Cold French dishes. Traditional French cuisine. Where to try French cuisine

Ah, Versailles, Angelique, the King, balls and dinner parties... How beautiful it all looks in the light of a thousand candles in films about a beautiful Frenchwoman and her life adventures.

This is how you look and you really want to taste at least a little bit of that unattainable French luxury. And although now there are no more kings and their palaces can be safely visited, and dishes named after royal names can be tasted during an excursion tour, you still need to get ready for a trip and obtain a visa. But who’s stopping you from organizing a “branch of France” in your kitchen for at least one evening?

After all, French cuisine uses all the products available to us and you can safely treat yourself to truly French snacks accompanied by good French wine, purchased at the nearest wine store.

Fish and seafood dish

The French love to cook fish, but they do it in such a way that even a simple piece of fish will look elegant and appetizing. And the whole secret is in aromatic sauce. It’s not for nothing that France is famous for its magnificent sauces and dressings, which even the most ordinary dish will make it a culinary masterpiece.

Let's try the French recipe for tilapia with green sauce.

Ingredients:

For fish:

• Fish fillet – 3 pcs.
• Breadcrumbs - 50 gr.
• Egg – 1 pc.
• Sunflower oil – 3-4 tbsp. l.
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

For the sauce:

• Fresh dill - 1/4 bunch.
• Ready mustard – 1 tbsp. l.
• Lemon juice – ½ lemon.
• Honey – 1 tsp.
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. In a deep cup, combine honey with mustard and olive oil.

2. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon, trying to do this so that the seeds do not get into the future sauce.

3. Chop fresh, washed dill as finely as possible.

4. Pour the chopped dill into a cup with the liquid ingredients and beat everything thoroughly with a fork. The sauce is ready!

5. Prepare lezon from eggs with salt and pepper. To do this, beat them with a whisk until smooth and foamy.

6. Rinse the fish thoroughly, dry with paper towels and dip in the lezone one by one. Each side should be coated with the egg mixture.

7. After this, immediately place it in a plate with breadcrumbs to cover the fillet with bread crumbs.

8. Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan and fry on each side for about 5 minutes so that the fish meat is well fried and the breading acquires a fried appearance that is pleasant to the eye.

When you turn it over to the second side, add a spoonful of fresh oil to avoid the taste of overcooked oil.

9. Place the fried fish, add boiled vegetables, a slice of lemon and pour over the green sauce.

Bon appetit!

French style meat dish

In the old days, the French “high society” was famous for its hunting trips with dogs. Even if the gentlemen did not manage to shoot a single animal or bird during their “fun,” upon their return they still wanted to taste freshly prepared meat dishes. Both whole carcasses were prepared on a spit, as well as all kinds of cutlets, rolls, pates, etc.

The chefs, wanting to surpass the culinary skills of their colleagues and glorify their owner, came up with incredible combinations of products and the results were very, very original and tasty.

They also paid attention to the delicious meat balls. To this day, restaurants serve the famous Languedoc-style meatballs - according to old recipe, which was invented and prepared in the former historical southern French region.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

• Minced pork and beef – 700 gr.
• Chicken egg – 2 pcs.
• Garlic clove – 4 pcs.
• Flour – 3 tbsp. l.
• Parsley – 5 sprigs.
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

For the sauce:

• Pitless olives - 200 gr.
• Meat broth – 0.5 l.
• Salted lard – 120 gr.
• Boiled-smoked ham – 60 gr.
• Tomato – 2-3 pcs.
• Onion – 2 pcs.
• Flour – 2 tbsp. l.
• Sunflower oil – 3 tbsp. l.
• Cayenne pepper, salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. To prepare minced meat for meatballs, you need to chop the garlic cloves and parsley sprigs as finely as possible. Then add them to minced pork and beef along with the eggs. Add salt and pepper to your taste and mix well until you get a homogeneous consistency.

2. Use a spoon to scoop out the meat mixture and “pop” it so that the minced meat becomes a little denser and then does not crumble during cooking. Gently roll three-centimeter balls between your palms and roll them in flour. Place in the refrigerator while you make the sauce.

2. Make small slices of lard, ham, onions and tomatoes.

3. Place the meatballs in hot oil for 4 minutes to lightly fry, then remove and place on a plate.

4. Pour the lard-ham pieces into the remaining oil and fry for 5-7 minutes while stirring.

5. Add vegetables to them and season with red pepper. And to thicken the sauce, add 2 tablespoons of flour while stirring vigorously, and then let it simmer under a closed lid for about 5 minutes.

