French cuisine: main dishes from each region. National cuisine of France Traditional dishes of French cuisine list

The best place in Paris to serve la Truffe noire is the Maison de la Truffe, located on the Place de la Madeleine. A local chef perfectly brings out the taste of the priceless mushroom by adding it to traditional French food. The cost of dinner starts from 70 €. The restaurant has a store whose main product is fresh and canned delicacies.

Connoisseurs regard exquisite French cuisine as works of art. The world-wide respect for the country's haute cuisine is emphasized by the many words borrowed from the language of the musketeers: side dish, restaurant, entrecote, soufflé, omelet. By the way, the definition of “gourmet” was also born in France and characterizes lovers of tasty and plentiful food.

Publication date: 2015-12-30

One of the signs of a mature culture is the high professionalism of artisans. When they have the opportunity to develop their art not only for the sake of income and food, there is a chance to create masterpieces that will remain in history for all time. Now we are talking not only about artists, sculptors or architects. The art of cooking is no less aesthetically pleasing and beautiful. And France is one of the striking examples of how gastronomy has developed.

French cuisine is conventionally divided into three parts: regional peasant cuisine, widespread national cuisine and highly refined cuisine, the basis for which was the royal court cuisine.

The regional cuisine of the southern provinces is sharply distinguished by the spiciness of food and the widespread use of wine and spices in its preparation, especially garlic and onions. Alsatian cuisine also has its own characteristic features, characterized by a significant consumption of cabbage and fatty pork, although residents of all other regions of France prefer lean varieties of meat (lamb, veal, chicken, various game). Burgundy is famous for seafood and meat dishes with the addition of wine. Of course, the population of the coastal provinces uses a large number of seafood.

French cuisine practically does not use dairy products, with the exception of cheeses, of which there are several dozen varieties. Also, the French almost never eat cereals - they love fresh vegetables. The main feature that distinguishes French cuisine is the presence of several hundred different sauces. Using sauces helps enhance the flavor of even the most ordinary dishes.

The French regard cooking as an art, and dozens of borrowed words (restaurant, side dish, omelette, sauce, entrecote, mayonnaise, soufflé and many others) emphasize the universal respect for their cuisine. It is curious that in France the word “gourmet” means, first of all, a lover of abundant and tasty food, while a connoisseur who understands the intricacies of exquisite dishes is called a gourmet (French gourmet).

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French cuisine for breakfast

(omelette) - a well-known and easy-to-prepare dish came to us from France. Traditionally, nothing is added to it; A real French omelette is beaten eggs fried in a frying pan in butter. It is made flat, not fluffy, rolled into a tube or folded in half.

In French cuisine, regular references to a dish called “omelet” are found in the 16th century (although there are earlier, but rare cases), but the omelet in its modern form appeared only in the 18th century.

(croissant) - a bagel made of puff pastry with filling, the most famous French pastry. Traditionally served for breakfast. Butter puff yeast dough gives baked goods a delicate airy structure. The modern croissant is a staple of French and Austrian bakeries and pastry shops. Thanks to the advent of factory-made frozen puff pastry in the 70s, they have become a widely popular fast food and now everyone can bake croissants, not just experienced chefs. The croissant is the most common pastry served with a continental-style breakfast.

Similar buns have been known in Austria since the 13th century, but they became popular only when they began to be baked in Paris. However, the Viennese and French croissants are different: the French borrowed only the shape from Austrian confectioners, and came up with the type of dough themselves. There are various culinary legends around the bun, which have no confirmation. For example, as if their shape is a reference to the Ottoman crescent.

The filling in a croissant can be anything - praline, almond paste, chocolate, dried fruits, fresh fruits. By the way, it is in France that croissants without filling are most often sold.

(œuf poché) is a simple and nutritious dish that came to us from France. The essence of the poached method is boiling eggs without shells in hot water. This is a method that allows you to achieve the desired result only with two components - the exact cooking time and the inadmissibility of boiling water.

There are different recipes based on poached eggs: they are sprinkled with herbs, salt, added to soups, and placed on sandwiches. One of the popular breakfast options is eggs benedict(bun with poached egg, bacon and sauce). The main thing is to use very fresh eggs. Chefs also recommend choosing the highest category of eggs (their yolk is bright and large). Then the cooked egg will consist of a delicate soft yolk in a thin, light, almost imperceptible layer of white.

Traditional French dishes for starters (soups)

(pot-au-feu) or pot-au-feu is a traditional “homemade” soup with beef and vegetables. Translated, its name - “pot on fire” - literally reflects the method of preparation: in winter, a pot of water was hung over the fire, where vegetables, meat and roots were placed. As they were cooked, they were selected and eaten, and a new portion of ingredients was added to the pot.

