List of recipes from category Basic recipes: 151 recipes

Beurre d'escargot

Beurre d'escargot is the typically French flavoured butter added to snails before they go into the oven. In principal, this a simple mixture of butter, chopped parsley and garlic, but here is a more sophisticated gastronomic version with a flavour that simply oozes French savoir-faire.
November 7^th 201863 K3 55 min.

Bouquet garni

Used very frequently in French cuisine, a secret of French chefs, it adds flavour to a lot of recipes, and it's easy to prepare. The basic principle is to make a small bundle of herbs, bind them in green leek leaves and to tie it up, so that the whole thing can be removed and discarded easily after...
March 21^th 2017411 K3.5 15 min.

Feta in olive oil with herbs

This recipe tells you how to preserve cubes of feta with herbs. It will keep for a long time and improves with keeping. Using this feta in a salad, such as Greek salad, adds an amazing flavour.
August 2^nd 201597 K4.6 15 min.

Herb olive oil

This flavoured olive oil, easy to prepare, goes very well with Mediterranean cuisine: pizzas, pastas, pan bagnat, etc...
February 21^th 2011304 K3.8 25 min.

Herb salad

Herb salad is a small salad made with leaves of all kinds of aromatic herbs, it's highly flavoured, and should be considered almost as a condiment. It really is a salad, the leaves are not chopped.
October 13^th 2010225 K4.6 25 min.

Home-made chilli oil

It is very simple and economical to make your own chilli oil. Here's how to do it.
March 30^th 202226 K 15 min.

Mushroom duxelles

A duxelles consists of finely sliced mushrooms cooked in butter with shallots. It is more of a preparation than a dish in its own right, which can be used in other recipes.
May 10^th 202351 K 25 min.

Noisette butter

"Noisette" means hazelnut in French. Noisette butter is made by melting butter, then boiling and raising it to a high temperature until it takes on both a light brown hazelnut colour and also a characteristic nutty smell. Compared with simple clarified butter, this noisette butter has a delicate...
December 30^th 2019121 K4.5 15 min.

Pickled gherkins

Preparing your own gherkins in vinegar is quite straightforward, if you know how to avoid a few pitfalls. Here's a recipe which works every time.
August 21^th 2013765 K 73.1 4 hours 40 min.

Praline

Praline is a preparation of caramelized nuts (in this case almonds), with a very characteristic flavour. Either crushed or as a paste, it is used to fill or flavour all manner of things like creams, chocolates, biscuits, etc.
August 3^rd 2012260 K3.5 55 min.

Preserved lemons

For this recipe, the lemons are sliced first (this makes them easier to use later), then salted to drain off the juice before being bottled in herb-flavoured olive oil. These preserved lemons can be used in all sorts of dishes, especially with fish and poultry.
December 2^nd 2012122 K 15 12 hours 40 min.

Red mixed pickle

This mixed pickle is made with a variety of vegetables left to mature for 2 weeks in diluted vinegar. The result is similar to gherkins and can be added to lots of recipes, or eaten with a snack or sandwich. This red version gets its name from beetroot and red cabbage, which eventually colour...
April 29^th 202041 K 1 hour 30 min.

Vanilla sugar

Almost essential in patisserie, you can find it in expensive little sachets of about 10g. It's necessary to distinguish between the vanilla sugar which really contains vanilla, and vanillin sugar, purely chemical which has never seen a vanilla pod. Here is how to quickly make a whole jar full of...
August 12^th 2018413 K 15 30 min.

Vegetable stock

Vegetable stock is a very easy and versatile basic recipe. It can be used in many different ways: for cooking rice, making soups, sauces, etc. It's a good idea to keep a supply of vegetable stock in your fridge or freezer.
October 5^th 2011262 K4.3 1 hour

Home-made breadcrumb coating

The crispy crust on many fried (or baked) foods comes from a breadcrumb coating. You can buy this, of course, but it's easy and much better to make your own at home. For one thing, you will know excatly what's in it – just bread – which is not the case for the commercial product. This is also a...
May 26^th 2024114 K1 1 hour 7 min.

Almond macaroon cake

This is a cake version of an almond meringue, moister and denser in texture. This cake can be eaten on its own or made smaller, like finger biscuits. It can also be used as the base in a boozy dessert, such as a framboisier.
December 30^th 201954 K4.3 60 min.

