Visit Paris if you're one of those folks who refuses to eat because "there's more to life than food." It's a city known for its snobbish residents, yet they all believe in the value of fine food. Lunch breaks of two hours are required for three-course meals.
Wine and cheese pairings are the focus of entire two-week holidays around the country. Those who think of the French as food snobs will be surprised by their down-to-earth cookery (it is the birthplace of the Michelin Guide after all). When eaten in the appropriate restaurant, cassoulet, pot au feu, and steak frites are unforgettable.
Escargot is a slimy, garden-dwelling pest that has been transformed into a delicacy by the French. I have a lot of admiration for the fact that they taste so good.
Macarons remind me of unicorn food. In fact, anything from a French patisserie appears to have been conjured up from sugar, fairy dust, and little girls' dinner wishes.
The baguette is both the first and last item you should eat in France. The first bite will transform you; the last will leave you yearning for more.
Foie gras tastes like 10,000 ducks cooked in butter and reduced to a silky pudding, yet some animal rights activists object to poultry being force-fed to fatten their livers.
Recently, I've been thinking about French cuisine. My travels haven't taken me to France in a long time, and while I've been enjoying unusual foods all around the world, I've been missing some traditional French cuisine. It's not just the well-known French cuisine, but also some lesser-known items. Of course, there are seasonal and wonderful classic French meals, but there are a few French regional foods that I can't get out of my head.
I have a large repertoire of French recipes that I use on a daily basis, but it's not the same as dining out in Paris or in a little Provence restaurant. There isn't even a small French Bistro in my region of the world where I can get my dose, so I'm out of luck there as well.
I have a busy year ahead of me, and unfortunately, France is not one of them, so as a treat, I thought I'd share some of the must-try foods in Paris and other French classics with you.
This is a fantastic dish, especially in the winter. You will feel instantaneously warmer after eating a portion of tartiflette. This typical French meal can be found being cooked at several market stalls in Paris during the Christmas season. Potatoes, onions, lardons (bacon bits), and Reblochon cheese from the Savoy region of France go into this dish. It's traditionally baked, but at the markets, it's made in a massive paella-style pan. This is a must-try recipe if you like gooey cheese on a baked potato.
How do I express my love for thee? I'll count the ways for you. Don't even get me started on my fondness for French cheese. I could wax poetic for hours about it. There is so much to pick from, and while you can buy the more well-known French cheeses like Camembert, Roquefort (blue cheese), and Brie all across the world, I like the small jewels found at fromageries. If you happen to pass by a business like this, go inside and ask for a sample, or go to a nearby supermarket to see what they have. Tomme and freshly prepared fromages de chèvre are two of my other favorites (goats cheese).
Some people are put off by the earthy, nasty, organic smell of truffles, but if you can get over that, give it a try. Steve claims to despise them, but while we were in Italy, he happily devoured a spaghetti dish filled with freshly shaved truffle. Truffles, called Truffe in France, are a rare, seasonal, and expensive delicacy. Black and white are the two sorts, with black being the most expensive and sought after. Truffles are a species of fungus that grows naturally in woodland places around oak trees, similar to mushrooms. To track them down, specially trained dogs or pigs are utilized. Foie gras with truffles and scrambled egg or omelettes topped with copious shavings of truffle are two popular truffle meals.
Baguettes must be one of France's most popular foods. Baguettes in France are a fantastic example of how not all bread is created equal. It's possible that loaves of bread that appear to be baguettes are actually batons. What's the difference, exactly?
A baguette must be prepared on the premises where it is sold, according to a law passed in 1993. They can't be frozen, and they can't have any added ingredients or preservatives. They can only have four components: wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast. Every year, a competition for the greatest traditional baguette is held in France. That's how committed the French are to their bread.
Another French delicacy that has made its way throughout the globe. I always buy croissants, but I've had more awful or ordinary croissants than nice ones throughout the years. Of course, they'll taste just as excellent if you buy them from a French bakery, but the rich, buttery flakiness of the pastry is hard to obtain anyplace else. When I walk into a boulangerie in the morning, the smell makes me hungry right away. I have to get a couple of croissants with the rich almond filling (aux amandes) in addition to conventional croissants. What a wonderful way to spend the day. YUM!
