French cuisine. National cuisine of France What food is in France
Recipes for these treats were born in the provinces and in royal castles from delicacies and village provisions, centuries ago. It is not for nothing that French chefs know the secrets of preparing a huge gastronomic assortment, nevertheless, strictly observing some nuances... First of all, food is served in small portions, which is apparently why French women are distinguished by their slender figures. It should also be noted that soups are prepared thick, but easy to digest.
The five most commonly used ingredients in recipes are:
Another point - when frying the meat, they add wine, which evaporates, having time to imbue the product with an unusual taste. French chefs always remember the Burgundian proverb: “drink white wine in the morning, red wine in the evening, so that the blood is good” - therefore, a filled glass always decorates interesting presentations. The description of the characteristic features would not be complete if we did not mention Roquefort cheese and Provencal sauce, famous both here in Russia and throughout the world. Desserts deserve special attention: airy, melting in the mouth, conducive to dreams, they make you want to enjoy the amazing taste forever. You can do all this at home, feeling the Parisian flavor. You can quickly master any recipes for French cuisine. Maybe it's time to surprise your loved one with a romantic dinner with the aroma of an original combination of spices?
“Oh, these French, they are such gourmets!” - many say, referring to French cuisine. The French cannot be classified as those who simply like to stuff their bellies tightly with a huge amount of food. - a country of gourmets, fine connoisseurs of cooking. French cuisine is all about small portions, saturation of which is achieved through the addition of sauces (there are more than 3000 of them in French cuisine), pickiness in the choice of ingredients, elegant serving, as well as a variety of wines and cheeses. All this allows French cuisine to be one of the best in the culinary world.
It is very easy to distinguish a foreigner from a Frenchman by the way he eats. A Frenchman will not rush through a meal; the main thing for him is to enjoy every bite and accompany the meal with a leisurely conversation. Do you want to eat like a Frenchman? Order a Lyonnaise salad, a glass of Bordeaux, sit on the terrace facing the street and eat it while watching passersby scurrying along the sidewalk.
STORY
As early as the 4th century, French cookbooks included such exquisite ingredients as saffron for coloring dishes, almonds and milk for rich flavor, and rose water for aroma. During the Renaissance, salty and viscous dishes were popular, and mushrooms came into fashion - albeit with sad consequences: they were often cooked incorrectly, and the dinner ended in poisoning. From ancient Roman culinary traditions, a love of wine came to French cuisine. According to the persistent belief of the French, it promoted healthy appetite and digestion. Let's not argue with them.
A real revolution in French cuisine occurred after the Italian Catherine de Medici became the wife of Henry II. Firstly, she brought Italian chefs with her, and secondly, she taught the French simple but necessary things: wash their hands before eating and use cutlery, in particular forks. The Medici made the meal a whole performance: beautiful plates for food and glasses made of rare glass began to be used. And under Louis XIV, traditions emerged of serving dishes alternately and using silverware.
By the beginning of the 20th century, it was not the monarchs who came to the fore, but the cooks themselves. The famous French chef Antoine Carême, one of the first representatives of “haute cuisine,” came up with the idea of placing intricate figures of baked goods in pastry shop windows to attract visitors. His successor, Auguste Escoffier, introduced French cuisine to the world, was called “the king of chefs and the cook of kings,” and his “Culinary Guide” is still used as a collection of recipes and a textbook of culinary art. Until now, outstanding French chefs are considered national heroes in society.
In 1900, a travel guide for travelers “Michelin Red Guide” appeared in France, which is now the most influential restaurant rating in the world. The guide awards from one to three stars to establishments that deserve special attention. The owner of the French tire company Andre Michelin initially ranked the price range of establishments in his guide by the number of stars: one star - cheap, three - very expensive. Nowadays, the presence of a Michelin star on the sign of an establishment indicates the high quality of the cuisine and the rather high price of dinner. There are more than 600 Michelin-starred restaurants in France, but not a single one in the post-Soviet space.
KITCHEN BY REGION
Traditionally, French cuisine is divided into regional folk and refined aristocratic cuisine. You can't leave France without trying onion soup, whose history goes back centuries. Potato gratin, roasted chestnuts, duck leg confit, fondue - the list of gastronomic delights is endless! Burgundy escargot snails, oysters, foie gras pate, frog legs - the French love these delicacies, but do not eat them very often. But almost every region of France can boast of being the birthplace of some dish, drink or dessert.
Alsace
Alsace has absorbed a lot from its neighbor Germany. People here like pretzel, salted cabbage choucrotte with sausages, stewed hare, tarte flambé (thin pizza with classic toppings of onions, bacon and cream). Hot mulled wine, all kinds of schnapps, sausages and pates have also taken root on French soil. The most original dish of Alsace is rooster in wine. While in Alsace, don’t deny yourself the pleasure of trying the local Muenster cheese, and don’t let its smell put you off.