6. Top up meat broth, stir until smooth and let it boil. Simmer the fried meatballs in the sauce for half an hour.

7. To prevent the finished dish from overpowering the taste of the olives, first cut them into halves and throw them into boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain off excess water and leave in a colander for a few minutes to dry slightly.

If the olives are small, you can use them whole.

8. Add scalded olives to the almost finished dish and simmer for another 10 minutes.

9. For a side dish, you can prepare mashed potatoes or fried potatoes and, beautifully placing them on a plate along with cooked meatballs in a complex sauce, sprinkle with herbs and serve while still hot.

Bon appetit!

Dish of vegetables and nuts

Provence is famous for its herbs, spices and vegetables. It was from this French province that the love for casseroles, mayonnaise and baked dishes with Provencal herbs spread throughout the world.

You can experience the taste that this part of the world is proud of by preparing Provençal vegetable casserole.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 300 gr.
• Canned green beans – 400 gr.
• Zucchini – 250 gr.
• Tomato – 400 gr.
• Vegetable broth – 150 ml.
• Grated Parmesan – 40 gr.
• Onion – 150 gr.
• Tomato paste – 3 tbsp. l.
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Paprika – 1 tsp.
• Parsley – 20 gr.
• Sunflower oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• Crushed nuts – 2 tbsp. l.
• Salt - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Cut the onion into rings about half a centimeter thick. Grind the garlic with a press or chop it with a knife.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry in it for 7-8 minutes. onion rings and garlic.

3. Add paprika and let it soak a little in the hot oil and onion juice to release a delicate aroma. Then mix the roast with tomato paste, beans and chopped parsley and place in an even layer in a baking dish.

4. Cut the peeled potatoes into centimeter circles and place them in salted boiling water and cook for five minutes until half cooked.

5. Use a slotted spoon to remove the potato slices onto a plate and once they are slightly dry, arrange them in a layer over the onion and bean layer.

6. Peel the zucchini (if the skin is young and tender, you don’t have to remove it), cut into plastic or round pieces and place in a mold on top of the potatoes.

7. Cut the tomato into circles of even thickness and place on top of the zucchini.

8. Fill vegetable broth so that it completely covers all the vegetables and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for half an hour.

9. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and crushed nuts evenly over the almost finished dish and place in the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.

10. This dish can be eaten on its own without a side dish, served with fresh bread.

Bon appetit!

French dish with foie gras

Ah, this is an interesting and such a romantic word “foie gras”. It even sounds truly French! Do you know what it is? It actually means "very fatty liver." It does have a buttery, smooth texture and a sweetish flavor because the ducks and geese are fed in a special way to produce this effect. Although it is more expensive than usual chicken liver about once every 5, but it's worth it.

The secret of the dishes is that foie gras is cooked only at low temperatures so that the fat does not render out and the delicacy does not lose its value. Chefs also soak it in armagnac to create an amazing cognac flavor. But in our conditions, a good port wine or even milk is quite suitable if someone cannot stand the alcoholic note in the dish.

Ingredients:

• Duck foie gras – 150 gr.
• Milk – 0.5 cups.
• Porcini mushrooms – 100 gr.
• Dry morels – 3 gr.
• Chanterelles – 50 gr.
• Meat broth - 1-2 tbsp. l.
• Butter – 20 gr.
• Flour – 2 tbsp. l.
• Shallots -15 gr.
• Garlic – 1 clove.
• Parsley – 2 sprigs.
• Arugula - a few leaves for decoration.
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Thaw foie gras until room temperature, carefully remove the ducts and rinse. Then soak in milk for 5-8 hours.

2. Dredge the foie gras thoroughly in flour to form a crust that retains the fat during frying and quickly fry in a dry frying pan heated over medium heat.

During cooking, try not to disturb the foie gras so that the crust does not crack, and carefully turn it only once so that it is fried on the second side.