Snails are another seasonal favorite in France when it comes to eating. The Burgundy region produces some of France's best snails. They are not cooked the same way as ones seen in Portugal or Spain. Snails are served in France with a delicious parsley and garlic butter sauce that is to die for. To mop up the sauce, all you need is a couple of slices of baguette.
This dish has its beginnings in a promise given to his people by King Henri IV (1553 – 1610), who promised them "a chicken in every pot," or so the tale goes, and thus a new cuisine was formed. It is a traditional French dish that you should taste. Coq-au-vin (wine-soaked rooster) is a typical Burgundy dish. Riesling is used in the Alsatian version, which I like. It has a more delicate flavor and a lighter color. With onions, garlic, lardons, and mushrooms, the dish is comparable to Boeuf Bourguignon. Allowing it to simmer slowly over low heat is the easiest part. The longer the dish is cooked, the more concentrated the flavors get and the flesh becomes softer. This has to be near the top of the list when it comes to famous French cuisine.
I'm undecided about whether to call this a seafood soup or a stew. Bouillabaisse is a classic example of French cuisine that is popular across France, although the best examples may be found on the coast surrounding Marseilles. Another simple meal invented by fisherman is this one. This thick soupy stew normally contains at least four varieties of fish and shellfish, as well as herbs cultivated in the south of France. Egg yolk, mustard, and tomatoes are among the additional ingredients. This is a popular meal in France that you should try, particularly if you enjoy shellfish.
This winter warmer, which has its origins in the Burgundy region, is a must-have on any list of French foods. It's a substantial beef stew made with beef boiled in beef stock and red wine from the Burgundy region, along with carrots, garlic, onions, and a bouquet garni (fresh herbs woven together) that's cooked gently.
This soup has been around since the Roman era and is one of the most popular French dishes to try. In the 18th century, Paris was the birthplace of the modern form. The onions are slowly caramelized before being added to the meat stock and thyme. The dish is finished with a slice of bread topped with grated melted cheese. You might want to try this excellent recipe from David Leibovitz.
I try to limit myself to only eating local specialties whenever I visit. You would assume that a quiche isn't that thrilling, but you'd be mistaken. The name "quiche" comes from the German word "kuchen," which means "cake."
In the distant past, this section of France was ruled by the Germans and was known as Lorraine, hence the name quiche Lorraine. The crust was originally constructed of bread dough, but in the twentieth century, it evolved into the lightest, most melt-in-your-mouth pasty. Gruyere cheese, lardons, onions, and nutmeg go into the creamy, luscious filling. It just takes one bite of the actual thing to realize how delicious quiche can be.
Crepes originated in Brittany but are now popular throughout France, and they always taste better in France than they do at home. A decent crepe is really thin, and my favorite variation is chocolate-filled. A simpler variant, folded into quarters, is dusted with sugar (au sucre) or drizzled with lemon juice (au citron).
What exactly is a galette? A galette is a type of crepe that is prepared from buckwheat flour and has a greyish color. These are the pancakes that usually feature savory contents like ham, cheese, or andouille, although nowadays you may get more innovative fillings if you go to a creperie.
Another typical French dish is cassoulet, which comes from the Languedoc region in the south of France. It's a slow-cooking casserole with white beans and duck. Pork sausage, mutton, and, on rare occasions, goose are served. Depending on which place you visit, the dish has slightly varied variations. For example, in Carcassonne, the amount of mutton is doubled, whereas in Castelnaudary, duck confit is used instead of mutton, and this is the version I like.
This is the ideal dish for meat eaters, and it doesn't even require cooking! It's uncooked beef that's been carefully diced and seasoned by hand. To finish the meal, onions, capers, cornichons, and a raw egg are added. This famous French meal requires only the finest cuts of beef. I know it sounds like the ideal lunch for vampires, but it's one of the renowned French dishes that's both delicious and surprising. It's also one of the French cuisines that's simple to make at home. French Odyssey, a cookbook that accompanies a British television series hosted by Rick Stein, is one of my favorite French cookbooks. His book has the perfect recipe for steak tartare that I've discovered.
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