Riz au Lait with Caramel Sauce is what we call a recette de grand–mère, aka a “grandmother’s recipe”. Practically every French grandmother knows their way with pantry staples (rice, milk, sugar and vanilla) to make this creamy rice pudding topped with caramel sauce. This is a comforting and thrifty dessert that always pleases both kids and adults.
Known in French as Poisson à la Bordelaise, this fish gratin is a French family staple. Fish fillets are topped with a mix of parsley, shallots cooked in white wine, lemon and breadcrumbs, and then baked in the oven until crunchy and golden – while the fish remains utterly tender underneath. This quick and simple recipe can be made with any white fish of your liking.
Known in French as “Endives Au Jambon”, this Belgian Endive and Ham Gratin is a typical dish from Northern France and Belgium. Endives are wrapped in ham slices, smothered in a thick layer of voluptuous Mornay Sauce and baked until bubbly perfection. It’s a great contrast of pleasantly bitter verdure under creamy deliciousness.
Fork-tender beef in a rich red-wine gravy nestled with veggies makes the Beef Bourguignon one of the most acclaimed French recipes around the world. As its name suggests, this beef stew originates from Burgundy (Bourgogne), a French region prized for producing exceptional cattle meat as well as red wine, which are both the star ingredients of this local dish.
A Breton Pound Cake, known as “Quatre-Quarts” (four quarters) is the ubiquitous French snacking cake. It’s simple, not-too-sweet, just dense enough to be eaten with your hands and full of buttery flavors. This version is studded with lightly caramelized apple chunks to keep it moist and irresistible. A great year-round recipe for your baking repertoire!
Two weeks ago I had the incredible “chance” to visit the medieval citadel of Carcassonne – almost empty amid the pandemic. A Unesco World Heritage Site, this fortified medieval cité in the region of Occitanie is one of France’s most iconic and touristic sites. I found this usually overly-crowded site all to my self, which made for the most memorable experience.
Before wrapping up the holidays, there is one final occasion the French take to eat and rejoice: the Fête des Rois, or “Feast of the Kings.” Set on January 6, the day of the Epiphany (honoring the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem), this celebration involves eating a Galette des rois, or king cake—two circles of buttery puff pastry filled with sweet, creamy frangipane—in which a trinket, called a fève, has been hidden.
Don’t look for any restaurant recommendations in this article, as there will unfortunately be none. When I visited Toulouse last week, France had just lifted a national lockdown amid the covid-19 pandemic and kept some important restrictions in place: all restaurants and bars were shutdown, as were museums, cinemas and theatres.
After a festive or comforting meal, a fruit salad is always a welcome ending on a lighter and more refreshing note – even in the Winter! This Winter Fruit Salad plays with in-season fruits: pears, apples, clementines, kiwis and pomegranate seeds. This is a colorful, vitamin-packed mix of sweet flavors and crisp textures, that looks as beautiful as it tastes.
Braised Rabbit with Prunes (Lapin aux Pruneaux) is a great classic dish from the French repertoire. Delicate rabbit meat gets braised in white wine with salty bacon and sweet prunes –beloved by the French- to create a deliciously rich, thick and slightly sticky sauce. This succulent combination of sweet and salty flavors is quite unique in French cuisine, which makes this dish very memorable.