Famous French Foods
Some of the dishes for which French gastronomy is so famous include:
1. Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse is a simple fish stew with its origins from the
Mediterranean city of Marseille. Many gastronomes hail it as a classic
French recipe. It counts among its ingredients olive oil, onions, leeks,
tomatoes, garlic, fennel leaves, thyme, and bay leaves. The seafood part
of the recipe consists mainly of mussels, shrimp and fish. Like all
French dishes, bouillabaisse necessitates fresh ingredients to produce
the optimum results. Fish should be tender and still firm. Shellfish
should also be fresh. This is a fairly simple recipe, requiring little
skill. It is normally ready in less than 40 minutes. It is usually
served immediately after cooking with a slice of hot toast.
2. Paté
This is another classic French preparation. Paté is a paste made out
of minced meat and fat. It usually also contains various herbs, spices
and wine. The most famous paté is the “paté de fois gras”. This refers
to duck or goose liver paté obtained by force-feeding the animal so that
it produces an enlarged liver. Foie gras may be served on its own or
with other dishes, for example as a filling for ravioli or meat
stuffing.
3. Fondue
While the fondue originates from Switzerland, it was the French chef
Brillat-Savarin that laid down the basics of the modern fondue in 1825.
Traditionally a peasant dish, fondue was simply a way to eat old cheese
and bread. This simple and quick to prepare dish is the ideal
preparation when unexpected guests arrive. Modern fondues can be divided
into two categories:
- Where a ready-to-eat food item is dipped into sauce and
eaten—examples include the cheese fondue and the chocolate fondue.
- Where a food item is cooked in hot liquid—for example the
“fondue bouguignonne” in which small cubes of beef are cooked in hot
oil before dipping in cold sauce and eaten.
French fondue recipes are mainly cheese fondues. Famous examples
include the Fondue Savoyarde (made from compte, Savoyard, beaufort or
emmental cheese), and the Fondue jurassienne (made from compte cheese).
4. Quiche
Quiche is a marvelously creamy and rich egg and milk custard that is
baked in a pastry shell. Many types of filling can be added to the
custard to suit everyone’s tastes. It is one of the favorite brunch
dishes of the French. Typically, it served at room temperature or
chilled so that the custard has time to set up. Very simple to make,
quiche makes use of ingredients such as Gruyere cheese and bacon. There
are many types of quiche, each with little savory variations. For
example, the quiche Lorraine has a touch of nutmeg while the quiche
Alsacienne uses some onions.
5. Cuisse de Grenouille
Cuisse de grenouille refers to fried or sautéed frogs’ legs served
with garlic butter. This is another distinctively French recipe. Often
used as appetizers or entrées, frog legs are surprisingly easy to cook.
Typically, the Frog Legs are sautéed in olive oil and spices. A variety
of spices can be used depending on taste. Cayenne and red peppers give a
hot taste while parsley, rosemary or dill weed produce a lighter taste.
Other preparation methods also exist such as frying or broiling.
It is impossible to talk about French cuisine without making reference
to truffles. Truffles are a rare and delicate type of mushroom that
grows in France, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia. They grow underground
among the roots of oak, elm, chestnut, pine and willow trees. Truffles
are a very expensive ingredient in French cuisine as it not possible to
grow them commercially. In their natural state, they resemble the potato
with a smooth or rough, wrinkled skin. There are various types of
truffles such as the French Black truffle and the Italian White Truffle.
Truffles offer a distinctive garlic-type taste mixed with a strong
mushroom flavor. They are usually blended in dishes uncooked, for
example, they are scraped into salads, pasta or omelets. They are also
used in preparation of light sauces and fondue.
Whatever one’s culinary tastes, one cannot deny the insuperable
quality of French cuisine. Famous all over the world, French gastronomy
commands respect from chefs and consumers alike. In French cuisine, the
cooking skills of the chef is intertwined with culinary traditions that
date centuries back to produce some of the most extraordinary dishes
known to mankind. |
