Food

65 Classic French Recipes to Add to Your Repertoire

Get out your butter and red wine

Updated: June 23, 2017

In the western world, France is virtually synonymous with gastronomy. The country has a rich culinary history, from rustic peasant foods to the most technical haute cuisine masterpieces. We've collected our favorite French recipes from across the country.

For breakfast, bake buttery chocolate croissants, or for something more filling, try quiche Lorraine. Then at lunch, try a sandwich like a pan bagnat with tuna and olives, or a decadent croque tartine parisienne, an open-face ham and cheese sandwich topped with béchamel sauce.

Come dinner, start with appetizers—steak tartare and escargot are bistro classics that will you make you feel like you're dining in Paris; if you want something lighter, vegetable soup and salade Lyonniase are healthy starters that will leave your guests ready for their main.

French Cooking Techniques

And for the pièce de résistance, France offers endless options. For cooler nights, cassoulet, coq au vin, or choucroute are all warming and hearty. In more of a fish mood? Try trout, turbot, and lobster. For a side, tender poached leeks are delicious, but it's hard to resist classics, like French fries cooked in duck fat.

If you've still got room for dessert, try an apple tart, crêpes Suzette, or lemon mousse; for something equally rustic and impressive, there's classic clafoutis, a custard batter studded with juicy, ripe cherries.

From le petit déjeuner to le diner, and les tartines to le croquembouche, here are our favorite French recipes for appetizers, sides, entrees, and desserts.

Plate of French braised Chicken Basquaise — This braised chicken recipe, adapted from chef Sébastien Gravé, is emblematic of the Basque region's affection for colorful, peppery stews. Though paprika can work in a pinch, it's the flakier, lightly spicy, more enigmatic Espelette pepper that's characteristic of the region. Get the recipe Chicken BasquaiseBeth Galton

Crisp spring vegetables pair with a flavorful, vanilla-scented broth in this Provençal classic. Get the recipe for Barigoule of Spring Vegetables »Romulo Yanes

Cooking on a very hot pizza stone gives this bacon and onion tart a shatteringly crispy crust. Get the recipe Alsatian Bacon and Onion Tart (Tarte Flambée) »Todd Coleman

This winey chicken braise dotted with pearl onions and button mushrooms is the first French dish many cooks outside France make, and no wonder: It's as simple to prepare as it is elegant to serve. Bostock is a sweet and crunchy breakfast pastry with roots in Normandy. Our version honors Calvados country with a schmear of apple butter and a splash of apple brandy added to the traditional frangipane cream. A generous layer of toasty almonds balances the soft and squishy filling below. Get the recipe for Cinnamon Apple Bostock »Matt Taylor-Gross

This riff on Basque pipérade, a classic dish of stewed peppers, incorporates seafood from the region. Hake is traditional, but mild, white-fleshed fish like striped bass or haddock make fine substitutes. Fresh clams offer a briny sweetness. Any assortment of mild peppers will work here. Get the recipe for Basque-Style Fish with Green Peppers and Manila Clams »Beth Galton

The signature dessert of the region, gâteau basque is made by sandwiching a layer of jam or sweet pastry cream between two shortbread-like rounds. Cherry preserves are a classic filling—choosing a good-quality jam makes all the difference—and the dough itself resembles a cookie dough, with additional eggs lending a cakier texture. It can also be baked in a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom; just be sure to grease the sides with butter before assembling. Get the recipe for Cherry Gateau Basque »Beth Galton

A lean cut like filet mignon takes well to sautéeing in a little fat, as in this classic preparation with a simple pan sauce that's laced with brandy and set aflame—a spectacular feat that cooks off the alcohol and contributes rich caramel notes to the dish. Get the recipe for Steak Diane »Landon Nordeman

Beautiful homemade croissants, each containing a bar of high-quality dark chocolate, make for an impressive and indulgent addition to a breakfast spread. Get the recipe for Pain au Chocolat »Todd Coleman

This multilayered French dessert of baked almond meringue, buttercream, and rum-spiked whipped cream tastes best doused in a dark chocolate sauce and served with strong coffee to offset some of the sweetness of the cream layers. Not cutting the cake immediately after it's assembled helps to prevent the meringues from cracking while slicing through. This recipe is adapted from the cake at Buck's in Louisville, Kentucky. Get the recipe for Mocha Dacquoise Cake »Matt Taylor-Gross