Normandy
Normandy is famous for its apple orchards, which is why apple pie for dessert is so popular here. Cider and Calvados are the most popular drinks in the region. Strong Calvados is used as a digestif to improve digestion, so order a glass after your meal. But cider is a light drink, and it (like other alcohol) is generously added to meat here for a special taste: duck in cider, giblets in cider, duck in Normandy, duck in Rouen. All kinds of omelettes and pancakes are very popular in this region. Among the cheeses, the local celebrity is Camembert, which appeared in Normandy.
Brittany
Brittany is the main supplier of seafood in France, so you can't leave here without trying oysters drizzled with lemon juice. Lobsters and langoustines, scallops, mackerel, lobster soup, stuffed crab are common local dishes. They also love meat here and know how to cook it, so feel free to order Breton lamb with tomatoes, garlic and white beans, pork pate and blood sausage. As in Normandy, cider is popular here, and caramel is considered the main dessert and filling for all sweets.
Périgord
Périgord is the famous birthplace of foie gras and truffles. In addition to goose liver, other parts of this bird are also actively used when preparing dishes. The result is a stuffed goose neck and goose confit.
Provence
Provençal cuisine is very different from the cuisine in other regions of France: the locals borrowed many cooking traditions from the Italians. The main dishes are bouybes fish soup and ratatouille - the same one that was prepared by the mouse chef from the cartoon of the same name.
Lorraine
Lorraine gave the world pastries such as macarons, madeleines and baba, as well as quiche Laurent, an open-faced pie.
Champagne
Champagne is considered the invention of Pierre Perignon from the Champagne region, but we would not be drinking this drink now if it were not for English entrepreneurs who, unlike the French, did not consider wine with bubbles to be defective, but actively put it on sale. It was the British who invented the thick glass bottle for champagne.
Gascony
Armagnac, a type of brandy, originated in the province of Gascony and now rivals in popularity cognac, another French invention.
Aquitaine
In Aquitaine is the city of Bordeaux - the wine capital of France. Grape varieties grown here include cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, and cabernet franc. It is from a mixture of these varieties that all the main wines of the region are produced. Burgundy wines and wines are considered the best - they are the ones who receive medals at wine festivals every year. French wines deserve a separate article, since each of them has a rich history and its own special taste: read, for example, ours in Bordeaux. One or two glasses of dry red wine a day is common for the French. They believe that wine is a cure for all diseases and say that they try not to drink it every day, but it is terribly difficult for them. It is not surprising that in Bordeaux there is a whole dedicated to wine and winemaking.
DESSERT
The variety of desserts in French cuisine is amazing - many delicacies were invented in France, without which it is now difficult for those with a sweet tooth to imagine their existence. Grillage, croquembouche, charlotte, tarte tatin, soufflé, praline, parfait, blancmange, boiled and savoiardi - the list of French sweet delicacies is endless and it’s worth trying them all, but for now we’ll tell you about the main ones.
Creme brulee- egg yolks, cream, sugar and milk, after baking which forms a crispy caramel crust. Break it with a teaspoon and feel like Amelie from the film of the same name.
Eclair- an oblong sweet cake made from choux pastry with a cream filling inside. The invention of this masterpiece is attributed to the “Emperor of Chefs” Antoine Careme.
Macaron- the world famous cake consists of just a few ingredients: beaten egg whites, powdered sugar, almonds and food coloring. Its main feature is that it is ready for use 2-3 days after production. It is a favorite dessert of French monarchs and aristocracy: Marie Antoinette named her cat after her favorite treat. The most famous pasta manufacturer in France is Ladurée.
Meringue or meringue- an airy dessert that fully justifies its translation from French - “kiss”. Delicate and light.
Canele- dough soaked in vanilla and rum, with a crispy caramel crust. A real French dessert that originated thanks to the nuns of the Annunciation Monastery.
Croissant- it was invented in Austria and brought to fruition in France. Only here they began to lubricate puff pastry with butter. Coffee and a croissant with almond flakes, chocolate filling or orange jam is the ideal breakfast for any Frenchman.
01/19/2019 at 18:43 · Johnny · 2 310
10 best French dishes
The expression “haute cuisine” is invariably associated with France. Indeed, for the French, cooking is an art, and eating is a special ritual. This is a national trait determined by culture and centuries-old traditions.
The main features of French cooking include the use of exclusively the freshest products. Their chefs, like no one else, know how to preserve the specificity and nutritional value of the product during the cooking process. The best French dishes made from meat and fish are certainly prepared with the addition of elite alcohol. And the pride of any chef is a rich “arsenal” of the most unusual sauces that add piquancy and unique charm to dishes.
Learning to cook Parisian delicacies at the level of restaurant chefs is the dream of any chef. For your attention - the most popular dishes of French cuisine, recipes with photos and little secrets of the culinary craft.
10. Flamich
Flamich reminiscent of pizza, although this dish is much older than its Italian counterpart and is still different. Flamish is a cross between Lataring quiche and classic pizza.
