Why do the French like to eat snails? They don’t like fast food!
French cooking is considered by many to set the benchmark for the most prestigious and respectable cuisine around the globe.
With its formal techniques, emphasis on fresh ingredients and simple flavours, along with a rich and colourful history, French fare has come to rule the world. Pride in presentation has also laid the foundation for many other styles and cooking specialties.
As we prepare to celebrate Bastille Day on Thursday, July 14 we’ve put together three recipes that are sure to spark ‘ooh la las’ from family and friends:
What better way to start the day than with French toast? With a wide range of regional variations, typically this dish is made of sliced bread, soaked in beaten eggs, milk or cream then pan-fried.
This decadent version – peanut butter and raspberry jelly brioche French toast – features Bonne Maman intense raspberry spread. Filled with delicious rich fruit, crunchy peanut butter and layers of banana in between slices of soft brioche, it is sure to be your family’s new brunch favourite.
From his time on work placement in a lovely little restaurant called La Regalade in the 14th Arrondissement in Paris, Celebrity Chef Jack Stein shares a ‘borrowed’ recipe for scallops with truffle butter.
"A man used to bring fresh truffles straight to the window of the kitchen and Head Chef Bruno would meticulously mince them for hours and then add them to softened butter. To this day, truffles remind me of my time in Paris,” he says.
Jack loves cooking the scallops in the shell as the roasting aromas emanating from the baking shells sing out and capture memories of beach barbeques.
Coq au vin is a dish of chicken braised with red wine, garlic, onions, thyme and rosemary – similar to beef bourguignon – creating a luscious, glossy sauce fit for a King or Queen. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity with remarkably few ingredients and a simple cooking process, but the results are stunning.
A French classic, coq au vin is all about succulent bone-in chicken pieces such as legs, swimming in a deeply savoury sauce perfumed with herbs, making it one of the most delicious stews in the world. Pair this with creamy mash and steamed broccolini for a Winter dinner winner the whole family with enjoy.
Bon appétit! For more French recipes to wow family and friends, click here.