3. Soak the morels overnight. In the morning, wash them thoroughly under running water and chop them.

4. Thaw the remaining mushrooms to room temperature (ideally, take fresh ones), chop them into equal pieces.

5. Cut the shallots into circles.

6. Grind the garlic and parsley sprigs.

7. Pour oil into a frying pan and fry the sliced ​​porcini mushrooms until half cooked. Then add chanterelles to them, and after 7 minutes morels. When the mushroom assortment is almost ready, add round shallots. As soon as the shallots soften a little, add salt, pepper and add garlic and parsley. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes and turn off the heat in the pan.

8. Place arugula on a platter, add mushroom garnish and warm fried foie gras. To make it a little more tender, sprinkle warm meat broth on top.

9.Usually the French also sprinkle the dish from the “mill” with sea salt and Provençal herbs. Be sure to serve the toast slightly crispy.

Bon appetit!

Dish with French cheeses

The French love for blue cheese is world famous. Most of us are already familiar with cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert and Brie.

For most of our people, of course, cheese seems completely spoiled, but abroad green and white blue cheese is considered a delicacy. It turns out that such cheeses are not only consumed “fresh”, but also prepared in all sorts of luxurious dishes.

Let's try to cook some pieces fried cheese Brie with spicy tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

• Brie cheese – 300 gr.
• Green tomato – 2 pcs.
• Egg – 2 pcs.
• Green apple – 1 pc.
• Purple onion – 1 pc.
• Dried apricots – 4 pieces (large).
• Raisins – 1 tbsp. l.
• Lemon zest – 1 tbsp. l.
• Garlic clove – 2 pcs.
• Flour – 100 gr.
• Breadcrumbs – 1 cup.
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• Sunflower oil – 1 cup (for deep frying).
• Salt, spices - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Rinse dried apricots with raisins and soak in cool water for an hour and a half. Then rinse and let dry.

2. Scald the tomatoes with boiling water so that the skin can be easily peeled, and then chop the peeled tomatoes into small cubes.

3. Cut the skin off the apple and remove the core and seeds. Cut into cubes like tomatoes.

4. Chop the onion with garlic cloves with a knife and fry in heated olive oil for about 3 minutes.

5. Add apple and tomato cubes to the onion-garlic fry for a couple of minutes.

6. Chop the swollen rounds of dried apricots into strips and, together with the raisins, send them to simmer for three minutes with the previous ingredients. Along with the dried fruits, you can lightly salt the resulting sauce and add your favorite spices. Let cool to room temperature.

7. Mix flour well with lemon zest. Beat eggs with a pinch of salt until foam appears.

8. Cut the cheese into beautiful large pieces. Then first roll in the zest-flour mixture, then dip in the egg lezon and roll thoroughly in breadcrumbs.

It is advisable to dip the cheese pieces into all three of these cups with the elements of the future breadcrumb crust twice, so that you get a nice thick layer and the cheese does not leak out when melted.

9. Heat sunflower oil in a deep fryer or saucepan and lower the rolled cheese for one and a half to two minutes so that a beautiful bread crust is fried.

10. Place the fried cheese pieces beautifully on a dish, and the spicy tomato sauce For convenience, place in a cup and serve.

Bon appetit!

French dessert

If we are talking about French cuisine, then we cannot ignore the creations of these world-famous European confectioners. What kind of mousses, cakes, cookies, meringues, marshmallows and sweets they prepare! The variety of photographs from French pastry shops can make your head spin! Parisians love to have coffee breaks with all kinds of sweet desserts.

Their delicate chocolate petit fours, which are somewhat similar to shortbread cookies with cream and chocolate icing.

Ingredients:

• Flour – 1 cup.
• Butter – 170 gr. + 30 gr. + 50 gr.
• Sour cream – 2 tbsp. l.
• Milk – 70 ml. + 30 ml.
• Dry chocolate pudding – 40 gr.
• Starch - 2 tbsp. l.
• Baking powder – 1 tsp.
• Vanilla sugar – 10 gr.
• Sugar – 2 tbsp. l.
• Powdered sugar – 80 gr.
• Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Add a spoonful of baking powder and starch into the sifted flour. Mix well.

2. Add regular and vanilla sugar, sour cream and cut into pieces butter(170 g), rub thoroughly with your hands and knead into a homogeneous, soft dough with the consistency of “grandmother’s pie.” Place in the refrigerator to cool for at least half an hour.

3. Roll out the dough into a half-centimeter layer and cut out circles using a glass or a special cookie cutter.

4. Lay a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, place the blanks for future cookies on it and bake for 13 minutes in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.