We offer novice craftsmen a recipe for flamiche from the famous baker Richard Bertinet. His technique is most popular among network users. It's simple enough for beginners, and the results are excellent!
To prepare the dough you will need:
- Instant dry yeast – 10g;
- Flour – 500g;
- Salt – 10g;
- Water – 350g.
Products for filling:
- Olive oil – 1 tbsp;
- Bacon – 200g;
- Leeks - 2-3 stalks;
- Eggs – 3 pcs.;
- Creme fraiche (you can use sour cream or cottage cheese) – 300g
- Salt - to taste;
- Nutmeg – “by eye”
- Gruyere (or Parmesan) cheese.
You need to rub the yeast well into the flour with your fingers. Then sprinkle salt and add water. Mix the dough. Don't add more flour! When the dough no longer sticks to your hands, it is ready. Cover it and keep it warm for an hour. After this, the dough should be placed on a baking sheet sprinkled with flour. By hand, spread it evenly over the entire surface, including the sides of the pan.
Now let's start filling. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon cut into thin strips. Set the slightly browned bacon aside and brown the finely chopped onion in the same oil. Separately, prepare the mixture in a bowl: pour creme fraiche into the eggs (as an option - soft cottage cheese or sour cream), sprinkle with salt and nutmeg. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
Pour the prepared mixture onto the dough and distribute over the entire area. Then lay out the bacon and onions. Sprinkle grated cheese on top. Now place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Bake the flames for 20 minutes. Before removing, check: if the color is golden and the edges are crispy, then the delicacy is ready.
Transfer the flames from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool slightly. The dish should be served warm, cut into portions.
9. Nicoise
Niçoise- a very typical salad for France, where the diet contains a lot of vegetables and herbs. And because this salad is incredibly tasty and nutritious, it has become popular all over the world. The chefs have come up with many interesting variations of niçoise. But we suggest you start with the classic recipe, the authors of which (as they say) were fishermen.
Ingredients needed (for three servings):
- Green beans - 200g;
- Eggs – 3 pcs.;
- Canned tuna – 100g;
- Anchovies – 100g;
- Bell pepper – 1 pc.;
- Potatoes – 2-3 pcs.;
- Tomatoes – 2-3 pcs.;
- Olives – 10 pcs.;
- Lettuce leaf - a bunch;
- Olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
- Wine vinegar – 1 tbsp. l.;
- Mustard – 1 tbsp. l.;
- Salt, pepper - to taste.
Boil eggs, potatoes and asparagus in advance. The beans should be cooked for no more than 5-6 minutes. Peel the eggs and potatoes after cooling.
Separately prepare the sauce for the nicoise. In a ceramic bowl, mix vinegar, mustard, oil, pepper and salt. Wine vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice. Bell peppers are cut into medium cubes. Remove anchovies and tuna from canning and chop not too finely. Eggs and potatoes are also cut into cubes. It is better to cut the tomatoes into beautiful longitudinal slices.
Now you can move on to laying out the nicoise. Tear the washed and dried lettuce leaves by hand onto a flat dish (plate). Next, lay out beans and potatoes, eggs and bell peppers. Then lay out the anchovies and olives. Olives can be placed whole or cut in half. Tuna and tomatoes are the final decoration. Pour the prepared sauce evenly over the entire salad.
That's it, the nicoise is ready! It’s not difficult to prepare such a snack at home.
8. Crepes Suzette
Exploring famous French dishes, the title " Suzette"or "Crepe Suzette" you will definitely come across. These are incredibly tender, thin pancakes with orange soaking. “Suzette” is an ideal option for a warm family feast. This is not to say that the recipe is very simple, but the delicacy is worth the effort.
Products for pancake dough:
- Milk (fat content 2.5%) – 250ml;
- Eggs – 3 pcs.;
- Flour – 100g;
- Butter – 30g;
- Salt – ¼ tsp;
For the sauce you need:
- Orange juice – 200ml;
- Sugar – 100g;
- Butter – 100g;
- Orange zest – 1 tbsp. l.
Let’s note right away: no sugar is added to the pancake dough! So, the yolks need to be bleached from the whites. Add cold milk (all) and salt to the bowl with the yolks. Stir the mixture and gradually add flour (all of it). Mix the mass until smooth and add melted, cooled butter (30g). Mix the dough again. If you have a mixer this will speed up the process.
Let's get back to the squirrels. They need to be beaten very thoroughly (to a stable mass). It’s almost impossible to do without a mixer here. Now the protein mixture should be gradually poured into the dough, stirring constantly. As a result, you will receive a tender pancake dough, which needs to be covered and placed in the refrigerator for half an hour (or up to an hour).
Prepare the sauce. Pour sugar into a wide-bottomed pan. Keep it on low heat until it turns into syrup. There is no need to stir the sugar. You can move the pan slightly to allow the syrup to spread evenly. Add butter (100g) to the finished caramel. As soon as it combines with the caramel, pour in the orange juice and add the chopped zest. Without ceasing to stir, cook the mixture for 5 minutes. The thickness of the finished sauce should resemble syrup. Then it can be poured into dishes.