Potofyo takes a very long time to prepare, so the dish has practically disappeared from household use. Traditionally, the soup is topped with several pieces of inexpensive beef with bones, carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage and turnips. Sometimes mushrooms are added. Onions are often deep fried for a smoky flavor. The presentation of the dish distinguishes it from other soups - vegetables and meat are served separately from the broth. They can be additionally seasoned with a side dish. Seasonings such as mustard, horseradish and mayonnaise are combined with potofe.

Over time, the term "potofyo" became a common noun. In Russia it was used as a synonym for the word “philistine”, since the soup is the simplest, “philistine”.

(coq au vin) or coq-au-vin is a traditional dish of French cuisine. Depending on the type of wine, there are several preparation options. It is generally accepted that the original recipe was invented in Burgundy, therefore Burgundy wine is considered the most suitable. You can also cook the rooster in champagne, Riesling, or Beaujolais Nouveau.

The dish is prepared from the whole bird, unlike, for example, duck confit, where only the legs are used. The sauce must include top-quality wine, which is also served with the dish at the table. Traditionally, it is served as a side dish with rooster in wine.

However, why a rooster? There is a legend about the origin of the dish from the time of Caesar: when the Romans conquered the Gauls (gallus - rooster), one of the leaders of the Gauls presented the future emperor with a live rooster, thus wanting to emphasize the valor of Rome. Caesar “returned” the gift by boiling the rooster in wine. Since the dish is national and actually folk, researchers still assume, since the dish is national and actually folk, that the rooster was boiled in wine to make its rather tough meat softer.

(cassoulet) - a stew with meat and beans, similar in consistency to a thick stew. To prepare it, a cassette (a special deep pot) is used. Previously, the dish was prepared in ceramic casserole dishes, but today they are made from aluminum foil.

Cassoulet originated as a folk dish in the southern regions of France and is still very popular today in Languedoc and Occitanie. This is, in fact, the birthplace of all kinds of cold cuts. Cassoulet traditionally includes white beans, sausages, pork, goose or, sometimes, lamb is present in the recipe.

Cook over low heat in a closed container - this is done in order to reduce the characteristic feature of beans to cause the accumulation of gases. Traditionally, French peasants cooked all the ingredients together in a pot, but nowadays it is customary to prepare cassoulet from beans and fried meat, pre-boiled with vegetables.

(bœuf bourguignon) or beef Burgundy is a traditional French dish, which, like, gave the world one of the most famous regions of France - Burgundy. The main “highlight” of the dish is a thick sauce based on red wine, naturally Burgundy.

The classic recipe for boeuf bourguignon is fried beef, which is stewed in a wine sauce with mushrooms, onions, carrots and garlic. However, these are very arbitrary ingredients, since there is no single generally accepted preparation option. Some cooks add tomato sauce, parsley and tomatoes to the dish.

Auguste Escoffier (1848-1935) introduced beef Bourguignon into the menu of “haute cuisine” in France, and according to critics, this is one of the most delicious beef dishes, although the origin of the dish is folk. Previously, beef was stewed for a long time (more than three hours) in wine sauce in order to remove the toughness of the meat. Today, cooks use tender “marbled” meat, veal, and therefore there is no need for long cooking, as the French peasants did.

(bouillabaisse) is a French original fish soup, a popular dish along the Mediterranean coast. The name consists of two words: boil and simmer. Initially, it was a cheap soup made from leftover fish that could not be sold at the market during the day. Today, bouillabaisse includes halibut, hake, mullet, eel and even seafood - clams, mussels, crab, octopus. During cooking, add fish to the broth one by one and bring to a boil. The classic recipe also includes a set of Provençal herbs and vegetables: tomatoes, potatoes, celery, onions (pre-fried and stewed). Bouillabaisse is served with mayonnaise in olive oil with spices and garlic, and slices of grilled bread.

Previously, bouillabaisse was served as follows: broth and slices of bread separately, and fish and vegetables separately. The wide popularity of the dish and the influx of tourists on the southern coast of France created new bouillabaisse recipes - with expensive ingredients and exquisite seafood delicacies. Such dish options can cost 150-200 euros per serving. In some areas, nuts, Calvados, vinegar are added to the soup, and a bouquet garni is used instead of Provençal herbs.

(vichyssoise) - onion soup-puree, named after the French resort of Vichy. The history of the soup causes debate among culinary specialists. According to Julia Child, it was created in America, but most experts attribute its creation to the famous Ritz-Carlton chef Louis Diat, who first prepared vichyssoise in 1950, based on childhood memories. Initially, a similar dish appeared as a hot soup made from potatoes and various types of onions (primarily leeks) at the end of the 19th century, and the chef’s innovation was that he came up with the idea of ​​whipping it with cold cream.

Traditionally, vichyssoise is served cold, sometimes with the addition of crackers. The soup is also served with shrimp salad with garlic and fennel.

(consommé) - beef or chicken broth, strong but clarified. In a modern version, the dish is complemented by a pie. Usually the broth is prepared with minced meat, but some restaurants serve consommé of vegetables and even fruits.