Biscuit de Savoie sponge cake

Biscuit de Savoie is not a "biscuit" in the English sense, just a very light sponge cake. It is delicious plain, but it can also be filled with cream, fruit, etc.
December 23^th 2014107 K5 1 hour 8 min.

Génoise (Genoa sponge)

A Génoise (or Genoa sponge) is a very light and delicate cake. It is good on its own, but is more often used as the base for many different French-style gâteaux, with layers of mousse or cream between 2 (or more) layers of sponge. It is a tricky recipe to get right, rather technical, but here's a...
March 10^th 2019227 K 53 1 hour 15 min.

Nougatine

Nougatine is a delicious nut toffee: caramel mixed with toasted flaked almonds. Not a dessert in itself, it is often used to decorate cakes and pastries. But those who enjoy good things are sure to want to eat it on its own!
March 29^th 2018324 K4 35 min.

Almond cream or frangipane

Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette).
January 23^th 2022449 K 25 45 min.

Apple confectioner's custard

For this strongly apple-flavoured version of confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream), apple juice is used instead of milk and the quantity of sugar is reduced.
July 23^th 2014127 K4.6 25 min.

Bavaroise cream

A "bavaroise" is made with custard, set with gelatin after cooking, and with whipped cream added once it has cooled. This makes a delicious, smooth cream that can be used to create many different desserts.
May 8^th 202223 K 40 min.

Butter cream

Butter cream is made with egg yolk, sugar syrup and, of course, butter. These days it has fallen rather out of fashion, probably because it's very rich, but it still has its aficionados. Here is the classic plain version, which you can lighten and flavour as you wish.
October 13^th 2010320 K4.6 60 min.

Chantilly cream

Chantilly cream, it's simply whipped liquid cream with sugar. It is use in many desserts, but already delicious simply with strawberries or other fruits.
September 17^th 2013662 K5 20 min.

Chocolate Chantilly

If we look at the more scientific side of Chantilly cream we can see that it's mainly cream, and cream is a mix of very small droplets of milk fat and water, which is called an emulsion. When we whip this emulsion, we incorporate air into it and so create a mousse or foam. In the end Chantilly is a...
September 25^th 2013171 K5 15 min.

Chocolate ganache

A chocolate ganache is a mixture of cream and chocolate made while hot. This gives a kind of paste which solidifies somewhat as it cools but remains fairly soft. This is the filling used in many chocolates.
January 25^th 2022323 K 13.7 15 min.

Clafoutis batter

Clafoutis is a cake from the Limousin region of France, made with a liquid batter similar to pancake batter, into which fruit is added before baking. Here's a recipe for clafoutis batter, which you can use with any fruit you like.
August 23^th 202316 K5 5 min.

Clementine Chantilly

As the Clementine season is now in full swing, I would like to tempt you to try this surprisingly different clementine-flavoured Chantilly. The recipe is very simple but delicious.
February 2^nd 202230 K 20 min.

Clementine confectioner's custard

This clementine confectioner's custard makes the most of the delicious fruity flavour by using both the juice and zest.
January 23^th 202232 K 30 min.

Clementine Creamy

A clementine cremeux is a little different from cremeux based on pulpy fruits (such as blackcurrant or raspberry), this time more juice is used and the zest.
January 18^th 202320 K2 2 hours 40 min.

Clementine diplomat cream

Diplomat cream, as delicious as ever, in a double clementine-flavoured version. It can be used in lots of desserts and pastries.
February 13^th 202233 K 30 min.

Coffee custard

You are probably familiar with the classic real custard (crème anglaise). Here's a coffee-flavoured version.
May 4^th 202226 K 30 min.

Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)

Quite similar to crème anglaise but much thicker. It is used in many pastries like choux pastry (pâte à choux) or millefeuille.
January 27^th 2017747 K 313.7 40 min.

Diplomat cream

Diplomat cream or "crème Madame" (a much prettier name) is one of many creams in French pâtisserie based on confectioner's custard. The classic confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) has gelatin added while hot, then whipped cream is folded in when cold. This gives a...
October 30^th 201963 K 1 hour 50 min.

Foie gras Chantilly

Chantilly is a method which is applied to cream of course, but also to other surprising ingredients. If we look at the more scientific side of Chantilly we can see that it's mainly cream, and cream is a mix of very small droplets of milk fat and water, which is called an emulsion. When we whip this...
September 17^th 2013112 K4.6 30 min.