Now take out the dough and start making pancakes. Before making the first product, you can grease a heated frying pan with oil. Move the pan quickly, allowing the batter to spread thinly and evenly. Cook over medium heat until the edges are golden brown and turn over with a spatula. The second side will need 30 seconds.
For a beautiful presentation, the pancakes are folded into a triangle. The finished triangles are heated in a frying pan in the previously prepared sauce. This is what gives the famous “Suzette” impregnation. In restaurants, they are also flambéed with orange liqueur (lightly watered and set on fire in a frying pan). But for children it’s better to just get by with impregnation. These pancakes need to be eaten hot!
7. Clafoutis with cherries
Clafoutis with cherries- a traditional homemade dessert of French housewives. This easy and healthy dish can be prepared all year round. It cooks quickly and is perfect for a snack. In the classic recipe, the pits are not removed from the cherries to preserve the juice. But if desired, this condition can be bypassed.
For clafoutis you will need:
- Eggs – 4 pcs.;
- Cherry – about 0.5 kg;
- Milk – 200ml;
- Cream (high fat content) – 100ml;
- Butter – 100g;
- Flour – 100g;
- Sugar – 50g;
- Salt - a pinch;
- Water – 1 tbsp. l.
Pour flour into a deep bowl, add sugar, vanillin and salt. Mix all ingredients. Separate the yolks from the whites. Pour the yolks into the flour one by one and knead the dough. The whites need to be beaten until white and also poured into the dough, stirring. To prevent the dough from being too eggy, you can add only half the whites. For the same purpose, nutmeg or cinnamon is sometimes added to flour. Then you need to pour warm (not hot!) milk and oil heated in a water bath into the mixture. Gently and thoroughly mix all products. The result will be a soft, stretchy dough (a little thicker than for pancakes).
Before baking, grease the pan with butter. By the way, you can bake clafoutis in earthenware molds, serving them in portions. Place the cherries in the mold, smoothing the surface. Pour the dough on top. If the berries remain partially above the mixture, it will be even more beautiful. Bake the pie for 40 minutes at 180 degrees. Before serving, you can decorate the dessert with powder. After letting the baked goods cool, try the delicacy!
6. Cassoulet
Cassoulet- one of the oldest dishes in France, which was once prepared for kings. This is stewed beans with original meat additives. According to one version, the name comes from the “cassette” - a wide clay vessel in which this stew was prepared. Beans and meat are a good option for a hearty men's lunch. We recommend cooking it yourself.
Required Products:
- Dry white beans – 300g;
- Goose or chicken legs – 2 pcs.;
- Pork sausages – 4 pcs.;
- Pork belly – 200g;
- Pork rind – 200g;
- Salted lard – 1 piece;
- Onion – 1 piece;
- Garlic – 2 cloves;
- Carrots – 1 pc.
The beans should be soaked in cold water 10-12 hours before preparing the cassoulet. Drain the old water from the beans, pour in 3 liters of fresh cold water and boil for 5 minutes. This water also needs to be drained and the beans should be set aside.
Now let's move on to the most important thing - the broth. Pour 3 liters of water into a saucepan. Place the peel, cut into large strips, into the water. For richness, you can add a pork or chicken bone. Chop onions and carrots into water. Season the broth with salt and pepper to taste and cook for half an hour. After this, you need to remove the peel and bones from the water. Add the beans and cook until soft, but not mushy. This will take about an hour. At the end, add a couple of cloves of chopped garlic.
Hams, sausages and cut into pieces of meat should be fried over low heat until golden brown. The important part is the design of the cassoulet. Place the pork rind in a clay pot (or on a baking sheet). Next, the third part of the beans is placed. The next layer is fried pork, followed by the remaining beans. The sausages are placed on top and the broth is poured in to cover the beans. Sprinkle the resulting composition with black pepper and place in the oven. There the cassoulet should simmer at 160 degrees for at least two hours. The top layer should take on a golden color. If the beans look a little dry during the process, add more meat broth. The dish is served hot in pots.
5. Tarte Tatin
On photo sites with recipes for French delicacies, this airy apple pie is the first to attract attention. Story Tarte Tatin dates back to the early 19th century. And this dessert was invented not in Paris, but in the provincial town of Lamotte-Beuvron. Stephanie Tatin was a skilled cook, and her calling card was a delicate pie with caramelized apples. Come on, let's try to reproduce her masterpiece in our kitchen.
For the test you need:
- Premium flour – 250g;
- Butter – 125g;
- A pinch of salt;
- Water – 75ml.
For filling:
- Butter – 100g;
- Sugar – 150g;
- Apples – 3 pcs;
- Vanillin – 10g.
The dough is prepared quite simply. Pour salt and finely chopped cold butter into the flour, grind it all by hand. Pour cold water into the mixture and knead the dough. The finished homogeneous dough should be rolled into a ball and put in film in the refrigerator (for 1 hour).