Whipped egg whites are used to remove sediment and fat from the broth. The broth is also cooked with the addition of carrots, celery, and leeks, which are removed before serving. The classic taste of consommé is achieved by cooking at high temperature and frequent stirring: this way the broth is cooked until a dense protein film appears on its surface. Then it is simmered over low heat for about an hour until an amber translucent color and rich aroma are obtained.

Consommé is usually served hot because it hardens and forms a jelly. The side dish for it can be very different, but it is certainly served separately. Consommé is considered one of the most exquisite dishes, since its preparation requires a large amount of meat (about 500 grams of minced meat per serving of broth) and the poor could not afford such a wasteful dish. It is also common to serve gelled broth - chilled consommé.

(soupe à l "oignon) - a soup typical of French cuisine based on meat broth, with onions and cheese. Served with croutons. Similar onion-based soups have been known since Roman times - this is a popular food among the poor, who have always had onions in their abundance. The current version of the dish originated around the 18th century. According to French legend, it was first prepared by King Louis XV, who, while hunting, was hungry, but late at night in the house there was only onions, champagne and butter. According to other sources, a similar dish was popular among Parisian workers and market traders. Today, French onion soup consists of caramelized onions in beef broth in a pot with croutons, with Comte cheese melting on top of the soup.

Thanks to the use of sauteed onions, the soup acquires a wonderful aroma and golden color. Cooks caramelize the onions for at least half an hour. For original notes, sherry or dry white wine can be added to the soup before serving the dish.

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Traditional French dishes for main course

(confit de canard) - stewed duck legs; a dish originally from the Gascony region (southern France). Confit arose as a way to preserve meat in the absence of the possibility of long-term storage. Usually the legs were salted and stewed for a long time in their own fat. Then they were placed in a ceramic pot and filled with the same fat. In this form, in a cold cellar, the prepared dish could be stored for months.

Today the recipe has changed somewhat: the duck is still rubbed with salt, herbs, garlic, but then kept in the refrigerator for more than a day. It is cooked in its own fat or in olive oil for several hours (from 4 to 10). Properly cooked duck confit in an airtight container can be stored in the refrigerator for up to six months. In a modern classic recipe, duck confit is served with roasted potatoes.

(foie gras) - fatty liver, this is how the name of this most delicate dish is literally translated. Even the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans mastered the practice of force-feeding waterfowl. By the way, we even owe the French word foie - liver - to the ancient Romans, whose geese were fed figs, and received from them “fig liver”, ficatum.

Today, mainly ducks and mulards (a cross between a duck and a goose) are fed to obtain liver. According to experts, the taste is practically indistinguishable. As a rule, foie gras is served before a hot dish and is accompanied by dessert white wine. But there are also original options - fried foie gras escalope.

(timbale) is a hearty and original dish, which is a pasta casserole in a special form. In general, timbales and timbales are products prepared in a special form, which does not allow the sauce or cream to spread, and also gives the dish a beautiful appearance. This was quite consistent with the spirit of the court cuisine of France at the beginning of the 19th century, when chefs were required to be able to prepare multi-story “palaces” from such timbales.

Today, timbale refers to large, long pasta that is used to fill a baking dish (bottom and sides). The filling can be very different - vegetables, mushrooms, cheese, meat. The top layer of timbale is again pasta.

(cuisses de grenouille) is an unusual delicacy to which the French owe the offensive nickname “paddling pools.” Connoisseurs claim that frog legs taste like a cross between chicken and fish. Only the upper part of the hind leg is eaten. According to statistics, more than 3 billion frogs are raised annually for this purpose.

(escargots de bourgogne) - snail appetizer, one of the specific famous dishes of French cuisine. In general, escargot is a term that unites all edible types of snails, but the French consider Burgundy snails to be the classic and most delicious.

Escargot is an exquisite delicacy served in expensive restaurants. Of course, you can buy live snails or semi-finished products in markets and stores in France. In the first case, you will have to prepare them yourself (an extremely troublesome task) - soak them in flour and herbs for several days, pour them over with boiling water, and remove the meat. Snail shells can be used to serve a dish more than once.

A mandatory component of the escargot recipe is green butter (whip garlic and parsley with salted butter). This mixture is placed on the bottom of the shell, then it is filled with snail meat, and again covered with green oil on top. The snails are baked in the oven until golden brown and eaten with a fork and special tongs. White wine is served with escargot.

(galantine) - “jelly” in Old French, aspic made from chicken, rabbit, veal. Galantine is a rather difficult to prepare, richly decorated dish (hence the name: galantine - complex). The classic recipe is as follows: minced meat is mixed with seasonings and eggs, then boiled in broth or baked, and then cooled to form the outer layer of jelly. The dish is served cold. Galantine in France is traditionally prepared from chicken, duck, pheasant, pork and lamb. Nowadays, the term “galantine” refers not only to a specific dish, but also to the technology of its preparation.