Fruit crémeux

This kind of "crémeux" (it means "creamy", but contains no actual cream) is a basic recipe in the repertoire of French pastry chefs. It is smoother but less frothy than a mousse and uses gelatin to set it as it cools. Often used as a tart filling or in other desserts, crémeux is usually poured to...
September 12^th 2020174 K2.5 40 min.

Italian Meringue

Italian meringue is made with sugar cooked to 120°C or 248°F. This is different from the French, which is made from caster sugar. The cooked sugar gives a softer meringue which can be added to other preparations or use as it is.
June 2^nd 2015468 K4.3 30 min.

Lemon Confectioner's Custard

This recipe is for a confectioner's custard with a difference: it's a little less sweet than the classic confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream) and has double lemon flavour, using both zest and juice, for plenty of tangy lemon taste. It's the perfect filling for lemon...
May 9^th 2018195 K4.4 25 min.

Lime (or lemon) curd

Lime curd is a delicious conserve and variation on the traditional lemon curd, made with limes, eggs and butter. It's the perfect filling for either large or small tarts.
July 10^th 2011157 K5 55 min.

Lime confectioner's custard (pastry cream)

Taking its inspiration from lemon confectioner's custard, this version has a distinctive lime flavour. Both juice and zest are used to combine the juice's slight acidity with a hint of bitterness from the zest.
July 21^th 201996 K3.5 60 min.

Lime crémeux

This "crémeux" is a creamy mixture ideal for filling tarts, either on its own or as a bottom layer topped with fruit, for example.
April 14^th 202165 K1 50 min.

Panna cotta

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert which means "cooked cream". It's a set vanilla cream, similar to blancmange, which is frequently served with other things like fruit coulis (fruit purée), caramel etc.. Here is the basic panna cotta recipe.
February 21^th 2011345 K4.3 25 min.

Paris flan filling

This is how to prepare the custard filling for a classic Parisian "flan". This is not the whole recipe, just the filling mixture, which can be used in lots of other flan-style recipes on this site.
February 25^th 202364 K5 45 min.

Pear compote

Stewed pears are not as easy to prepare as stewed apples, as they contain more juice and you risk ending up with more of a coulis than a compote. So here are two simple methods to help you succeed.
April 26^th 2012460 K4.3 40 min.

Pistachio confectioner's custard

This is very similar to the classic confectioner's custard (crème pâtissière, or french pastry cream), but its marked pistachio taste brings a distinctive flavour to a whole range of desserts.
November 21^th 2018203 K4.7 35 min.

Pistachio cream

Very similar to almond cream, pistachio cream is ideal for filling or topping all kinds of cakes and tarts. Just like almond cream, it swells during cooking.
October 4^th 2012298 K 64.1 35 min.

Quince and apple compote

This compote is a tricky balancing act between the characteristic quince flavour and just enough apples to sweeten it. You should end up with a compote that has a delicate quince flavour rounded out by the apples and brown sugar.
December 30^th 2019109 K3 60 min.

Quince compote

Quinces make an excellent compote, full of their delightful perfume and flavour. However, preparing the fruit is hard work, so here's a recipe to show you how to manage this.
November 11^th 202037 K 55 min.

Real custard sauce (crème anglaise)

Real custard or vanilla sauce consists of egg yolks beaten with sugar and cooked slowly in vanilla milk. It is the base or the accompaniment for many desserts.
January 17^th 2018412 K 24.3 45 min.

Rich hazelnut buttercream

This delicious preparation is an alternative to almond frangipane: a nutty buttercream enriched with eggs, designed to be cooked into various pastries.
November 15^th 2017151 K4.1 40 min.

Royal icing

Royal icing is a mixture of egg white and icing sugar. From its pasty consistency when fresh, it dries to give a lovely white crust.
February 12^th 2012193 K4.7 15 min.

Stewed apple (compote)

Here is a very basic but delicious recipe, and the pitfalls to avoid.
November 8^th 20172.42 M 14.8 1 hour 15 min.

Stewed apricots

Here is how to make delicious stewed apricots, both an easy and a more sophisticated way.
July 12^th 2023776 K 143.5 1 hour 20 min.

