Vive La France! The country that brought us Parisienne bistro classics and lesser-known regional dishes from the sunny Provençe through Spanish-influenced Basque and the Germanic Alsace. Here are some of my favourite French recipes.
Grilled Provençal Prawns with Ratatouille Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class featuring the food of Provence! The biggest mistake home cooks make when preparing seafood is overcooking it. This is especially true with prawns which are tender, sweet and delicious when cooked properly, but too often end up rubbery and tasteless […]
Swordfish in Orange Sauce Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! I find that meaty swordfish has quite an affinity with orange. This recipe was inspired by duck à l’orange, so you can call it poisson à l’orange if you want to be fancy. Swordfish has a tendency […]
Swordfish à la Bouillabaisse Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class featuring the food of Provence! It’s impossible to create an authentic bouillabaisse on a small scale due to the variety and species of fish required but, in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child uses the same flavourings and technique […]
Navettes Like Navettes? You’ll love my online French cooking class featuring the food of Provence! Navettes de Marseille are simple boat-shaped Provençal cookies scented with orange blossom water. They’re a delicious treat at any time and, as they’re quite firm, they’re often served with coffee, sweet wine or a glass of pastis de Marseille such […]
Provençale Omelette Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class featuring the food of Provence! Provençal omelettes tend to be open-faced rather than the folded omelettes found elsewhere in France. They’re also often hearty with stronger flavours typical of Provençal cuisine – and they’re a great way to use up leftovers such as […]
Orangettes Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class featuring the food of Provence! I started making chocolate covered candied orange peel for dinner parties in the 1980s without realizing they had a connection to France where they’re called orangettes. Candied citrus rind isn’t a new thing and I’m sure many people have […]
Mushroom Duxelles Like this recipe? You’ll love my online British cooking class! https://youtu.be/eqjjtczUezc Duxelles is a classic French preparation of finely chopped mushroom and onion cooked down in butter with herbs (usually thyme or parsley), black pepper and salt, sometimes with a dash of cream, Sherry or Madeira. It’s used in a range of English […]
Salade Verte – How To Dress A Green Salad Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! A simple green salad (salade verte in French) is the ideal accompaniment to so many dishes, whether it’s made from just one type of leaf or a mixture of several. Salade verte […]
Duck Fat Potatoes Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! Duck fat potatoes are a delicacy in France. So whenever I have some rendered duck fat left over from frying duck breasts for salads or duck à l’orange (see video below), I save it to make them. They’re […]
Chocolate Mousse Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! Chocolate mousse has never gone out of fashion because it simply tastes so good (and is so easy to make). The trick to good mousse is keeping it as light as possible, so when adding the egg white and […]