Let's take a little tour of the specialties of France.
1) The Cassoulet
This dish, originally from Languedoc-Roussillon, is composed of white beans, duck legs and pork.
2) Foie Gras
Present on all tables during the end of year festivities and in various forms: mi-cuit, entier, en bloc, with figs, truffled, etc. The best way to taste it is on toasted bread with onion confit.
3) The piperrada
-Piper- means pepper in Basque. Piperrada is very similar to Spanish ratatouille: the tasty Basque dish consists of a sauce of red and green peppers that is simmered with onions and tomatoes. You can enjoy a delicious piperrada with a plate of axoa or Basque chicken, but locals usually eat it with a fried egg, pieces of Bayonne ham or sheep's cheese.
4) Snails with butter and parsley
Another fairly common French recipe, that of snails with butter and parsley, commonly called "snails à la bourguignonne." They are cooked with a cream of butter and parsley, and presented in their shells, tasting with a snail skewer.
5) Breton Crepes / Galettes
Breton galettes are savory crepes, made with buckwheat flour, which gives them a gray color. Even if the traditional fillings are ham/cheese/egg, their variety has expanded over time.
6) Quiche Lorraine
A cake filled with a mixture composed of crème fraiche, milk, eggs, nutmeg and bacon that gives it that little smoky flavor. Today, Quiche Lorraine has become so popular that it is possible to find it throughout France in bakeries and restaurants, and in more modern versions: with mushrooms, leeks or goat cheese.
7) Savoyard Raclette and Fondue
Alpine mountain specialties.
Raclette brings everyone together, both cheese and charcuterie lovers! Currently, raclette is prepared with raclette cheese of several different flavors (pepper, white wine, truffle, smoked...) melted that you serve on top of charcuterie and potatoes. For Savoyard Fondue, on the other hand, a large container filled with a mixture of three cheeses and white wine is used. The guests dip pieces of bread there.
8) Dolphin Gratin
Traditionally, it consists of sliced boiled potatoes, fresh cream, milk and nutmeg. In its original recipe, no cheese is added, but it is possible to add a little on top. Each house has its own recipe!
9) Bouillabaisse
Typical flavored soup from Marseille. This dish is composed of various fish, shellfish, tomatoes, Provençal herbs, mustard and egg yolks. It is consumed with bread or potatoes.
10) Ratatouille
A very popular Provençal recipe in France. It is a dish that can be made with all types of vegetables. It almost always has tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onion and garlic with Provençal herbs.
11) Beef blanquette
It is a dish cooked with stewed beef, carrots, butter sauce, and mushrooms.
12) Frog legs
Cuisses de grenouilles, or fried frog legs, are a specialty of French cuisine, now featured on the menus of many European restaurants. The frog legs are dipped in egg with flour, parsley and a pinch of salt, then fried until crispy and golden brown.
Obviously, this list is only a small summary and preview of French cuisine where there are still hundreds or more specialties missing such as: la tartiflette, la croziflette, la choucroutre, quenelles de Lyon, les cannelés, les macarons, la soupe à l' oignon, kouign-amann, tarte tatin, calissons, gateau basque and much more!
And you? Do you have one in mind? What is your favorite French dish?
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