France
Phillip Smith
Traditional Foods Of France
Soupe à l'oignon
This is a traditional French soup made of onions and beef stock, usually served with croutons and cheese on top. Its origins can be traced back to Roman times. However, its current version originated in the 18th century. The remarkable taste of the soup is due to the caramelisation of the onions.
Flamiche
Flamiche means cake in Flemish and it originates from Northern France, near the border with Belgium. It is a pie crust filled with cheese and vegetables. The stuffing in the classic recipe is made of leeks. However, there is also a pizza-like version of the Flamiche which is without the top crust of the pie.
Salade nicoise
A typical French salad made of lettuce, fresh tomatoes, boiled eggs, canned tuna, Nicoise Cailletier olives and anchovies.
Boeuf bourguignon
This is a traditional French meal – a stew made of beef braised in red wine, beef broth and seasoned with garlic, onions, fresh herbs and mushrooms
Ratatouille
Ratatouille can be served as a side dish, as a meal or as a stuffing for other dishes, such as crepes and omelettes. It is generally made in a shallow pan, on high heat, with a relatively small amount of fat. The ingredients consist of tomatoes, garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, bell peppers, basil, marjoram, thyme and other green herbs.
Herbs, Spices, and Ingredients
Wine
Typical Uses
- Sauternes with bleu cheese.
- Chardonnay with chicken, scallops, lobster, and brie.
- Sauvignon Blanc with shrimp, acidic pork, oysters, and whitefish.
- Pinot Noir with salmon, fatty fish, and duck.
- Zinfandel or red/white Burgundy with turkey, pheasant, and quail.
- Red Bordeaux with lamb.
- Beaujolais with traditional pork.
- Cabernet Sauvignon with beef, venison, and grilled meat.
- Burgundy with braised meat and game.
Herbes de Provence
a mixture of dried herbs typical of Provence. Formerly simply a descriptive term referring to herbs typical of Provence, in the 1970s, commercial blends started to be sold under this name.These mixtures typically contain savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and, for the American market, lavender leaves, and other herbs, though lavender was not used in traditional southern French cooking.
Fleur de sel or flor de sal
a hand-harvested sea salt collected by workers who scrape only the top layer of salt before it sinks to the bottom of large salt pans.Traditional French fleur de sel is collected off the coast of Brittany, most notably in the town of Guérande (called Fleur de Sel de Guérande), but also in Noirmoutier, Île de Ré and Camargue.
Marjoram
a somewhat cold-sensitive perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavors. In some Middle-Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano, and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted marjoram are used to distinguish it from other plants of the genus Origanum.
Lavender
Lavender is renowned as a culinary herb for its clean, distinctive perfume and matching floral, ever-so-slightly minty flavor. It's also one of the hardest seasonings to cook with, because of its potential to easily overpower dishes.
Thyme
is any of several species of culinary and medicinal herbs of the genus Thymus, most commonly Thymus vulgaris.