All about French cuisine
A traditional French lunch begins withcold or hot appetizers, then they eat soup (for example, vegetable sauté), salad and vegetables, and then the main course. A glass of wine is always served with the meal - red or white. Today, pink wines are very popular. National French cuisine is distinguished by its very wide use of root vegetables and vegetables. Very popular are vegetable salads, which are rich in vitamins, artichoke, asparagus, lettuce (fresh and canned), leeks. Cabbage salad and green salad are traditionally served with meat main courses. French chefs use many different types of meat in the kitchen - beef, lamb, veal, game, poultry - and actively use heat treatment: stewing, frying, boiling. Meat is used in the preparation of various salads. A very original technique is flambéing (setting fire) of food. Most often, cooks use it in cooking meat. When serving, the dish is poured with cognac and set on fire. This method gives the food a flavor and a specific aroma. Very common and popular are dishes from freshwater and sea fish - flounder, cod, halibut, mackerel, pike, carp, as well as from such seafood as shrimp, oysters, scallops, langoustes. There are a huge number of sauces in French cuisine. There are over 3,000 types. Sauces are used in the preparation of salads, cold appetizers and meat dishes. Milk and dairy products are rarely used in French cuisine. Cheese is an exception, as it is used in the preparation of various dishes. Cheese is always served before dessert. Popular desserts in French cuisine are creme brulee, chocolate fondant, creme caramel and fruits. In France, there are many dishes from frog legs and snails. Below are dishes with a simpler set of ingredients.
Snacks of French cuisine
In France, rich dishes are often served as appetizers. Recipes for terrine, julienne, pate, etc. are very common. Julienne with chicken and mushrooms Ingredients:
- Chicken breast - 500 g;
- Champignons - 300 g;
- Onions - 150 g;
- Sour cream — 300 g;
- Hard cheese - 100 g;
- Vegetable oil - 2-3 tbsp;
- Salt to taste;
- Pepper to taste.
Method of preparation:Finely chop the mushrooms, chop the onion. Boil the chicken fillet, chop. Next, fry the mushrooms and onion for 3-4 minutes, then add the chopped chicken fillet and fry for another 2 minutes. Add sour cream to the mushrooms and chicken, stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add pepper and salt to taste. Next, put everything in pots, sprinkle with grated cheese and put in the oven for 5 minutes at 170 degrees. Chicken terrine with sun-dried tomatoes Ingredients:
- Chicken fillet - 800 g;
- Milk - 1 cup;
- Chicken egg - 2 pcs.;
- Onion - 1 pc.;
- Tomatoes - 50-80 g;
- Garlic - 3 cloves;
- Vegetable oil - 2 tsp;
- Bacon - 100 g;
- Nut nutmeg to taste;
- Salt sea to taste;
- Black pepper powder to taste.
Method of preparation:Remove the skin from the chicken fillet and cut as desired. Transfer to a deep bowl. Chop the onion and fry in oil. Transfer everything to the fillet and pour in the fatty milk. Using a blender, beat everything into a homogeneous mass. Add the beaten eggs to this mass and beat everything again. Add the garlic squeezed through a garlic press, nutmeg, pepper, and salt to the mass. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and mix everything well. Chop the bacon and place it in a mold. After that, lay out the minced chicken and smooth everything out. Cover everything with the remaining bacon on top. Put in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees. After cooking, take it out and wait until it cools completely, then put it in the refrigerator. Serve the terrine chilled. Liver pate Ingredients:
- Chicken liver - 400 g;
- Carrots - 150 g;
- Onions - 150 g;
- Butter - 50 g;
- Vegetable oil - 30 g;
- Garlic - 2 cloves;
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Method of preparation:Wash the liver and cut off all the veins. Chop the carrots, onions and garlic. Then fry the liver in vegetable oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetables, season everything with salt and pepper. Mix everything and cook for 10-15 minutes. Transfer the liver and vegetables (with the juice that formed) to a blender, chop everything. Transfer the pate to a mold. Melt the butter and pour it into the pate, put it in the refrigerator. It is better to serve the pate with crackers or bread. Salad with pear and goat cheese Ingredients:
- Spinach - 100 g;
- Almonds - 20 g;
- Pear - 1 pc;
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp;
- Goat cheese - 30 g.
Method of preparation: Coarsely chop the almonds.Mash the goat cheese with a fork. Cut the pear thinly. Wash and dry the spinach. Put everything on a plate, add almonds, grated cheese and lemon juice. Homemade mustard Ingredients:
- Mustard powder - 4 tbsp;
- Sugar - 1 tsp;
- Brine - 200 ml;
- Vegetable oil - 1.5 tbsp.
Method of preparation:It is more convenient to dilute mustard with tomato brine, as it already contains sugar, salt and spices. You will get mustard without much effort. The brine needs to be filtered and heated. Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Next, add mustard powder and stir everything until smooth, pour in oil and stir again. Pour the resulting mass into a jar, close the lid tightly and leave at room temperature for 15 hours to mature.
Soups and main courses of French cuisine
You should definitely try the traditional oneFrench onion soup. Meat or poultry with various side dishes is also served as a main course, accompanied by a glass of wine. You need to set the table beautifully to truly immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a French meal. Onion soup Ingredients:
- Onions - 3 pcs.;
- Dry white wine - 100 ml;
- Beef broth - 1 l;
- Garlic — 1 clove;
- Premium wheat flour - 1 tbsp.;
- Hard cheese - 100 g;
- Wheat bread made from first grade flour - 4 slices;
- Thyme — 1/2 tsp;
- Bay leaf - 3 pcs.;
- Salt and pepper to taste;
- Olive oil - 20 g;
- Sugar to taste.