You will have to tinker with the filling, because it plays the main role in Tarte Tatin. Place butter (in chunks) into the pan. Pour half the sugar in there. Next, lay out large apple slices (without peel). We place the slices in the boat position. Sprinkle the apples with vanilla and the rest of the sugar. Heat everything together over low heat for 15 minutes. You can tell when butter and sugar form caramel by its texture and smell.
With 15 minutes to spare, you can put the oven on to warm up and form the dough into a crust. Roll out so that the layer is slightly wider than the baking pan. Arrange the caramelized apples beautifully in a mold, cover with the rolled out dough, tucking the edges in at the bottom. We pierce the dough in places with a fork, send the pie to bake at 180 degrees. After 25 minutes the top will become golden brown. So Tarte Tatin is ready. Take it out and after a few minutes turn it over and cover it with a plate. It is in this state, still hot, that this magical pie is served on the table.
4. French onion soup
This dish may not sound very tasty. But those who tried the real one onion soup, speak highly of him. While looking for French dishes and recipes with photos, pay attention to the simple and delicious onion soup. It's a sin to complain about expensive ingredients here. This is an analogue of the Russian “axe porridge”. But the taste of this dish is amazing.
Required products:
- Onions - 1 kg;
- Butter - 3 tbsp;
- Meat broth - 1 l;
- Salt - to taste;
- Black pepper - to taste;
- Baguette - half;
- Hard cheese - 150 g.
Cut the onion into thin half rings. Start sautéing the onions. This should be done in a non-stick pan or thick-walled frying pan. Place a piece of butter in a heated frying pan and add the onion. Fry it over low heat, remembering to stir. The onion should take on a golden hue, but should not burn. Now you can pour a glass of hot broth into it. It is better to cook the broth in advance. It can be chicken, beef or even just vegetable. Let the onion simmer until the water evaporates. After this, you need to pour in the rest of the broth and continue to cook until it becomes a thick soup. This entire process can take from 40 to 60 minutes. Now it's time to add salt and pepper to the soup.
The traditional way to serve onion soup is with a toasted baguette and cheese. Thin pieces of baguette can be prepared using the dry toast method or as toast. The soup is poured into clay pots (soups). Place a baguette on top and sprinkle with grated cheese (ideally Gruyère). The pots are placed in an oven heated to 200 degrees and simmered until the cheese is completely melted. Serve immediately! Onion soup must be hot and flavorful.
3. Duck leg confit
This dish, which sounds very melodic in French “confit de canard” (by the way, the letter t at the end is unreadable!), also has a long history. True, in the old days the French prepared “ Confit"as preserved food for reserve. Even without seaming, duck legs prepared according to this recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for a very long time. This is one of the most requested recipes on the Internet with photos of French cuisine. At home, the main product can be any poultry or rabbit meat.
Products needed for two servings of confit:
- Duck leg – 2 pcs.;
- Duck fat – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Salt (sea or iodized) – 2 tbsp. l.;
- Parsley, thyme - 2-3 stems each;
- Bay leaf – 2 pcs.
- Black peppercorns and cloves - 2-3 pcs.
Prepare the marinade. First you need to thoroughly grind and mix salt, bay leaf, cloves, pepper and herbs in a blender. You should get small green grains. Rinse and dry the duck legs, then rub generously with salt on all sides. Now you need to put the legs in a dish, cover and put them in the refrigerator for a day.
Remove the marinated legs, remove the salt from the surface and dry with paper towels. Choose a dish in which the meat will fit closely both in width and height. Drizzle melted fat on top until completely covered. Place the dish in the oven and simmer at 150 degrees for 2.5 hours. After removing the legs from the fat, they can be served. Ideally, they should have a golden brown crust and a very delicate texture. Having prepared a large family portion in this way, it can be kept in the refrigerator and reheated before serving.
2. Ratatouille
Second place in our ranking is rightfully occupied by the world famous soup ratatouille. Unfortunately, many people know this name only from scanwords or from the cartoon of the same name, where the unusual rat Remy prepares a magnificent French soup. And this old provincial delicacy deserves special attention. Ratatouille has a very bright taste and beautiful appearance. Although low in calories, this vegetable soup is quite nutritious. So, let's learn how to cook the legendary ratatouille.
Ingredients:
- Bell pepper – 3 pcs.;
- Tomatoes (ripe, sweet) – 3 pcs.;
- Parsley root – 4 pcs.;
- Eggplant – 1 pc.;
- Zucchini – 2 pcs.;
- Salad onions – 2 pcs.;
- Potatoes – 2 pcs.;
- Carrots – 2 pcs.;
- Garlic (preferably young) – 4 cloves;
- Parsley - 4 stems;
- Allspice – 3 peas;
- Olive oil – 30ml;
- Butter – 30g;
- Salt, pepper - to taste.