(aligot) - mashed potatoes and cheese, often with the addition of garlic, served with fried sausage or pork. The dish originated in the Auvergne region and spread widely at the end of the 19th century, mainly due to urbanization.

Aligo is made from mashed potatoes, to which cream, butter, garlic and chopped cheese are added (half a kilo of cheese per kilo of potatoes). As for the type of cheese, the Auvergne cheeses Tom and Cantal were traditionally used. Historically, this dish was prepared for pilgrims who, on the way to Santiago de Compostela, asked at the abbey on the Aubrac plateau to eat at least “something”, which in Latin sounds like “aliquid”. Nowadays, red wine is recommended for the dish.

(côtelette de volaille) - a dish very similar to “Kiev cutlet”. A classic French recipe: pounded chicken breast is stuffed with a creamy sauce, coated several times with a mixture of egg and breadcrumbs, then fried or baked in the oven. A variety of ingredients can be added to a creamy sauce, which can significantly change the taste of the dish as a whole.

In 1918, cutlets de volai were first served at one of the official receptions in Kyiv. Everyone liked the new dish and quickly entered the restaurant menu, receiving the name “Kiev cutlet.” Later, during mass production, its recipe was simplified - cold butter was used instead of sauce.

(choucroute) - Alsatian-style sauerkraut, a regional French dish. Usually this word refers not only to cabbage itself, but also to a side dish in the form of potatoes or meat products. Shukrut has been known in this form since the 19th century. The preparation method is as follows: finely shredded cabbage is infused for some time in brine, then it is boiled in beer or wine.

Sausages, knuckle, salted meat, and potatoes are traditionally added to choucroute. This is one of the popular Alsatian dishes. In 2012, choucroute was patented as a protected geographical name. Now manufacturers can produce products with this name only if the preparation technology complies with established standards. For example, heads of cabbage must weigh from 3 kg; when ripening, enzymes cannot be added and the temperature cannot be changed, and if choucroute is sold boiled, then only Alsatian alcohol is used for it. This guarantees high quality standards that have been developed over the years.

(gratin dauphinois) - potato casserole with cream. Names such as “potatoes a la dauphinois” and “dauphinois casserole” are also used. The dish was first mentioned in 1788. The original recipe included potatoes, garlic and butter, with cream and additional ingredients added later. The potatoes are cut into coin-thick slices, placed in layers and cooked in the oven over low heat for about an hour. You can also add cheese and eggs. The main thing is to choose the right potatoes, yellow and not too hard. The highlight of the dish is the aroma of garlic. As an alternative to cream, some recipes use poultry broth. Some recipes call for pre-breading of the potatoes.

French desserts

(creme fraiche) is a French fermented milk product with a fat content of no more than 30%, similar to sour cream. It is obtained from cream by adding lactic acid bacteria. Creme fraiche is practically not consumed as a separate dish, but is widely used as an ingredient for preparing a variety of soups, sauces and desserts. Sometimes it is used as a marinade for meat, then spices, garlic and herbs are added to it.

(crème brûlée) is a dessert whose name translates as “burnt cream.” The earliest mention of it dates back to the 17th century and appears in the cookbook of François Messialot, chef of the Duke of Orleans. Therefore, creme brulee is traditionally considered a French dessert, although the British believe that its authorship belongs to them and creme brulee was first prepared at Trinity College Cambridge.

Crème brûlée is a custard base of cream, egg and sugar, topped with a layer of hardened caramel crust. Dessert should be at room temperature. The custard base is usually flavored with vanilla, and in some cases with other additives. Another variation of the recipe is Catalan cream, which contains lemon or orange zest and cinnamon. Its base is prepared with milk, unlike traditional creme brulee. Another original version of the recipe is crème brulee flambé - the custard is sprinkled with sugar and caramelized with a burner right before serving.

(éclair) is one of the most popular French desserts. The long tube of choux pastry filled with cream was most likely created by a famous chef named Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833). In the USA, eclairs actually mean yeast donuts, but real French eclairs are hollow inside, tender and correspond to the literal translation of “lightning” - they are eaten with lightning speed.

It's funny that in Germany these cakes were called "love bone" and "hare's foot." The characteristic oblong shape, glaze coating and delicate filling are the distinctive features of all eclairs. Choux pastry tubes are filled with vanilla, coffee or chocolate flavored cream, whipped cream, rum cream or fruit fillings and even chestnut puree. The glaze can be fondant, caramel, or chocolate.

French pies

Quiche lorraine, also known as Lorraine pie, is an open pie with filling and filling. The original savory quiche is made from shortcrust pastry, filled with smoked bacon and topped with a mixture of eggs and cream with pepper and sometimes nutmeg. Its main feature is the delicate baked crust that is formed from the filling.