Method of preparation:Cooking the onion is the most important part of this recipe. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Next, peel the onion and cut it into lengthwise pieces. Fry the onion in a frying pan over high heat, stirring regularly. After 10 minutes, add a pinch of sugar, which will help the onion brown faster. Fry until the onion is covered with caramel (about 30 minutes). Then reduce the heat. Next, peel the garlic and squeeze it into the pan, stir and fry for 1 minute. Add all the flour and stir again, frying for another 5 minutes. Then pour in 1/2 cup of wine (dry, white) and let the mixture simmer for 5-8 minutes. Add bay leaf, thyme and black pepper. After all this, pour in the beef broth, add salt (to taste), stir everything and bring to a boil. After all, cover with a lid and reduce the heat. The soup should be cooked in this state for 30-40 minutes. While the soup is cooking, you should make toast. Then pour the soup into a bowl and put a piece of white bread (toast). Put some cheese on the bread and around it. Next, preheat the oven to 180 degrees and put the plate for 10 minutes. As soon as the cheese is baked, you need to take the plate out and serve. Enjoy your meal. Goose legs with apples Ingredients:
- Gusyatina — 8 pcs.;
- Apples - 4 pcs.;
- Onions - 3 pcs.;
- Apple juice - 250 g;
- Rosemary - 2 pcs.;
- White wine - 125 g;
- Olive oil - 30 g;
- Salt to taste;
- Pepper red ground to taste.
Method of preparation:You need to wash the goose leg and wipe it dry. Then rub it with coarse salt and ground red pepper. Grease a baking dish with oil, put the goose legs in and simmer for 1 hour in a preheated oven at 150 degrees. While the goose is in the oven, peel the onion and cut it in half. Cut the apples into rings, finely chop the rosemary. After an hour, add the onion, apples, rosemary, juice and wine to the legs. Simmer for 1.5 hours. Check for readiness and serve hot. Enjoy. Vegetable sauté Ingredients:
- Sweet red pepper - 100 g;
- Carrots - 100 g;
- Zucchini - 200 g;
- Onions - 100 g;
- Frozen green peas - 100 g;
- Garlic - 1-2 cloves;
- Cherry tomatoes - 100 g;
- Vegetable oil - 30 ml;
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Method of preparation:Cut the pepper and carrot into strips and the zucchini into thin circles. Next, pour oil into a frying pan (saute pan) and heat it up strongly. Then add the zucchini, carrots, pepper and onion, cut into half rings. Cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan. Add green peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Add cherry tomatoes, cut into halves. Cook everything for 2-3 minutes. The dish is ready! Baked omelette with zucchini Ingredients:
- Chicken egg - 2 pcs.;
- Zucchini - 50 g;
- Onions - 20 g;
- Milk - 100 ml;
- Vegetable oil - 10 g;
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Method of preparation:Finely chop the zucchini and onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Beat the eggs with milk, mix the zucchini with the eggs, add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the finished mixture into a mold and bake at 190 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Quiche Lorraine Ingredients:
- Premium wheat flour - 180 g;
- Butter - 60 g;
- Chicken egg - 4 pcs.;
- Bacon - 150 g;
- Hard cheese - 100 g;
- Cream - 50 ml;
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Method of preparation:Sift flour, add salt. Then add cold butter. Rub flour with butter until crumbly. Add 1 egg and 1 yolk to the mixture. Knead the dough, then roll it out, put it in a mold (22-24 cm), making small sides. Finely chop the brisket or bacon. Grate the cheese. Beat 2 eggs and cream for the filling. Then pour the filling with the filling, salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 40 minutes at 190 degrees.
Desserts of French cuisine
French desserts are very piquant and sophisticated.The most popular are creme brulee, galettes, flan, etc. Also very popular are sweet pastries (brioche), from which French toast is made, ideal for breakfast. Thin French pancakes Ingredients:
- Wheat flour - 100 g;
- Chicken egg - 4 pcs.;
- Milk - 175 ml;
- Water - 75 ml;
- Butter - 25 g;
- Salt - 1/2 tsp.
Method of preparation:You need to sift the flour and mix it with salt. Separate the white from the yolk of 1 egg. The white will not be used. Make a hole in the center, pour 3 eggs and the yolk, a little milk. Knead the dough, it will be thick and uneven. Use a whisk to break up the lumps, continue whisking and add the remaining liquid. Finally, add butter and mix. Put the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Heat the frying pan and grease it with butter. Pour in some pancake batter, spreading the mass over the entire frying pan. When one side is ready, turn it over. Chocolate Madeleine Ingredients:
- Sugar - 110 g;
- Chicken egg - 3 pcs.;
- Butter - 130 g;
- Premium wheat flour - 150 g;
- Cocoa — 3 tbsp;
- Baking powder - 5 g.
Method of preparation: Mix sugar with egg.Beat thoroughly with a whisk. Next, melt the butter and then cool it. Mix flour with baking powder. And gradually add flour to the egg mixture. Next, pour in the butter and mix everything. Add cocoa and mix everything again. Grease the molds with butter and pour in 2/3 of the dough. Bake for 8-12 minutes at 180 degrees. Custard Ingredients:
- Chicken egg - 5 pcs.;
- Milk - 500 ml;
- Sugar - 125 g;
- Vanillin to taste;
- Potato starch - 2 tbsp.
Method of preparation: Separate the whites from the yolks.Leave the yolks, you won't need the whites. Add a little more than half of the sugar to the yolks. Stir and add the starch. Stir everything until combined. Heat the milk with the remaining sugar. Pour in a little of the egg mixture, stir. Pour in the rest of the milk. Place the bowl in a water bath (the water should not boil quickly). Stir constantly, bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Cover with cling film and cool the finished sauce./ We hope you liked these recipes.