5. Carefully remove the finished cookies from the parchment and let cool.

If you remove cookies that have already cooled down, they may break.

6. From milk whipped until foamy with sugar, butter (30 g) and mixture for chocolate pudding prepare well-whipped thick chocolate cream.

7. In a saucepan, combine milk (30 ml), powdered sugar, cocoa powder and the remaining butter and cook the chocolate icing with vigorous stirring.

When the mass becomes homogeneous and slightly thickened, the glaze is ready!

8. Place the cream in a pastry syringe or bag and squeeze out about a teaspoon onto half the number of finished cookies.

9. Place the second cookie on top. Squeeze lightly so that the cream is squeezed out from the center of the cookies to their edges, creating a uniform layer of cream, and pour the icing with a teaspoon.

10. You can decorate the top with a squeezed chocolate cream or jam.

Bon appetit!

Video recipe - Lenten Sunday lunch in French style

Let the aromas of French cooking captivate not only you and your household with their scent, but also make your neighbors kindly envy.

It doesn't matter if you cook very complex dish or the famous ratatouille, the main thing is that you feel a sense of satisfaction from your culinary masterpiece and nostalgia for royal times disappeared.

Bon appetit and an unforgettable feeling of a piece of France on your table!

The glory of France was brought by its beautiful, elegant language, sunny provinces with lush vineyards, and aromatic and light wine. Not inferior in popularity and bright taste qualities are the famous French dishes. Cooking in this country is the same kind of art as poetry, painting or music. Interestingly, for the French the word “gourmet” has two meanings. This is the name given to lovers of rich feasts and connoisseurs of fine, gourmet dishes. In this article we will tell you about popular appetizers, side dishes, desserts and main dishes that are served in the best French restaurants.

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Snacks

France gave the whole world poached eggs, duck liver, foie gras, and such a strange snack as frog legs. It should be added that all these products go well with wine and precede more substantial main courses.

Hot dishes

Food in different parts of France is completely different. Residents of the southern provinces prefer spicy food with garlic and spices. Alsatians love cabbage and fatty pork. And Burgundy is famous for its fish and meat dishes based on wine. However, the difference in tastes is smoothed out. There are more than a hundred of them in French cuisine.

Side dishes

Cereals are not popular in France. Their place is being taken by fresh and baked vegetables, among which potatoes have become an absolute favorite.

Soups

Everyone has heard about French onion soup. However, besides this, local residents use chicken broths, homemade soups with vegetables and fish soups.

Dessert

Since food is treated with great respect in France, it is not surprising that it is also enjoyed in other countries. Croissants, creme brulee, eclairs - all these delicacies were given to the world by France.

Baking and baking

Crispy baguettes are a national treasure of France. Dry biscuits are no less famous. However, these recipes do not limit the culinary talents of local bakers.

Where to try French cuisine?

The best specialties of French cuisine come closer with CaterMe. Place just 1 application on the website to receive personalized offers from catering companies and restaurants specializing in onion soup, potaufeux and soufflé. And enjoy gourmet snacks without leaving home.

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 coastal provinces consumes a large amount 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 various 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; real french omelette- These are 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 poached eggs based different recipes: 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 original recipe was invented in Burgundy, so 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. Wine must be included in the sauce premium, it 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 Occitania. 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.

Classic recipe boeuf bourguignon - 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) - 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 olive oil with spices and garlic, 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 hot potato soup and different varieties onions (primarily leeks) at the end of the 19th century, and the chef’s innovation was to whip 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. Classic taste consommé is achieved by cooking at high temperature and stirring frequently: 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 is caramelized onions in beef broth in a pot with croutons. Comte cheese melts on the surface 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 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 is literally translated the most delicate dish. 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) - 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 everything edible species snails, but the French consider Burgundy snails 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: chopped meat mixed with seasonings and eggs, then simmered in broth or baked, then cooled to form an 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”. Classical french recipe: beaten off chicken breast filled with cream sauce, covered several times with a mixture of eggs and breadcrumbs, then fried or baked in the oven. IN cream sauce You can add a variety of ingredients, 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) - sauerkraut in Alsatian style, a dish of regional French cuisine. 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.

