and parsley, soupe à l’oignon (French onion soup), foie gras, cuisses de grenouille (frog legs) and steak frites, as well as desserts and pastry such as soufflé, macaron and crème brûlée.
What is the most popular French cuisine?
French cuisine can be broken down into several categories to reflect different styles, regions and techniques. Haute cuisine, for example, is the pinnacle of French cooking. Haute cuisine is mainly associated with fine dining and high-end restaurants where dishes are meticulously prepared and presented and showcase elaborate cooking techniques. Another popular French cuisine is bistro cooking, which is typically casual and unpretentious yet incredibly flavourful — think classic bistro dishes like steak frites, duck confit and French onion soup. Then there is cuisine bourgeoise, or traditional French home cooking, and all the regional cuisines. Another notable one is Modern French cuisine, which often takes on traditional French dishes and incorporates new-age techniques or international influences. Pâtisserie can also be considered a cuisine, with famed pastries such as croissants, éclairs, choux pastry, madeleines and macarons known around the world.
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