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.
Steak Tartare Let’s Eat Steak Tartare Together on my small group food & wine tour of Switzerland! As a reformed vegetarian, it’s odd that my favourite way to eat meat is raw, but I can rarely resist steak tartare when I see it on a menu (it sometimes also appears as beef tartare). It’s my […]
Salade Lyonnaise Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! Salade Lyonnaise is one of my favourite starters and also makes a great light meal. I became addicted to it on a trip to Lyon where I had an excellent version at the bouchon La Meunière. As with all […]
Crème Caramel Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! The best recipes are simple yet impressive, like classic French crème caramel. Best of all they’re made ahead of time and just whipped out of the fridge when you’re ready to serve. Two tips help ensure crème caramel success: dissolving […]
Coq au Vin Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! Coq au vin was one of the first French dishes I ever cooked, and it seemed terribly sophisticated in the early ‘80s. Literally ‘rooster in wine’, it’s a classic braise of chicken, onion, mushrooms and lardon (cured pork […]
Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! Profiteroles are sometimes filled with whipped cream or custard, but I think it’s hard to beat really good vanilla ice cream. They’re a great do-ahead dessert as the puffs can be made days in advance and recrisped […]
Pommes Dauphinoise Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! Also known as gratin Dauphinoise, or more simply ‘potato bake’, pommes Dauphinoise is a delicious layering of potatoes and cream and the perfect accompaniment to many steak dishes. It originated in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France, famous for […]
Tarte Flambee (Flammekueche) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! This traditional flatbread from Alsace is very similar to pizza. My Alsatian friend Isabelle, who serves it whenever friends gather at her house for drinks, doesn’t use a written recipe – but this one was inspired by watching […]
Chicken & Mushroom Crepes Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! Serve these delicious chicken and mushroom crepes as a main course with a herb salad (I like butter lettuce and chervil) or individually as a starter. The filling can be made the day before, as can the […]
Warm Duck & Orange Salad Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! I created this recipe one day when I wanted to make duck à l’orange, but it was so hot that it morphed into a warm salad instead. Duck breasts are surprisingly easy to cook, or pick […]
Goat Cheese & Chive Omelette Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class Inspired by Damien Pignolet! I love this versatile goat cheese and chive omelette as it makes a simple and delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner. Goat cheese and chives are my go to, but you can use almost any cheese and […]