Initially, quiche Laurent - a pie with Lorraine custard, as the egg-cream filling was called - appeared on the table at the beginning of the 17th century. Then it was sprinkled with cheese, but over time the cheese was replaced with bacon. Other varieties of pie also appeared - with fried onions or with fish and egg, or without any filling at all.

Today, quiche Laurent has become so popular that this name now refers to all savory pies with filling and filling. There are a lot of quiche recipes nowadays - vegetable, meat, fish, but quiche Laurent with brisket is still considered classic (sometimes supplemented with cheese; the original uses Gruyere cheese).

(pissaladière) - an open-faced onion pie with anchovies, similar to pizza. Originated in southern France and has become a traditional local dish, especially popular in the Nice area. A real pissaladiere should contain pissala (a salted puree of very small anchovies and sardines with herbs), but due to the ban on catching such small fish in the Mediterranean, the pie began to be made from the pulp of lightly cured anchovies (sometimes they are ground into minced meat). The onions are caramelized over time in olive oil, and garlic, thyme and black olives are also added.

(tarte tatin) is a French apple pie in which apples are caramelized in sugar and butter. It appeared at the end of the 19th century, perhaps thanks to Stephanie Tatin (the owner of a hotel near Paris), who, while preparing a regular pie, forgot about the apples in the frying pan and almost burned them. Then she poured the dough directly onto the burnt apples and put it in the oven in this form (along with the frying pan). Then the woman turned the finished pie over, which, to everyone’s surprise, turned out to be a delicious delicacy.

The unusual thing about tarte tatin is that it is baked upside down. This is how apple upside-down pie became the signature dish of the Tatin sisters. At least according to legend. The owner of the famous Parisian restaurant Maxim, having tasted this new dessert, was amazed and included it in his menu. For tarte tatin, not only apples are used, but also pears, peaches and even tomatoes and onions. The dough can be shortbread or puff pastry.

French pastries

(canelé) is a signature French dessert originally from Aquitaine. This is a small cake that has a hard crispy crust on the outside and a tender dough on the inside. The term originated from the architectural "flute" - a column with grooves. The dessert has the same shape.

There is a story that caneles appeared in the 18th century, perhaps thanks to the nuns who invented the dessert - small oblong fried pieces of dough. Another legend is associated with winemaking in the Bordeaux region - in this area, the wine goes through a clarification stage with the help of beaten egg whites, while the unnecessary yolks were sent to the monastery, where a cake was invented based on them.

The required ingredients for canele include vanilla, rum, yolk and cane sugar. It is difficult to say whether 18th-century monastery pastries were the predecessors of modern canelets, but they were called, in any case, it seems - canoliers. Today, canele is one of the most popular “simple” desserts. They are even served with champagne and wine - this is a versatile, delicate and aromatic dessert.

(gougères) - savory pastries filled with cheese. Gougères look like small cakes made from choux pastry, from 3 to 12 cm in diameter. For their preparation, cheese is used that has a pronounced taste, for example, Comte, Gruyère, Emmental. Grated or finely chopped cheese is added directly to the dough. In some recipes, gougères are filled with meat, mushrooms, and ham. It is believed that they were first made in Burgundy. Served during wine tasting (cold), and as an aperitif - hot.

In the 18th-19th centuries, gougères were made from tubes of dough, sometimes it was just a flat pie. Even earlier, gougères meant stewed meat in dough, as well as a medieval cheese pie with filling. In England there is a similar pastry - scones. Gougères differ from them by the obligatory presence of cheese, which gives the baked goods a piquant taste.

(vol-au-vent) - a savory appetizer, a dish of French cuisine, the name of which translates as “flying in the wind.” This puff pastry confectionery product is usually filled with meat, fish or mushroom.

Initially, vol-au-vent was prepared as a small pie and had about 20 cm in diameter. The famous chef Antoine Carême (1784-1833) used the light and crisp puff pastry to create a savory or sweet unusual snack. They say that when the flat rings from which he made the cake expanded greatly in the oven, as happens with puff pastry, Karem's student noticed that the cake seemed to fly into the air - hence the characteristic name. Later, the vol-au-vents were reduced in size by at least half, “to the queen’s bite.”

The filling for vol-au-vent can be very different: stewed meat, fish, mushrooms, even snails and crayfish. The main feature of the dish is its original shape. Vol-au-vent consists of several dough rings held together with egg whites. The appetizer is served hot.

(baguette) - a long soft bun with a crust; considered a symbol of French cuisine. Typically, a baguette is about 65 cm long, 6 cm wide, and weighs 250 grams. Its name is borrowed from Italian and translates as “stick”. The forerunners of these long loaves were known in France back in the days of Louis XIV - they were described as six-foot thin loaves, more like a weapon or a crowbar.

