Of all the world’s cuisines, few have come to symbolize gourmet cooking and desserts quite like the food of France. The country is renowned for its exquisite stews and soups, salads and casseroles, each telling a story of tradition and terroir.
Ratatouille, souffles, crêpes and more: French cuisine teaches the importance of technique and the joy of quality ingredients, making every dish a celebration. By perfecting a few classics, you can bring the elegance and depth of French culinary arts into your kitchen.
To start your mornings right, try a velvety French omelette.
It takes a skilled hand to perfect, but only a handful of staple ingredients to make. The trick is all in the technique—using gentle heat and small circular movements to get the eggs to set just right.
Homemade Croissants
Homemade croissants may seem intimidating to pull off at home, but if you follow the instructions perfectly, you will end up with a buttery, flaky pastry that rivals the ones you find at top-notch bakeries. The trick is managing the temperature of the butter as you fold it between layers, so don’t hesitate to pop the dough in the refrigerator for a few minutes in between steps to keep it from melting.
Vegetable, Herb and Cheese Souffle
Once you perfect the art of the airy soufflé, there’s no recipe you can’t pull off. This version is savory, full of delicate herbs and shredded Fontina cheese.
Chicken Chasseur (Hunter-style Chicken)
This dish, also known as “Hunter’s Chicken,” originated in France as a rustic dish for hunters to cook their game. This version combines mushrooms, onions and tomatoes in a buttery, wine-infused sauce. It has since evolved into a beloved French classic, celebrated for its hearty flavors and tender chicken.
French Onion Soup
The reason that such a complex and savory soup can be made from a few humble onions comes down to the gentle, slow caramelization. Don’t rush the process, which will all feel worth it when you’re slurping down soup topped with a cheesy slice of baguette.
Aligot-Style Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
These cheesy whipped potatoes hail from the L’Aubrac region of central France, though you don’t have to go hunting for rare European cheeses to make this recipe. This version uses shredded Gruyère and mozzarella to achieve a similar texture and flavor, and adds a bit of roasted garlic for good measure.
Salade Niçoise
Like many French dishes, salads niçoise evolved from a simple peasant dish using fresh, seasonal ingredients like green beans, tomatoes and potatoes. It also features salty bursts from black niçoise olives and anchovies, and it’s dressed in a Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
Ratatouille
This Provençal vegetable stew is the epitome of French cuisine, where a handful of high-quality, seasonal ingredients come together to create something that is much more than just the sum of its parts. Simmered peppers, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes melt down into a rich dish that’s finished with a few sprigs of fresh basil.
Escargots with Persillade Butter
Few dishes call to mind French cuisine quite like escargot. If you’re new to this protein, don’t fear the flavor or texture of the snails, which turn absolutely scrumptious after baking thanks to a garlicky parsley butter.
Lobster Thermidor
This luxurious seafood dish is named for a play popular at the time of its creation. It features lobster baked in a creamy sauce that gets broiled underneath a pile of grated Gruyère. Spring for a good quality sherry, such as amontillado or oloroso.
Quiche Lorraine
There are many different fillings for quiche out there, but a classic Quiche Lorraine never gets old. The filling is a combination of smoky bacon, grated Comté cheese, buttery sautéed leeks and endives, all mixed up in a silky egg and cream custard and baked in a buttery crust.
Pommes Anna
Simple potatoes can be transformed into a show-stopping centerpiece for your table with the right technique — and recipe. Pommes Anna is the name given to a dish of shingled potato slices arranged in circles and baked with butter and Parmesan cheese. The potato turns golden brown and crisp on the bottom, which becomes the top when inverted onto the plate.
Les Oeufs Jeannette
These stuffed and seared eggs are a favorite of French chef Jacques Pepin. The yolks are blended with a savory mix of garlic and parsley before getting stuffed back into the whites.
Tartiflette
Some French dishes are almost as old as the country itself, but there’s always room for newcomers. The more modern tartiflette combines the flavors of the Alps with potatoes, onions, bacon lardons and Reblochon cheese.
Salad Lyonnaise
A simple salad can be a work of art, especially when that salad is sharp, tangy and hearty. This one starts with a bed of bitter frisée lettuce topped with crispy bacon lardons and a warm poached egg. Finally, it’s drizzled with Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
Leeks Vinaigrette
This tangy vinaigrette is similar to a sauce gribiche, a cold sauce similar to mayonnaise that uses chopped hard-boiled egg instead of raw egg. Add to that some chopped hazelnuts, tangy mustard and chives, then drizzle it all over some tender poached leeks.
Crostini of Chicken Liver Pate with Balsamic Onions
Pate may seem fancy, but the method is really not all that tough. Simply sauté some chicken livers with garlic, capers and anchovy before simmering with white wine and blending in a food processor. The rich spread pairs well with sweet and tangy balsamic caramelized onions, all topped on a crunchy slice of baguette.