This dessert—a fudgy, frozen or semifrozen chocolate mousse that's sometimes coated in ganache, then sliced—likely came from the 17th or 18th century, when royal pastry chefs lived large. I like to crumble in Speculoos cookies, like Biscoff brand, before freezing, to add crunch and pretty golden flecks, but anything that works with chocolate—from candied ginger to rum-soaked raisins—is fair game. It's at its best when semifrozen or thawed but still chilly. Get the recipe for Frozen Chocolate Mousse (Marquise au Chocolat) »Christina Holmes

seafood soup with ginger and yuzu kosho — Flavored with wine and aromatics, this broth is similar to a nage or poaching liquid—you only need a shallow pool of it in each bowl. The broth features red yuzu kosho, a Japanese condiment made from citrus, yuzu, and chiles, which adds a round, tart flavor that is hard to replace. In a pinch, add a little more chile and lime zest. If head-on shrimp are hard to find—or you'd rather not fight with fish heads on New Year's Eve—nix them for more shelled shrimp. Get the recipe for Seafood Soup with Ginger and Yuzu Kosho »Christina Holmes

Credit for inventing crêpes Suzette is claimed by French restaurateur Henri Charpentier, who in 1894, at age 14, while an assistant waiter, accidentally set a sauce aflame when serving dessert to the Prince of Wales. Get the recipe for Crepes Suzette »Landon Nordeman

This tart is traditionally made with apples, but firm-fleshed pears make a delicate and delicious alternative. Get the recipe for Pear Tarte Tatin »Vanessa Rees

Made with both smoked and cooked fish for textural contrast, salmon rillettes became a New Year's staple once I discovered that my husband wasn't the only non—oyster eater among us. Pack into jars the night before entertaining—the flavors improve with time. Get the recipe for Salmon Rillettes »Christina Holmes

honey and tea jammers — These are dream cookies…literally. They came to me in a dream in Paris, the city of sweets. The base is a French shortbread, or sablé, flavored with honey and loose tea. If you have 2-inch baking rings, you can make the cookies in the rings on lined baking sheets instead of using muffin tins. Build the cookies inside the rings, bake, then leave the rings in place for at least 20 minutes before lifting them off, rinsing and reusing. Get the recipe for Honey-and-Tea Jammers »Christina Holmes

braised beef shank with radishes and flaxseed relish — A low and slow braise is the best way to transform tough cuts of meat into fork-tender morsels. This version, made with a crosscut whole beef shank, is cooked in white wine and rich homemade beef bouillon layered with vegetables and aromatics for added complexity. Crunchy roasted radishes and a funky flaxseed, herb, and vinegar relish balance the pot roast's richness with acidity and texture. Get the recipe for The Ultimate Pot Roast »Heami Lee

Chef Daniel Boulud's take on a classic Lyonnaise pairing of pork and lentils. Make sure the lentils are fully cooked , says Boulud, "otherwise, they don't absorb the seasoning." Make sure to taste a few minutes before they are drained: They should be creamy with just a slight bite. Get the recipe for Lentil Salad with Pork »Matt Taylor-Gross

Slow-cooking a leg of lamb in wine with garlic and herbs transforms the meat into an ultra-tender entrée that goes marvelously with stewed white beans. Get the recipe for Seven-Hour Leg of Lamb »Landon Nordeman

This French lamb stew is packed with onions, peas, and root vegetables. Get the recipe for Lamb Navarin »Andre Baranowski

Fromage Blanc Spread with loaf of crusty bread — This dish, which translates literally to "silk worker's brain," is said to be named for Lyon's 19th-century silk weavers, who'd often make a lunch of the smooth herbed-cheese spread. Chef Boulud's family used to make it with fresh goat cheese, but fromage blanc works just as well. Serve with salad, potatoes, or toasted bread. Get the recipe for Fromage Blanc Spread (Cervelle de Canut) »Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross

Sprinkled on top of these delicate meringues—which float in a vanilla custard—are praline roses, caramel-coated almonds dyed a bright pink. The color's a bit shocking, but they're a staple of Lyonnaise pâtisseries and lend a nice crunch and color to this white-on-white backdrop. Get the recipe for Meringue Floating in Crème Anglaise »Matt Taylor-Gross

The key to this potato salad is its powerful ingredients: Cured herring and bracing red wine vinegar give each bite a pop of flavor. Get the recipe for Lyonnaise Potato Salad with Herring »Matt Taylor-Gross

Sausage is the pride of Lyon, and here, instead of being served piping hot, it gets the cold treatment—tossed with a bright vinaigrette and chervil. "It's the perfect way to eat sausage along with other salads," says chef Daniel Boulud. Get the recipe for Lyonnaise Salad with Sausage and Walnuts »Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross

When he was a young kitchen apprentice, Boulud made 200 of these quenelles each week. "Fifty percent of the pleasure of the quenelle is in the sauce—without the sauce, it's not that interesting," he says. Traditionally, they are served with a sauce Nantua (made from crayfish from the region of Nantua), but you can use any shellfish, such as crab or lobster. Get the recipe for Pike Quenelles with Sauce Nantua (Quenelles de Brochet) »Photo: Matt Taylor-Gross