The baguette is usually broken rather than cut. It is eaten only fresh; a few hours after cooking it goes stale. The main condition for creating an airy, light baguette is a well-heated oven. One of the features of a baguette is the speed of its preparation.

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Other traditional French dishes

(andouillette) - an original type of French sausage; a typical dish for the regions of Champagne, Picardy, Flanders, Lyon. Andouille is a stuffing made from ground up intestines and gizzard with seasonings, peppers, onions and wine that are used to stuff the pork intestines. The dish is practically not found anywhere except France and has a specific original smell that arises from its ingredients. The mayor of Lyon once spoke about the smell of sausage: “Politics is like andouillet, it should smell a little unpleasant, but not too much.” Andouillet is served fried or grilled, both hot and cold.

Biscuits(les galettes) is a flour product whose main property is a long shelf life. This word (translated as “boulder”) refers to several dishes at once, including cookies, crackers, crackers, pancakes and even a type of bread. For example, a typical snack in the French region of Brittany is sausage biscuits, thin pancakes in which a fried sausage or sausage is wrapped.

Simple types of biscuits - crackers and crackers - are made from low-fat dough. They are stored for several years. They are still used in army and expeditionary rations, and taken with them on hiking trips. Despite the density, the structure of such “cookies” is layered and it is easily soaked in liquid. Fat biscuits are also prepared, in which the fat content (butter) can reach 18%.

Simple biscuits are a well-known food of French peasants. And if in Brittany biscuits are pancakes made from buckwheat flour with milk and eggs, then in other regions they are large cookies or shelf-stable bread. Thin buckwheat Breton spring rolls are a specialty of the local cuisine; they are decorated with eggs, meat, cheese, vegetables or fruits.

Like any other, French cuisine is conventionally divided into folk-peasant and refined-aristocratic. However, the phrase “French cuisine” is associated exclusively with the sophistication of culinary art, as well as with the delicate and delicate taste of dishes. And this makes sense. After all, thanks to the efforts of local chefs, the first McDonald's restaurant appeared in France in 1983!

The French are happy to use any vegetables and herbs in cooking. Dairy products are mainly represented by cheeses, and olive oil and butter are used as fat (depending on the region). In coastal areas, seafood is traditionally preferred, in continental areas - pork and game (at least they were once preferred). Frog legs are a delicacy that is consumed very, very rarely by ordinary French people.

Separately, it should be said about wine and sauces, which are an integral part of the menu of any native French family. Moreover, wines are often not just drunk, but used in the preparation of all kinds of dishes, boiled down and completely exhausted during the cooking process. After all, the main thing is not the degree, but the taste, flavor and aroma!

In this collection, our chefs share recipes for French cuisine with photographs and step by step instructions preparations. Bon appetit!

It’s hard to argue with the sophistication and versatility of French cuisine. Each historical region of France has its own traditional dishes, the recipes of which have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Below are the most famous French dishes that you can try in best restaurants Paris.

French soups

Onion soup - soupe à l'oignon gratinée

One of the most popular French dishes among foreigners is thick onion soup. The rich aroma of this dish is given not by the chicken or meat broth in which it is cooked, but by sautéed onions. For piquancy, dry white wine, cognac or sherry is added to the almost finished soup.

When serving, the dish is often complemented with hard cheese and golden brown croutons made from white bread. Any French restaurant offers its visitors aromatic onion soup, but every chef has his own secrets for preparing this simple dish.

Bouillabaisse

Another French soup with scallops, mussels and crabs – bouillabaisse – is famous throughout the world. This dish, invented by Marseille fishermen, is traditionally prepared without adding potatoes. To prepare bouillabaisse, fillets of sea rooster, sunfish, sea scorpion and other varieties of local fish are used. It is believed that the more types of fish included in a dish, the better and richer the broth.

Bouillabaisse is usually served in tall plates with garlicky rowley sauce and fresh crusty bread or toast. White wine goes well with this fish soup.

Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a stew with a thick consistency, which is prepared in a special clay pot - a cassette. A dish of beans, meat and herbs is prepared.

The meat can be either pork or lamb, and cassoulet is also prepared from goose or duck meat.

Consomme – Consommé

Consommé in France is a clarified broth based on chicken or beef. Today, consommé is generously salted and served with a pie; it is prepared on the basis of minced meat from the specified types of meat.

You can also find consommé based on vegetable or fruit broth in some restaurants.

Vichyssoise

Vichyssoise is a cold onion soup-puree, for the preparation of which several varieties of onions are used, including leeks - an essential ingredient in the soup. To prepare the dish, onions are fried with potatoes in butter, after which the vegetables are left to stew in chicken broth.

Before serving, beat the soup with cream until pureed. The soup is served with a salad of fried shrimp and dill. It is permissible to add crackers.

