Main course

Who doesn’t love a creamy, melty and comforting mac n’ cheese? But have you ever had a French-Style Mac n’ Cheese before? If not, you’re in for a treat!  The foundation of this creamy casserole is a velvety white Béchamel sauce spiked with nutmeg to which we add a hefty amount of crème fraiche for richness and tang, and then Gruyère cheese for sweet, nutty flavors and great cheesy strings. This is a luscious and comforting recipe that’s a staple of French Mountain cooking. 

Sole is one of my favorite fish, and in the Winter I love it even more nestled atop a creamy, buttery Leek fondue. The pairing of a delicate and juicy sole fillet with sweet caramelized leeks spiked with cream is just pure comfort to me… Yet, it’s also light and healthy-ish. If you’re looking for a no-fuss, delicious and slightly fancy recipe for your Valentine’s Day dinner (or any dinner date), this just may be the one!

This Clementine Roast Chicken with Fennel and Honey is a lovely Winter dish that is light and zesty, but very comforting as well. This is a simple sheet-pan dinner recipe that comes together effortlessly and makes the best of two seasonal ingredients – citrus and fennel – paired with succulent roasted chicken leg quarters. A winning trio all the way.   The perfect marriage of Citrus and Fennel, inspired by two Classic-French Recipes. The inspiration from this Clementine Roast Chicken dish came at the cross-point between two Classic-French recipes. First, …

Known in French as an “Embeurrée de choux”, this Buttered Cabbage recipe is a cold-weather staple hailing from central France. The idea here is to turn shredded cabbage utterly soft and melty by cooking it in a generous amount of butter, along with onions garlic and a sprinkle of fragrant Juniper berries. It’s quick, simple and a tasty side-dish and that can easily be turned into a main with a few adds-ons… like in today’s recipe. 

In my kitchen, October is meant for relishing in the fleeting season of mushrooms, and today’s recipe sure makes the best of it. The blend of mushrooms, crème fraiche and grainy mustard makes for an utterly creamy and flavorful sauce that’s the perfect topping to plump pork chops.

Wine-braised chicken has to be one of the most beloved comfort foods in France – with probably as many variations as grandmothers in the country. The concept of browning meat in a bit of oil, and then cooking it in liquid (ie. wine) always makes for incredible flavors, and meat that is fork-tender. And if you ask me, I find braised meat slightly more sophisticated than stews, yet just as comforting. In this favorite braised recipe of mine, onions and loads of garlic are caramelized in butter, and plump chicken …

Autumn is on its way, and with it, the joyful grape harvest season – or “La Saison des Vendanges” as we call it in French. Running all throughout the end of August until November in France, grape harvest season is a celebratory time of the year that sees a frenzy of activity in French vineyards. Ripe grapes are harvested, and wine makers can finally measure the quality and quantity of their crops. Parallely, this season also sees fresh grapes making their way into French kitchens and in our seasonal recipes. …

If you don’t know it, the French Pistou is a Provençal sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, olive oil (and Parmesan, occasionally). It is quite similar to Ligurian pesto, but it omits pine nuts, which makes it most affordable and lets the basil really shine. It is creamy and so fragrant, and has nothing to envy from its Italian counterpart. Only 4 ingredients, 10 minutes, and incredible flavors… this French Pistou sauce is a must to have in your French repertoire. Traditionally, Pistou sauce is used to garnish …

Summer is here, and what better way to make do with an abundance of Summer vegetables than with a layered vegetable Tian? This traditional dish from Provence alternates slices of tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplants to create a colorful, veggie-focused dish. In my take on this beloved French recipe, the Tian gets encased in a buttery shortcrust that is spiked with dried herbs and olive oil. This makes for a vibrant Summer dish that showcases seasonal vegetables in a perfect way, and that’s as pretty as it is tasty!

Known in French as Aubergines à la Bonifacienne, these cheesy stuffed eggplant boats are a specialty from the town of Bonifacio, at the Southern tip of the island of Corsica, in France. As with many traditional recipes from the island, they features wonderful Mediterranean flavors, all while making  great use of leftover bread and cheese. They’re plump, cheesy, satisfying and a perfect Summer dish.