Let's start preparing the broth. To do this, pour 2 liters of water into a saucepan and put it on fire. As soon as the water boils, you can add some of the vegetables. Place the carrots and potatoes whole, and divide the onion into two parts. You need to add chopped parsley root to the vegetables. These vegetables should cook for 40 minutes. Shortly before the end of cooking, add allspice to the broth.
Now you need to remove all the vegetables. We remove the onions and roots as unnecessary, cut the rest into large cubes. Cut raw bell pepper into wide strips. Peel the tomatoes by treating them with boiling water. Then we chop them coarsely, just like the eggplants and zucchini. Chop the garlic into slices. Pour all raw vegetables into a heated frying pan with olive oil. Salt, pepper and fry for 20-25 minutes over low heat. Now the contents of the frying pan need to be released into the hot broth, and boiled vegetables should be added there.
When serving, each serving is decorated with coarsely chopped parsley and a piece of butter. You can add a couple of sprigs of dill, as in the photo.
1. Quiche Lauren
Pie Quiche Lauren- a classic of French cuisine. This masterpiece comes from Lorraine, on the border with Germany. Therefore, the recipe partly absorbed the traditions of German cooking. Regardless, the pie is incredibly delicious. Just looking at the photo makes you want to try this delicacy immediately.
Quiche Laurent is served in all restaurants in Paris, and many chefs have their own signature recipe. But before you start experimenting, you need to prepare the traditional Quiche Loren.
Products for the test:
- Premium flour – 200g;
- Butter – 100g;
- Cold water – 50ml
Filling ingredients:
- Bacon – 200g;
- Green onions – 1 bunch;
- Ground black pepper - to taste;
For the sauce:
- Egg – 3 pcs.;
- Hard cheese – 100g;
- Cream (20%) – 200ml.
Sprinkle a little salt and chopped butter (from the refrigerator) into the flour. Grind the mixture by hand. Make a slide and a depression. Pour water into the hole and knead the dough. Form a ball and leave it in the refrigerator for 25 minutes. Now you can roll out the cake. The size of the layer should be such as to cover the sides of the mold. By the way, for Quiche Lauren it is advisable to use a mold with a wavy side. Place the dough back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Let's start filling. Cut the bacon into strips and fry in oil along with chopped green onions. In a bowl, mix cream, eggs, grated cheese and pepper. This will be the pouring sauce.
Prick the dough thickly with a fork and bake (dry) at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. Having taken out the mold, put the filling on the dough and fill it with our sauce. After 30 minutes of baking, Quiche Lauren is ready. The pie is traditionally served warm with vegetable salads.
Be sure to try yourself as a French chef! Even if you don’t become a great chef, you will definitely be able to surprise and delight your loved ones!
Readers' Choice:
The main feature of French traditional cuisine is the use of exclusively the freshest products. The French pay great attention to the quality and freshness of each individual ingredient. Despite the peculiarities of regional cuisines, vegetables and root vegetables - eggplants, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, herbs and salads - are very popular throughout the country.
French cuisine and culinary tradition, like any rich one, consists of many regional ones. In the western provinces of France they love spicy and piquant food; Alsatian cuisine has taken a lot from German cuisine; residents of coastal areas actively eat fish and seafood. However, there are also national dishes of France that are loved and prepared throughout the country - these are world-famous baguettes, foie gras (goose liver pate), thin crepe pancakes, béchamel sauce and creme brulee. A traditional meal in France consists of three courses: an appetizer (introductory course, sometimes soup), a main course and a dessert. Additionally, cheese or salad can be served.
For starters, the French prefer puree soups. A traditional holiday dish is a very thick fish soup called bouillabaisse, popular in the Provence region. However, French cuisine does not insist on the mandatory consumption of soups; often, local eaters make do with light snacks.
The second and main cuisine of France offers dishes made from meat or fish. Almost all types of meat, sea and freshwater fish, and seafood are used. The French prefer to cook meat and fish using a few proven methods, but they do not get tired of the same dishes, because they love to experiment with sauces. Sauces are perhaps the main strength of French cuisine, because it was in this country that they were invented.
When the main course is eaten, it is customary to serve dessert. Dessert can be just a cup of coffee, which the French simply adore, a croissant, various pastries, or creme brulee.
However, what is noteworthy is not so much the recipes of French cuisine as the French view of eating in general. Here it is not customary to eat in a hurry, in a hurry - the French like to eat slowly, enjoying every dish and washing it all down with wonderful local wine, which the French are an expert in. It's no joke - a meal (not a feast, but a meal) in France can last two or three hours. This is another reason why French cuisine is so highly valued by experts all over the world.
French cuisine has long been a standard in the world of culinary art. Since the First Republic (1792) and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars, it has spread throughout Europe.
Classic French dishes are a kind of ABC for every self-respecting chef. Knowing how to cook them correctly is tantamount to graduating well from a prestigious culinary school. And for gourmets, the best dishes of French cuisine are a true feast for the soul and stomach.