Second courses of French cuisine

Rooster or chicken in wine - coq au vin

In French cuisine, there are many recipes for chicken meat with the addition of wine, but rooster in wine with Burgundy wine is considered classic. This dish requires a rooster, but in modern conditions they are often replaced with chickens.

A whole chicken carcass is rubbed with seasonings and herbs and simmered over low heat with the addition of alcohol. Potatoes with parsley or green vegetables can be a side dish for chicken in wine. The dish goes well with red Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône wines.

Ratatouille

This light vegetable dish, originally from Nice and Provence, is popular all over the world. French ratatouille is prepared on the basis of eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, peppers, onions with the addition of tomato, garlic and Provençal herbs. The main secret of preparing this dish is that all ingredients need to be fried separately and only then simmered together.

Ratatouille can be served either on its own or as a side dish for main meat dishes. The dish, once invented by poor French peasants, is now in great demand in French restaurants.

Potau-feu

For those who love meat dishes of French cuisine, we recommend trying this dish. At its core, Potofe is a second dish with broth, which is why it is often called a “two in one” dish.

Potofe is prepared from beef, vegetables and seasonings. The essence of the preparation is inexpensive parts of meat that do not become soft during prolonged cooking, as well as cartilaginous parts are placed in the cauldron along with a variety of vegetables - carrots, onions, turnips, potatoes, celery, cabbage, mushrooms - the choice of vegetables is not regulated, seasonings are added and the cauldron is placed to the fire. Prolonged cooking promotes the transfer of taste qualities of products.

When serving, the broth is served separately - vegetables separately. Vermicelli or rice are often added to the broth; it is possible to add croutons - fried croutons. Vegetables are served with sauces such as Dijon mustard, horseradish, and coarse salt. Sometimes you can find pickles and mayonnaise when serving.

Potaufeux in France is an inexpensive, family-style home-cooked dish. However, due to the long preparation time, Potofe is preferred to be eaten in restaurants.

boeuf bourguignon

The second name of the dish is beef Bourguignon. It is prepared from lightly fried and then stewed pieces of beef in a thick sauce of beef broth and wine with the addition of garlic, onions, carrots, and mushrooms.

Serve boeuf bourguignon with mashed potatoes or rice.

Duck confit – Confit de canard

Duck confit is prepared from duck legs in a special way (simmering in fat), which is called confit.

In the traditional recipe, duck fat is used for cooking, however, if chicken legs are not cooked well, then any other fat, for example, olive oil, is used.

Timbale

Timbale is essentially a pasta casserole with your choice of filling - you can use meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.

The pasta is laid out in a spiral at the bottom of the pan and around the perimeter of the entire pie.

Aligo

Aligo is mashed potatoes with the addition of cheese, usually Savoy. The potatoes for this dish are boiled in their skins, then placed in a blender with a knife (vegetable cutter). While beating the potatoes, add chopped cheese.

After obtaining a homogeneous mass, the resulting mixture is placed in a mold, which is greased with butter and sour cream. Everything is heated over the fire, seasoned with salt and garlic at the end.
Aligo is served hot.

Cutlet de volaille

If you have ever tried the Kivski cutlet, then the dde volai cutlet is its analogue.

A chicken fillet cutlet is prepared, the inside of the cutlet is filled with green oil, the outside is breaded, the cutlet is fried in a generous amount of oil.

Shukrut – choucroute

Shukrut is sauerkraut with some kind of side dish: smoked meat, potatoes, meat. Traditionally, cabbage should be kept in brine, after which it can be cooked: boiled in wine or beer.

Meat products are also added here. Cabbage can be served with smoked sausages, knuckle or ham. It is also common to add boiled potatoes.

Gratin Dauphinois - gratin dauphinois

A popular potato side dish in French cuisine. For preparation, potatoes, cheese and heavy cream are used. To ensure that the dish is not too fatty, cream is mixed with milk.

A dressing made from lemon juice or wine sauce is acceptable.

Galantine

Meet the French aspic - galantine. It is usually prepared from lean meat. The peculiarity of preparing the dish is as follows: the meat is ground in a meat grinder, mixed with eggs and spices and then laid out in a symmetrical shape.

You can also cool food in cylindrical shape. Fish aspic is cooled under load.

Terrine

This is a kind of roll made from vegetables, minced meat or fish, which after baking is usually covered with jelly to prevent the dish from chapping around the edges. Served chilled.

Vegetable or fish terrines can be prepared without baking - filled with gelatin and cooled in the refrigerator. The output is aspic.

Andouillette

French spicy sausage, which is made from pork (cow or veal) stomach and intestines, previously soaked in wine, with the addition of hot pepper and salt. The filling is placed in the pork intestine and is then ready to be cooked.

Serve both hot and cold with or without garnish. This sausage can also be cooked on the grill.

French delicacies

Truffles - les truffes

The exquisite taste of truffles perfectly complements almost all French cuisine. Experienced chefs advise combining this delicacy with products that do not have their own distinct taste.