Stewed plums

Quick and simple, stewed plums can also be spread like jam.
June 27^th 2010461 K2.6 40 min.

Stewed rhubarb

This is perhaps the best known use of rhubarb, and can be used as the basis for other recipes.
October 13^th 2010288 K4.4 55 min.

Swiss meringues

Swiss meringues are a variant of the classic French meringue. The eggs whites and sugar are beaten together in a bain-marie at first, then beaten stiff as normal. This makes for a firmer meringue which can be used to make small items or figures to decorate cakes or ice creams (such as mushrooms,...
June 2^nd 2015116 K3.8 1 hour 20 min.

Clear strawberry juice

In French this is called a "clarification". The method for making a clear strawberry juice is simple, with little added sugar. The delicious juice obtained can be used in lots of recipes: mousse, cream, jelly, etc.
July 25^th 202130 K5 60 min.

Dried apricots

Making your own dried apricots at home is perfectly feasible. It's really quite simple, though it takes a long time. Basically, the apricots need to be cut in half, destoned, then the halves put to dry slowly for several hours in a cool oven.
July 12^th 2023129 K3.9 6 hours 6 min.

Poached pears

Poached pears are used in a number of desserts. Here's a method for poaching them that you can use in all your recipes.
November 22^th 202310 K 30 min.

Polenta

Polenta is made from maize meal and can be prepared in a number of ways. In this recipe, it is cooked in milk, then moulded and set before being fried.
May 24^th 2022204 K5 1 hour 30 min.

How to cook potato grenaille

The French call very small potatoes "grenaille". This is a typical way of cooking them: the tiny potatoes are pan-fried in their skins and make an excellent accompanient for meat. Grenaille can be made with any kind of potato; it is a question of size, rather than variety, though I think that...
September 16^th 2015450 K4.5 45 min.

How to peel hazelnuts

The skin of whole hazelnuts, unlike that of almonds, doesn't improve their taste - on the contrary. So you need to remove it before using them, and here's how.
August 4^th 20246,569

How to prepare apricots

Here's how to prepare apricots for use in a recipe, from washing to slicing.
July 12^th 2023735 K3.7 35 min.

Vol-au-vent cases

Vol-au-vents, whether large or bite-sized, need a special pastry case that is hollow to take the filling. Here is how to prepare these delicate cases using puff pastry.
October 16^th 2013302 K4.1 45 min.

Meatballs

Used in several recipes like couscous, meatballs can also be a dish on thier own. The secret of this recipe is in the mix of two different kinds of meat with a little Parmesan. Note that it's a dish children always love.
February 21^th 2011287 K 24.7 45 min.

Sausagemeat

Sausagemeat is a mixture of fatty pork (belly bacon here) with leaner meat, all minced and seasoned. In this version I have used veal as the additional meat.
October 3^rd 2019207 K3.8 15 min.

Caramelised walnuts

These delicious nuts can be used in several cakes, but you can also put them on ice-cream, pancakes, fruit salad, or eat them just as they are.
February 21^th 2011363 K5 25 min.

Citrus crunch

These are fine crumbs of candied citrus peel. It can be used to sprinkle a dessert or other preparation to add both crunch and the flavour of the chosen citrus fruit. It is easy to prepare well in advance, and will keep in an airtight jar. This recipe is given for clementines, but can be made with...
February 2^nd 2016228 K3.7 1 hour 20 min.

Clarified butter

This is a way of melting butter to eliminate all the impurities. The clarified butter can then be heated without spoiling, and is more digestible. It is ideal for cooking at high temperatures where small black specks would spoil the appearance, or for emulsified sauces like béarnaise or mousseline.
June 21^th 2017456 K4.2 2 hours 15 min.

Poached eggs

Poached eggs are cooked, without the shell, in barely simmering (nearly boiling) water. White should be firm and yolk soft, that's the difficulty. This recipe teaches you how to succeed with three important points.
January 8^th 2013309 K5 2 hours 40 min.

Potimarron (Japanese chestnut pumpkin) purée

Potimarron can be easily made into purée, you don't need to peel it, which makes for a quick and delicious recipe.
October 13^th 2010322 K4.6 1 hour 15 min.

Preserved tomatoes

Softer than dried tomatoes, they can be used as a kind of chutney in pasta dishes for instance, or simply served to accompany an aperitif.
February 21^th 2011337 K4.8 5 hours 6 min.