Pomme Puree — Passing cooked potatoes through the fine holes of a potato ricer ensures a silky consistency for this ultrarich side. Get the recipe for Pomme Purée »Ingalls Photography

crusty loaf of chorizo bread — The idea for this unique loaf, packed with cubes of chorizo, came easily to baker Frédéric Lalos. "Charcuterie and wine are such an essential taste pairing, I wondered if it could be translated into the context of bread," he says. Eat with omelettes, salads, and strong cheeses. Get the recipe for Beaujolais Chorizo Bread »Joann Pai

Normans use apples and cider in many savory preparations—with game, poultry, even fish. In this classic pork dish from Jean-François Guillouet-Huard, of Domaine Michel Huard, it's important to use a slightly tart variety so the end result isn't too sweet. Get the recipe for Honey Glazed Roast Pork with Apples »Matt Taylor-Gross

This classic Norman dessert showcases some of the best products of the region: apples, calvados, and milk. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche, if you like. Get the recipe for Caramelized Apple Omelet (Omelette Sucrée à la Normande) »Matt Taylor-Gross

Calvados, an apple brandy made from double-distilled apple cider aged in oak barrels, is generally made from highly tannic apples. Guillouet-Huard likes to use it to underscore the flavor of sweet cooking apples. Get the recipe for Baked Apple Terrine with Calvados »Matt Taylor-Gross

Chef Yves Camdeborde assembles these haute deviled eggs—the whites marinated in soy sauce and pomegranate vinegar—à la minute at his stand-up bar L'Avant Comptoir de la Mer in Paris, but you can make the filling up to a day in advance and keep it refrigerated. Be sure to drain the whites immediately after 15 minutes of marinating so they don't toughen. Get the recipe for Deviled Eggs With Crab »Matt Taylor-Gross

"For me, eating calf's head is a must in Lyon—even for breakfast," says chef Daniel Boulud about this Lyonnaise specialty. "It brings back memories of family gatherings and special occasions. We used to raise and slaughter our own calves growing up." Instead of tackling the butchery on your own, have your butcher do the heavy lifting for you: Ask for the meat, tongue, and brain to be separated from the skull, but leave the skin on because, as Boulud says, "it's not tête de veau without the skin." Get the recipe for Boiled Cow's Head (Tête de Veau) »Helen Cathcart

Foie gras, chanterelles, and black truffle juice combine to make a particularly luxurious filling for tomatoes. Get the recipe for Tomatoes Stuffed with Foie Gras, Duck Confit, and Chanterelles (Tomates Farcies) »SAVEUR

Provencal Stuffed Squid — Fresh squid of every size, and cuttlefish too, are found at fishmongers throughout Provence. Lulu buys the tiny ones to fry, but chooses medium-size squid to stuff with herbs, chard, and bread crumbs (she prefers chard to spinach under most circumstances). To make things easier, the squid can be prepared in advance and cooked later in the day, roasted, grilled, or braised. Serve warm or at room temperature, drizzled with fruity oil or an anchovy vinaigrette. Get the recipe for Provençal Stuffed Squid »Justin Walker

plate of French Mussels with Herbed Vinaigrette — Some fresh herbs are all you need for these French mussels, which come from Langon, France. Get the recipe for Mussels with Herbed Vinaigrette (Moules Vinaigrette) »Michelle Heimerman

This rich, silky mousse brightened with tangy lemons makes an elegant end to a meal. Get the recipe for Corsican Lemon MousseTodd Coleman

The crust of this striking dessert—named for Les Landes, the region where it is beloved and ubiquitous—curls up into jagged shards as it cooks, like a crown. Get the recipe for Apple and Armagnac Phyllo Pie (Tourtière Landaise) »Michelle Heimerman

Hearty "bouillabasque"—Darroze's tongue-in-cheek name for a Basque-style bouillabaisse, in which the fish is cooked separately and then added to a rich, reduced seafood-and-tomato stock—perfectly marries the culinary cornerstones of southwest France: duck fat, seafood, and armagnac. You can grill the fish on grates or a plancha, in the Spanish style, but a stovetop solution works just as well. Serve with aïoli, rouille, or any garlicky mayonnaise, along with some crusty bread. Get the recipe for Basque Seafood Stew »Michelle Heimerman

*Pipérade*, a sauté of onions, peppers, and tomato, is perhaps the most patriotic dish of Basque country—the colors represent those of the Basque flag. Get the recipe for Basque Pipérade with Seared Tuna Steaks »Sophie Brickman

While modern chefs tend towards lighter scallop recipes, this old French dish of scallops poached in white wine, placed atop a purée of mushrooms in a scallop shell, covered with a sauce made of the scallop poaching liquid, and gratinéed under a broiler, is a great way to prepare the bivalve. Get the recipe for Coquilles St-Jacques (Gratinéed Scallops) »Todd Coleman