Most often, this delicacy is served raw, and the oysters must be alive. The classic presentation of raw oysters is as follows: a multiple of six open shells are laid out beautifully on a tray with crushed ice and generously sprinkled with lemon juice. In addition to them, they are usually served with rye bread with butter, sour or hot sauces (for example, from wine vinegar) and shallots. As for alcoholic drinks, oysters go well with dry white wine and brut champagne.

Snails – les escargots

Another favorite delicacy of the French are grape snails. There are a great variety of options for preparing them, the most common are boiling or baking over coals. As a rule, before cooking for 1-2 weeks, the snails are periodically washed to remove mucus and kept on a starvation diet. To cook, they are thrown into boiling water for just a few minutes and drained in a colander, rinsed with cold water. When baking the snails, just hold them over the heat for 10-15 minutes, then the slightly cooled shells are carefully separated from the tender meat.

The most common way to serve snails, or “escargot” as they are also called, is with spicy garlic sauce. The sauce is prepared using butter, garlic, parsley, hard cheese and seasonings. The cooked dish is served on a large plate with a gravy boat or in a special escargot bowl. The taste of snails is perfectly complemented by dry wines: white, red or rose.

Frog legs - des cuisses de grenouille

Although frog legs have long been firmly established in the taste preferences of French gourmets, not every restaurant can offer this delicacy. Only the rear fleshy parts of the legs without bones are consumed. The paws are first thoroughly washed with cold water and marinated in spices. They are then stewed with various seasonings or fried in batter.

In France, frog legs are usually served separately from the sauce with a side dish of vegetables. Tender frog meat tastes like chicken and goes well with white wine.

Chestnuts - les châtaignes

Chestnuts are the pride of national French cuisine. They are used to prepare hot dishes, soups, salads and delicious desserts, but roasted chestnuts have gained the greatest popularity among the French.

At home, roasted chestnuts can be prepared in the oven. To prevent the fruits from bursting, you must first make a small cross-shaped cut on them. Before preparing other dishes from chestnuts, they must be peeled, cut and boiled for 2 - 3 minutes in boiling water.

For a beautiful presentation, they usually use a large flat plate, and on the French streets the aromatic delicacy is simply wrapped in a paper bag.

French pastries

Quiche

Quiche is an open pie with egg, cream and cheese filling.

The filling of the pie can be different: smoked brisket, vegetables, fish, meat and their combinations.

Tartiflette

Tartiflette is a potato casserole made with bacon, onions, dry white wine, and cheese.

All ingredients are laid out in layers and the dish is baked in the oven.

Pissaladière

Pissaladiere is an onion pie that has its origins in the Provence region.

The yeast crust is filled with a filling of two types of onions (onions and leeks). Thinly sliced ​​flesh of lightly dried fish, romidora, pitted and black olives are used as decoration. Visually reminiscent of pizza.

French desserts with photos

Clafoutis

Clafoutis is an open-faced fruit pie made from liquid egg dough. Place the fruit in the casserole dish first, followed by the batter.

Classic clafoutis is cherry, you can use canned cherries. Clafoutis can also be peach, apple, or pear.

Profiteroles – les profiterole

Appetizing profiteroles are one of the popular French desserts made from choux pastry. This delicacy consists of small cakes with various fillings. If profiteroles are filled with meat, cheese or mushroom filling, they can be served with broth.

Profiteroles without filling are also perfect for first courses, and sweet cream, cream or ice cream turn them into a delicious dessert. Sweet profiteroles, held together with caramel and laid out in a cone, are called croquembouche, it is very often prepared for wedding events.

Creme brulee - la crème brûlée

An airy French dessert made from custard with a delicious crust is called “creme brulee”. To prepare it, egg yolk, sugar, cream, milk and flavorings are used. All ingredients are mixed and heated, then baked in ceramic molds until the cream hardens.

At the end, the creme brulee crust must be carmelized under the grill or using a special burner. This dessert is usually served cold, first topped with caramel sauce.

Crepes - les crêpes

French thin pancakes made from yeast-free dough, called “crepes,” will delight any sweet tooth. There are endless variations on the theme of crepes; they are prepared with various fillings and baked in the oven. Most often, buckwheat flour is used for dough, which gives a dark color to the finished pancakes.

The basic recipe for crepes includes the same ingredients as Russian pancakes, but more eggs are added to the dough. These pancakes are baked in a krepnitsa - a special frying pan without handles. In France, butter, nut butter, jam, fresh berries and honey are traditionally used as fillings. Snack crepes are filled with bacon, cheese, ham and fried eggs.

Serving crepes is a reflection of the cook’s imagination: the dish is decorated with berries, topped with sauce or ice cream is added. I recommend you try Crêpe Suzette, a famous French dessert.

There are a lot of French desserts, so we dedicated an entire article to them. If you are interested, then be sure to read about them!