Niçoise (Salade niçoise)
The main feature of most French salads made from fresh vegetables is a special vinaigrette dressing based on olive oil, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs (dill or chervil), capers and other seasonings. It has nothing to do with the vinaigrette familiar to many.
A classic example of a salad popular in France is salade niçoise. It must include fresh/canned tuna and/or anchovies, fresh tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Potatoes, onions, garlic, olives and other ingredients can be added as an addition. They are artistically arranged in beautiful dishes so that the salad can be “eaten with your eyes,” as the French themselves say in such cases. The same vinaigrette is used as a dressing.
Niçoise is the culinary pride of Provence, and it owes its name to the beautiful Mediterranean resort of Nice. Many famous chefs (Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and others) can boast of their original versions of the salad with the addition of non-standard ingredients. Although, according to the former mayor of the resort town, Jacques Medesin, author of a famous book about the cuisine of Nice, the original nicoise should not contain potatoes, boiled vegetables and rice, or green beans.
The cost of a serving of salad in French restaurants averages 9-12 €.
Scallops Saint-Jacques
Traditional French dishes include a whole range of delicious appetizers. All of them are united under the self-explanatory name “entre” (“entrance”) and are intended to tease the appetite.
What can you try in France from such light food? Perhaps it’s worth taking a closer look at the exquisite seafood, among which the famous Saint-Jacques scallops occupy one of the first places. They are usually baked in an original sauce with cheese and brought to the table in special portion forms or in sea shells.
Other ways to prepare scallops are no less interesting: you can try them raw (carpaccio), stewed in beer, cider or Calvados, grilled, as well as in soups, risotto and sauté. Another luxurious option is mousseline (pate) made from fresh or frozen scallops, a favorite snack of French President Francois Mitterrand.
A serving of coquilles Saint-Jacques in Paris restaurants costs about 15-25 €.
Onion soup (Soupe à l'oignon)
The history of the appearance of this national dish in France is covered in numerous legends. One of them attributes the creation of the soup to Louis XV himself. As is often the case with many famous recipes, the onion soup was not cooked by the king out of a good life. It’s just that at that time there were no other products in the hunting house except onions, salt and butter.
Modern variations of soupe à l’oignon are prepared on the basis of broth: meat or vegetable. The characteristic rich taste and aroma are achieved by long sauteing of onions (often in dry white or red wine).
As such, there is no canonical recipe in France, but there are several common rules. For example, soupe à l’oignon is usually prepared in small portions and served in the same container in which it was cooked (most often, in ceramic pots). The finished onion soup is sprinkled with grated cheese, and sometimes croutons are added.
To try the “creation of royal hands” in Paris, you need to pay about 9-12 €.
Another incredibly famous French soup is Marseille bouillabaisse, which is made from different types of fish and seafood.
Bœuf bourguignon
Meat dishes of French cuisine make up the lion's share of it. Many of them are cooked in wine, such as the famous beef Bourguignon. This is the case when food was borrowed “from the peasant table” and became world famous.
Bœuf bourguignon is beef that has been pre-fried and then stewed in red wine along with mushrooms, vegetables and meat broth. The signature ingredient of boeuf bourguignon is bouquet garni, a bouquet of aromatic herbs and spices wrapped in leeks or bay leaves. Often, bœuf bourguignon is served directly in the pots in which the dish was prepared and eaten with a crispy baguette, dipping it in a thick sauce.
The recipe for beef Burgundy was first discussed only in the 19th century, but since then it has become incredibly popular both in France and abroad. Therefore, the opportunity to try boeuf bourguignon when you find yourself in Paris is a great success. In Parisian restaurants it costs about 20 €.
Cassoulet
When traveling through the south of France: the historical regions of Languedoc and Roussillon, you should definitely try cassoulet, a local thick and rich stew. The birth of this recipe in the Middle Ages, as is often the case in cooking, was an accident caused by the need to withstand an enemy siege and prepare nutritious and satisfying food for the defenders of the city.
The basis of the dish is large white beans, which are soaked for a long time, then boiled and stewed with vegetables, meat and spices. In France, there are 3 types of cassoulet, the so-called “Trinity”:
- Le Cassoulet de Castelnaudary - with pork, pork skins and goose meat;
- Le Cassoulet de Carcassonne - with lamb, duck or seasonal game, such as partridge;
- Le Cassoulet de Toulouse - with lamb, pork fat, duck and goose meat, and Toulouse sausages.
You can take a chance and try fish cassoulet (with salted cod), but it is much less common.
Since 1966, the French standard for preparing Cassoulet is to use 70% beans and 30% meat.
Cassoulet is traditionally prepared in a wood-fired oven in a wide earthenware cassolette dish. It is believed that she gave her name to the popular French dish. The stew is usually served in clay plates or directly in the pots in which it was stewed. The signature feature of the Languedoc delicacy is its golden crust; during cooking it is pierced and mixed with the stew up to 8 times.
