French cuisine can be playful or celebratory — from honest bistro classics to desserts worth the little bit of fiddling. Quiche, ratatouille, boeuf bourguignon, flaky croissants, and crème brûlée. Find weeknight recipes and dishes for when you want to impress, all doable at home.
Quick answer
Classics include quiche, ratatouille, boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, and onion soup. For sweets there's crème brûlée, croissants, macarons, and tarte tatin. The French love butter, cream, herbs, and wine in their sauces.
Strawberry tart with white chocolate and almonds
Montélimar nougat – homemade white nougat with honey and nuts
Light and airy génoise sponge cake
Tarte au citron – french lemon tart
Almost effortless french onion soup
Pain au lait – french milk buns
Spring lyonnaise salad
Croque madame: baked ham, cheese and egg toast
Strawberry puffs
The best baguettes according to a foodie
Éclairs à la ladurée – irresistibly delicious pastries
Macarons – the winning recipe
Macarons with vanilla and chocolate cream
Strawberry fraisier cake
Brioche buns
Quiche pastry – savoury french tart
Vichyssoise soup
Coq au vin (rooster in red wine)
Salted caramel macarons
Kir – my favorite french cocktail
French sweet treat: crêpes suzette
Beef bourguignon (boeuf bourguignon)
Madeleines – fragrant french sweet treats
Provençal beef with root vegetables
It doesn't have to be. Plenty of bistro dishes — an omelette, salade niçoise, quiche — are simple. Only some desserts and braises take more effort, and even those the recipe walks you through step by step.
Go for boeuf bourguignon or salmon in herb butter, finished with a crème brûlée. Elegant but no rocket science — and it looks stunning.
A dry wine you'd happily drink from a glass — it doesn't need to be expensive, just decent. Reach for a fuller red for boeuf bourguignon or coq au vin, and a crisp white for fish and cream sauces.
Clafoutis — you pour a batter much like pancake batter over cherries and the oven does the rest. Crème brûlée is within reach too; give it a water bath and don't rush the caramel top.