:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Ina-Gartens-Coq-au-Vin-FT-RECIPE1024-334dd18e73024535b9ba552686083238.jpeg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "24 Essential French Dishes to Make at Home")
If you think French food is all about fine dining, Michelin stars, and overly complicated techniques reserved for only the world’s most prestigious chefs, think again. “There is [a] misunderstanding often in America, considering French cooking as something very fancy, which is part of it, but not really the important part of it,” says Jacques Pépin.
This collection of essential French dishes turns the focus on what is important: cooking seasonally with fresh, best-quality ingredients, using simple methods to build and extract as much flavor as possible. For the most part, it’s what you’ll find in French homes and bistros. From cozy Boeuf Bourguignon to savory Quiche Lorraine and transcendent Crème Brûlée, these are the approachable French favorites to try now.
French Onion Soup
Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali
Called “soupe à l’oignon” in France, chef Ludo Lefebvre’s classic recipe includes beef stock, dry sherry, Worcestershire sauce, and plenty of caramelized onions. Use Emmental or Gruyère cheese for the golden, gooey topping.
Boeuf Bourguignon
Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco
In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child famously declared boeuf bourguignon “one of the most delicious beef stews concocted by man,” and we couldn’t agree more. It’s at once cozy and elegant, thanks to its familiar ingredients and incredible depth of flavor. Our version starts with two pounds of beef chuck, which marinates overnight in a full bottle of Pinot Noir.
Niçoise Salad
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Stylist Barrett Washburne
This classic Provençal salad combines tuna, potatoes, green beans, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and tomatoes. Julia Child’s recipe calls for pre-dressing the just-steamed potatoes to lock in even more flavor.
Ratatouille
“True ratatouille is a simple dish: rich, tender, and transcendent when made well,” writes Parisian cookbook author Rebekah Pepplar. Made with peak-season tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, onions, and eggplant, this iconic vegetable stew distills the flavors of summer into a single bowl.
Coq au Vin
Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel
This classic French dish translates to “rooster in wine” and is a celebration of rich, hearty flavors, with tender chicken braised in a robust red wine sauce alongside bacon, mushrooms, and onions.
Classic Croissants
There’s perhaps nothing more quintessentially French than an all-butter croissant. This recipe requires time and attention, but one glorious bite of your finished work makes it all worthwhile. F&W food editor Paige Grandjean shows you how to make croissants step by step.
Quiche Lorraine
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
When we think of quiche, this one is top-of-mind. Julia Child’s rich, creamy classic showcases smoky bacon and nutty Gruyère in a silky egg filling, all nestled inside an impossibly buttery crust.
Gateway Cassoulet
Cassoulet is named for the earthenware vessel it was traditionally cooked in; Sylvie Bigar’s simplified recipe can be made in any large pot or Dutch oven and requires just a bit more than an hour of active work time. With garlicky white beans, snappy pork sausage, and meltingly tender duck confit, this warming dish is pure comfort.
Classic Duck Confit
To make this specialty of Gascony, duck legs are rubbed with a salted mixture of thyme, rosemary, garlic, and peppercorns and chilled for 24 to 48 hours. They’re then slow-cooked in rendered duck fat until fall-off-the-bone tender.
Crème Brûlée
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
With its signature caramel crunch topping, classic French crème brûlée is the richest of all custards. The moment the spoon cracks the top to expose the creamy custard is our favorite part of eating this decadent dessert.
Steak Frites
Deceptively simple and universally appealing, steak frites demands a perfectly cooked steak and golden, piping hot fries. Instead of pan-frying his steak, Steven Raichlen opts to grill the meat before anointing it with a dollop of creamy Roquefort butter.
Sauvignon Blanc-Steamed Mussels with Garlic Toast
Called moules marinières in France, these mussels are steamed in Sauvignon Blanc and served in a sauce made from the cooking liquid, butter, and parsley.
Crêpes
Thin, delicate, butter-laced crêpes are the perfect vehicle for all kinds of sweet and savory fillings and toppings. Be sure to let the batter rest at least an hour before cooking to allow the ingredients a chance to fully meld.
Beef Tenderloin Tartare with Anchovy-Cornichon Vinaigrette
Lean beef tenderloin has a lovely texture when raw, making it an ideal choice for tartare. Chef Daisy Ryan adds quick-pickled red onion to her fabulous vinaigrette, which is folded into the cubed beef to infuse it with flavor.
Best-Ever Cheese Soufflé
Cara Cormack
Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s cheese soufflé includes Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano along with a touch of sour cream and dry sherry. Pair it with a vinaigrette-dressed salad and baguette for an elegant lunch.
Bouillabaisse
Born in the port city of Marseille, this Provençal fish stew begins with a complex-flavored seafood broth that includes a combo of Pernod and dry white wine. Fresh snapper, scallops, and shrimp cook quickly in the liquid just until cooked through, then the dish is served with toasted baguette slices and rouille.
Tarte Tatin
Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
With its caramelized apples and exquisitely buttery crust, this classic French Tarte Tatin recipe from Benoît Guichard placed first in the pastry category at the Meilleur Ouvrier de France.
Classic Pot-au-Feu
Food & Wine / Photography by Carson Downing / Food styling by Annie Probst / Props styling by Addelyn Evans
For this dish, winemaker David Duband braises two cuts of beef — shank and rump roast — with marrow bones and then separately cooks leeks and carrots with more marrow bones until everything is deeply flavorful and tender.
Croque Monsieur
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
Made with thinly sliced unsmoked ham, Gruyère, and a rich Mornay sauce, croque monsieur is the ultimate ham-and-cheese sandwich — you’ll definitely need a knife and fork to enjoy this refined bistro dish.
Anthony Bourdain’s Soupe de Poisson
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless
This classic fish soup from the South of France has a similar flavor profile to bouillabaisse, but it’s made with tiny whole fish rather than shellfish and passed through a food mill. Serve it with Parmesan and croutons slathered in garlicky rouille.
Roasted Tomato Pissaladière
Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
A popular Provençal pastry, pissaladière is commonly topped with caramelized onions, olives, and anchovies. Here, Martha Holmberg adds tomatoes to the mix, first roasting them in the oven to concentrate their flavors.
Chicken Chasseur
Cara Cormack
Simply seasoned pieces of chicken are browned until golden, then simmered with a garlicky, olive-spiked tomato pan sauce and served with crusty baguette for this bold braise from southern France.
Tartiflette
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver
A specialty of the French Alps, tartiflette may not be as well-known as the other dishes on this list, but its combination of potatoes, slab bacon, Reblochon-style cheese, and dry white wine makes it essential in our book. As Anthony Bourdain said, “You can never have too much cheese, bacon, or starch.”
Blanquette de Veau
© Lucy Schaeffer
This simplified version of Daniel Boulud’s classic, creamy veal stew calls for store-bought vegetable broth rather than veal stock. The long, slow simmer is key to building the dish’s signature flavor.
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