French

If you have an electric pressure cooker you won’t need to reduce the heat to stabilise pressure, your cooker will automatically stabilise itself. Always check with the manufacturer’s instructions before using your pressure cooker. Note

You need two medium pomegranates (640g) to get the required amount of pomegranate pulp. Note

These come from the Charente region of south-west France. The name generally refers to a nut-shaped puff from that region.

Keeping time: 4 days. Note

A traditional Sunday dinner dish in the French countryside that literally means, 'chicken in a pot'.

Raid the delicatessen shop to create this exquisite French platter.

If you have an electric pressure cooker you won’t need to reduce the heat to stabilise pressure, your cooker will automatically stabilise itself. Always check with the manufacturer’s instructions before using. This dish is traditionally German or Eastern European, but France adopted it when it annexed the Alsace region in the mid 17th century. It […]

A flavour-packed Provençal salad with eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, haloumi, olives and garlic croutons.

The best French dessert of all time: delicious mini french éclairs with rich praline and smooth vanilla custard.

A member of the onion family, the leek resembles a green onion, but is much larger and more subtle in flavour. Baby or pencil leeks are beautifully tender and can be eaten whole with minimal cooking, but adult leeks are usually trimmed then chopped or sliced and cooked as an ingredient in stews, casseroles and […]

When peeling parsnips, make sure you remove all the bitter outer layer. Persillade is a mixture of chopped garlic and parsley traditionally used either as a garnish or to flavour a sauce, as we have done here. The secret to tender calves liver is to make sure you slice it into paper-thin scallops and then […]

Soufflés must be made just before serving. Note

Rollmops are herring fillets wrapped around a slice of gherkin, red capsium and/or onion preserved in a spiced vinegar brine. Note

This is a complete meal in a dish, but, it doesn’t reheat or freeze well, as the breadcrumbs absorb the moisture as it stands. Packaged japanese breadcrumbs (panko) can be bought from supermarkets which stock Japanese ingredients, they’re an excellent substitute for stale breadcrumbs. Note

Recipe is best prepared as required. Note

You can substitute rib-eye (scotch fillet) or sirloin (new-york cut) steak for the eye fillet in this recipe. Note

Preserved lemons can be bought from delicatessens and some supermarkets. Remove a piece of lemon from the jar, discard the lemon flesh. Rinse the rind under water; dry, then chop finely. Note

Cool the quiches before packing into airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. They are not suitable to freeze. You need four 10cm (4-inch) spring-form tins for this recipe. Note

Velouté, a white sauce made from roux (a cooked butter and flour mixture) and stock, is one of the five “mother” sauces in French cooking from which all other sauces are derived. Note

You can use any flavoured jam you have on hand. Note

A healthy and filling vegetarian casserole packed full of flavour.

Ratatouille can be made a day ahead; store, covered, in the refrigerator. It is great on its own, or served with pasta. In a Provencale dialect, touiller means to stir and crush, thus the name ratatouille perfectly describes this rich vegetable stew. Note

storage Friands will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days, or in the freezer (without frosting) for 2 months. Note

These pork buns are the perfect fusion of French and Vietnamese cooking.

A French pastry of unknown origin whose modern form was influenced by Marie-Antoine Carême.

A sweet puff pustry pie that hails from France, where desserts simply taste better.

Cook a double or triple batch of these quinces and store them in their syrup in the fridge. Serve with porridge or muesli for breakfast. Note

Coq au vin is a traditional French dish of chicken braised in red wine, mushrooms, garlic and shallots.

This recipe can be made up to 2 days ahead; store, covered, in refrigerator. Note

Also known as floating islands, this dessert is an adaptation of a French pudding, in which a stale sponge cake, steeped in liqueur, was floated in a bowl of custard. Note

Grand Marnier or Cointreau can be used for the orange-flavoured liqueur. Store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Truffles, without cocoa coating, can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving and dusting with cocoa. Note

A French-style parfait that's sure to impress.

This gorgeous French dessert is worthy of any dinner party or family event. The combination of cream-filled puffs, crisp, spun toffee and a buttery pastry base creates the ultimate sweet recipe.

Croissants are by far the most famous of all the French pastries and are made using a butter-rich flaky pastry. In France they usually eat them just with jam, while around the world they have become popular filled with both savoury and sweet fillings. If you prefer, you can replace the fontina with a good-quality […]

Use a clean piping and tube for each different coloured meringue. Note

Originally a French dish, this potato is all the better with rich and delicious caramelised onion.

Soupe au pistou is a Provencal minestrone served with a good dollop of basil pesto.

Sometimes called Indian blood plum, the large plum used in this recipe has a distinctive dark red to purple fibrous flesh, is extremely juicy, pleasantly sweet, and is the plum most often found canned. Canned apricots or peaches can be substituted for the plums. A delicious time-and waist-saving recipe. Note

Invented in the 18th century by the Duc of Levis-Mirepoix, mirepoix has since become a classic preparation of French cooking.

Available at some nurseries, rose geranium is an aromatic member of the geranium family. Use the leaves to scent a madeira or butter cake, before baking, line cake pan with leaves. The tart shell is suitable to freeze. Note