Half the mushrooms in this recipe are folded into the creamy risotto, lending the rice an earthiness, while the rest are roasted into a crisp, meaty garnish. Get the recipe for Mushroom Risotto »Ingalls Photography

Eggs mixed with cream are poached over a bed of smoked salmon in this simple yet elegant breakfast dish from chef Wolfgang Puck. Get the recipe for Eggs Baked with Smoked Salmon (Oeufs en Cocotte au Saumon Fumé) »Ingalls Photography

Any gently simmered mixture of vegetables is truly greater than the sum of its parts. It's important to cut the ingredients to the proper size and cook them sequentially, starting with the ones that need longer cooking. Get the recipe for Spring Vegetable Stew »Justin Walker

Vin jaune, a semisweet wine from the Jura region of France, enlivens the creamy morel ragù in this elegant veal and oyster dish. Get the recipe for Veal Chops with Morels, Wilted Lettuce, Oysters, and Garlic-Parmesan Sauce »Joseph De Leo

Bowl of fish stew with aioli — Homemade aïoli thickens the broth in this satisfying Marsellais stew made with halibut, shrimp, and white wine. Get the recipe for Bourride (Fish Stew with Aïoli) »Ingalls Photography

Earthy roasted chestnuts are simmered in an aromatic stock until tender, then puréed to make a luxurious cream-thickened soup. Get the recipe for Velouté de Châtaignes (Creamy Chestnut Soup) »David Yoder

layered vegetable gratin — A tian is a type of gratin, typically vegetables baked in an earthenware dish. (The word "tian" also refers to the earthenware dish itself.) This classic Provençal version is made with alternating rows of sliced zucchini, eggplant, and tomato. The flavors meld as the vegetables cook together, somewhat like ratatouille. Seasoned simply with thyme, garlic, and good fruity olive oil, the dish is best served at room temperature. Lulu insists it tastes even better made a day in advance. Get the recipe for Provençal Vegetable Tian »Justin Walker

Adding puréed cauliflower to an appetizer-sized soufflé gives the dish the heartiness to be a vegetarian main when served with a salad. Get the recipe for Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Soufflés »Joseph de Leo

Simmering garlic in fat turns them into a spreadable condiment perfect for crusty bread. Get the recipe for Simple Garlic Confit »Andre Baranowski

chocolate covered French eclairs filled with cream — When it comes to eclairs, homemade is always better. Bakeries have to chill their filled eclairs, which makes for soggy centers and mushy crusts; you can freshly fill yours at home and eat them right away. This recipe is adapted from pastry chef Scott Cioe from Park Hyatt New York. Get the recipe for Classic Eclairs »Farideh Sadeghin

A fried egg crowns this decadent sandwich of ham enrobed in béchamel and melted cheese. Get the recipe for Egg-Topped Ham and Cheese Sandwich (Croque Tartine Parisienne) »James Roper

sliced quiche loaded with blue cheese — An extra-velvety quiche loaded with blue cheese for creaminess in a nutty spelt and whole wheat crust. Get the recipe for Perfect Blue Cheese Quiche With Whole Grain Crust »Matt Taylor-Gross

scrambled eggs and asparagus stuffed in crab shells — Michel Roux's trick to perfect scrambled eggs is cooking them slowly, and adding asparagus and crab for flavor and textural contrast. Get the recipe for Scrambled Eggs With Asparagus and Crab »Matt Taylor-Gross

Fruit Cake Clafoutis — Clafoutis is a French dessert that's trickier to pronounce than to make. A simple mixture of flour, eggs, dairy, and a little sugar, it's like a pancake, but more custardy, and it's baked instead of griddled. It looks and tastes impressive the way classic French desserts often do, but it's simple enough to whip up any weeknight. Rum-soaked dried apricots, figs, and raisins add their caramelized and honeyed flavors to this creamy version, perfect for cold weather when there's no fresh fruit around. Get the recipe for Dried Apricot and Fig Clafoutis »Matt Taylor-Gross

At Boulestin, Agen prunes, prized for their caramel notes and soft texture, are infused with brewed tea, cinnamon, and armagnac and then used to top this sumptuous custard. In lieu of vanilla sugar, you can substitute 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Get the recipe for Sauternes Custard with Armagnac-Soaked Prunes »Tom Parker

Pate En Croute — Pâté is a labor of love, but it's worth every step, especially when you bake it in flaky homemade pastry dough and top it with a flavorful gelée. Here, being careful to keep the ingredients cold during the process, and taking the same care when folding and filling the dough, yields a pâté that everyone will write home about. Get the recipe for Duck Pâté en Croûte »Matt Taylor-Gross

Normandy-Style French Onion Soup

Michel Roux, the French-born chef of England's Le Gavroche, takes a Normandy spin on this classic soup with a splash of cider and a whole lot of subtlety. But the best part? It only takes an hour to make. Get the recipe for Normandy-Style French Onion Soup »