In France, cassoulet is sold in stores in canned form; it is a good option for an original gastronomic gift (3-8 €, 840 g). In Paris, you can try the famous stew for an average of 12-20 €. The main thing is not to forget to order a glass of good red wine, or even better, more than one.
Navarin
Classic French navarin is prepared from lamb or lamb along with vegetables: onions, turnips (turnips), carrots, potatoes, garlic. The origin of the name of this stew remains a mystery to this day. Either we need to say “thank you” to the little turnips (French navet), or to the victory of the allies in the Bay of Navarino in 1827 and the subsequent liberation of Greece - Victoria was celebrated notably in the cabin of the commander of the French squadron with a juicy lamb stew.
One way or another, it seems impossible to be in France and not try Navarin. Although in the country it is eaten virtually all year round, this dish is still considered a spring dish. Its taste becomes much more interesting with young vegetables that appear on the markets closer to Easter, at the end of March. Navarin is best eaten with crispy soft bread.
Ratatouille
Although ratatouille is considered a traditional culinary specialty of Provence, it has long been a favorite menu item in many, even the most fashionable Parisian restaurants. What ordinary peasants used to cook for themselves, today everyone who finds themselves in France dreams of trying.
Ratatouille is essentially nothing more than a vegetable stew. Usually it contains tomatoes and peppers, onions and garlic, zucchini and eggplant. Cut vegetables into circles, spirals, slices. Season with salt, pepper, and the Provençal recipe necessarily includes signature herbs: basil, mint, rosemary.
This is an excellent side dish for meat and fish; it can be eaten hot or cold, and can also be combined with omelettes, salads and fresh bread.
Gratin dauphinois
One of the most delicious potato dishes in the world, a true classic of French cuisine - all this can rightfully be said about Gratin dauphinois. The Dauphine region is said to be the birthplace of the recipe - it was here, presumably at the end of the 18th century, that this delicious side dish was first seen on the tables.
A modern version of Gratin dauphinois is thinly sliced potato slices baked in milk and/or cream. There are simply an incredible number of recipes in France today - so eggs, grated cheese and other ingredients can be used. The most commonly used seasonings are crushed garlic cloves and nutmeg.
As a rule, in France, dauphinois potatoes are included in the total cost of the main meat dish. If you order it separately, the price will be approximately 5 €.
Duck confit (Confit de canard)
The appearance of confit in French cookbooks was a response to the need for long-term storage of meat, which was acutely felt in Gascony in ancient times. A solution was found thanks to one simple trick: duck legs were simmered along with spices, distributed into jars and placed in cellars. The fat released during the cooking process served as a natural preservative for meat, and then such a product could be used to prepare stews and other foods.
Confit is precisely a method of preparation: delicately simmering meat in its own fat at low temperature.
Modern confit duck is first marinated with garlic, herbs and salt, and then slowly cooked, achieving exceptional juiciness, tenderness and softness of the meat. Just how delicious it is can be understood from the French proverb alone: “For the sake of a good confit, a Gascon can kneel.” And perhaps this is really so!
In France, duck confit is served with salad, dauphinois potatoes, fresh bread and a glass of good Bordeaux. You can try a gourmet dish in Paris for 15-25 €. And on supermarket shelves you can easily find canned Confit de canard (6-15 € for about 700 g).
Opera Cake
A classic Parisian dessert is a rectangular Opera sponge cake with coffee and chocolate filling. According to some gourmets, it is worth trying if only to get to know the true taste of France.
The Dalloyau confectionery in Paris takes credit for the championship in creating the cake. At the very least, she did play a decisive role in popularizing the dessert. The wife of a local pastry chef, having tried the delicacy, said that it reminded her of the Palais Garnier - the Paris Opera. It was under this name that the cake became known in the city.
The main highlight of the dessert is the combination of ingredients: several almond sponge cakes, chocolate ganache, coffee syrup, dark chocolate icing (sometimes rum or cognac is added). The Gâteau opera is crowned with the recognizable L’Opera inscription and light inclusions of edible gold.
The cake is usually sold in portioned pieces, like cakes. One piece costs 5-7 €.
A day would probably not be enough to list all the iconic and popular French recipes. But you can try to make a list of “the very best”, without which no French voyage is unthinkable:
- Lyonnaise salad (Salade Lyonnaise) with poached eggs;
- Crepes “Crêpes Suzette” – with orange sauce;
- Quiche Lorraine - shortcrust pastry pie with cheese and/or bacon;
- Tarte flambée - a flat open pie with cheese and other fillings;
- Veal blanquette (Blanquette de veau) - stew in white sauce, often with mushrooms;
- Tartar (Tartare de bœuf and Steak tartare) - made from raw finely chopped beef or minced meat;
- Beef steak on the bone (La côte de boeuf);
- Duck breast (Le magret de canard);
- (Escargots) and (Huîtres);
- (Cuisses de grenouille) – deep-fried.
The list of exquisite culinary masterpieces in France goes on and on. But it’s much better to try them at least once!