Creme Brulee is custard base made from cream with egg and sugar, the top of which is 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. Long tube of choux pastry 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." Characteristic oblong shape, glaze coating and delicate filling - distinctive features all eclairs. The choux pastry tubes are filled with cream with vanilla, coffee or chocolate flavor, whipped cream, cream with rum 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 a open pie with filling and filling. The original savory quiche is made from shortcrust pastry, stuffed smoked bacon and filled with a mixture of eggs and cream with pepper, and sometimes with nutmeg. Its main feature is the delicate baked crust that is formed from the filling.

Initially Quiche Lauren- 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) - open 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) - Apple pie French style, 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. So 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 a stew of 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 pastry made from puff pastry and usually filled with meat, fish or mushrooms.

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 light and crispy puff pastry to make a salty or sweet unusual snack. It is said 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 rings of dough, attached to each other using egg white. 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, 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 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 and are topped with eggs, meat, cheese, vegetables or fruit.

Snacks in France, these are not just dishes that precede lunch. Light snacks are an essential part of a French aperitif. And an aperitif is by no means only a weak alcoholic drink, stimulating appetite. This and delicious dishes, and an excellent occasion for communication. The roots of this tradition go back to the beginning of the last century, in the Belle Epoque, when the aperitif became a special occasion for meeting friends or business partners. Whether at home or in a cafe, a little alcohol before lunch or dinner was supposed to loosen up the guests and improve their appetite. It is believed that when taken on time and correctly, an aperitif relieves digestive problems.

There are no strict rules for organizing an aperitif, so feel free to trust your taste. For an aperitif, you can also serve Lorraine or Alsatian pie, homebaked bread, cheese plate, tartlets with a variety of fillings, sandwiches, sandwiches, tartines and canapés, salads, pates, sausages, seafood, vegetables and much more.

Pate- traditional French appetizer. Typically, pates are made from chicken, duck, turkey, as well as pork or veal liver and different types meat (ideally wild boar, roe deer, rabbit, but beef or pork will also work). Poultry liver goes perfectly with fruits and berries - sweet, sour, and sweet and sour, but in no case with cranberries. But apples, raspberries, blackberries - raw or lightly stewed in oil - will give the dish an exotic and festive look and taste. Mushrooms, cheese, vegetables, and herbs are often added to the pate. To make the taste of the pate more delicate, alcohol is added to it - cognac, muscat wine.

Terrine, a type of pate popular in France, is a casserole made from finely chopped minced meat (meat, vegetables, fish) laid out in several layers, filled with jelly.
Preparing terrine requires strict adherence to the recipe and care. If you don't dry the terrine enough before pouring the jelly, unappetizing white spots will appear on the finished dish.

Despite the name, julienne This is not exactly a French dish, although it is directly related to France. In French cooking, this word refers to the method of cutting young vegetables into thin strips, as well as dishes in which these finely chopped vegetables are included, for example, julienne soup, julienne salad. But since all the ingredients are in the usual julienne, i.e. mushrooms baked in sauce are also cut into thin strips, and this dish is rightly called julienne.

Meat, chicken, fish, shrimp, tongue, and ham are added to julienne. You can cook julienne without meat - only with mushrooms. Onions are an essential ingredient in julienne. As a filling, you can use sour cream thickened with egg or flour, or bechamel sauce. Julienne is served in portioned cocotte makers, in which it was baked. It is sprinkled with grated cheese on top.

Tartarus- another popular snack - appeared in the 19th century. At that time, there was a fashion in French cuisine to imitate the cuisines of different nations with the help of sauces, which, in the opinion of chefs, best suited foreign tastes. A sauce was also created for the cuisine of the Tatars living far in the east - based on the mayonnaise so beloved by the French, to which pickles, capers, lime or lemon juice, gherkins, chopped onions, and black pepper were added. This sauce is served with sea and river fish, better fried - it goes well with salmon, trout, sturgeon, cod, haddock, and pike perch.
Tartar is also called a dish made from finely chopped raw meat or fish. Steak tartare, steak tartare, a minced meat cutlet surrounded by all the components of tartar sauce, has become a fixture on restaurant menus. In addition, there are many dishes where there is neither tartar sauce nor raw meat, but all of these are also tartars - a finely chopped composition of various products, accompanied by spicy sauce. There are even dessert fruit tartars.

Tapenade is a Provençal seasoning that is served as an appetizer spread on toast, crackers or cut into pieces raw vegetables. Tapenade contains capers, unleavened