Quiche filling mixture

The basic mixture for filling quiches is made with seasoned eggs, cream and/or milk. It can be used in many kinds of savoury quiches and tarts, with different ingredients added (lardons, cheese, salmon, etc.).
April 17^th 202275 K 4 min.

Scrambled eggs (Oeufs brouillés)

French-style scrambled eggs are rather special. It's not very difficult, just a bit long because it's cooked slowly in a bain-marie. Eventually you will get a delicious, refined and delicate preparation which can be eaten "as it is" or added to another recipe.
February 21^th 2011265 K5 30 min.

Toasted flaked almonds

Toasted flaked almonds are the perfect finishing touch for desserts, ice creams in particular, because of their delightful crunch.
March 9^th 2020311 K4.8 30 min.

"Moelleux" cake batter

This French-style "moelleux" cake batter gives a softer, moister texture than a classic cake batter. It can be made plain or varied with different flavourings.
January 26^th 202231 K5 20 min.

Almond dacquoise

A dacquoise is a sort of almond meringue that can be eaten like a biscuit or can be used as the base of more sophisticated desserts.
June 28^th 2011199 K5 45 min.

Armagnac marzipan

Almost the same as plain marzipan, but this almond paste is flavoured with a hint of Armagnac or Cognac.
September 12^th 201845 K4.8 9 min.

Basic cake batter - the French way

The French have adopted the word "cake" for one that will stand up to being transported (usually made a loaf tin and sometimes called a "travel cake" in French). There are many versions, but here is a new basic recipe to which you can your choice of flavours (pistachio, lemon, chocolate...) and...
November 18^th 202042 K 20 min.

Breton sablé biscuit dough

Brittany is famous for its rich, sandy textured "sablé" biscuits. Similar to shortbread, they are made with lots of butter and egg yolk, and just a hint of vanilla. This dough can be made into simple biscuits – already delicious on their own – or used as the base for tarts and other desserts.
August 1^st 2018104 K 30 min.

Brioche dough

It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site.
September 16^th 2020518 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.

Buckwheat pancakes

Buckwheat pancakes (galettes de sarasin in French) are typical of Brittany and are often served as a savoury dish. They are made with buckwheat flour (a cereal-like seed which is gluten free).
July 21^th 2015169 K 24.3 15 min.

Chocolate sweetcrust pastry

This simplified sweetcrust pastry gets its chocolate flavour simply from cocoa powder, added towards the end of kneading. Chocolate aficionados will enjoy using this in all sorts of recipes that call for sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée).
July 4^th 201859 K1 20 min.

Choux pastry (pâte à choux)

Choux pastry is used for making profiteroles, eclairs and other small pastries.
February 13^th 2022528 K4.5 1 hour 4 min.

Coconut paste

Similar to marzipan or walnut paste, coconut paste can be used in a variety of cake or sweet recipes, but you can enjoy munching it just as it is.
October 13^th 2010286 K 14 15 min.

Coconut sweetcrust pastry

You might already be familiar with sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée) which contains a small amount of ground almonds. This is the coconut version, made with dessicated coconut, ideal for tarts with a more exotic flavour.
October 25^th 202046 K1 15 min.

Craquelin (sweet cracker dough)

This sweet cracker dough ("craquelin" in French) is a very simple mixture: equal parts of flour, butter and light brown sugar. It is simlilar to a shortbread dough and can be rolled out very thinly and cut into any shape as desired. Craquelin is mostly used (though not exclusively) on top of choux...
February 10^th 2019104 K5 55 min.

Financier batter

This delicious mixture is for the classic little French cakes called "financiers" (because of their ingot shape), but it can also be used with fruit, like a clafoutis.
April 14^th 2020334 K4.6 15 min.

Fresh pasta dough

You can use this dough to make lasagne, ravioli, spaghetti, etc. - in fact, any fresh pasta you wish.
December 6^th 2012180 K3.8 1 hour 15 min.

Macaronade mixture

Macaronade is the sweet almond and egg-white mixture (inspired by macarons (the original french macaroons) that French pâtissiers use as a topping on cakes and brioches. It forms a delicious crust when baked.
November 25^th 202064 K 2 min.

Marzipan (almond paste)

Very easy to do if you have a food processor which can slice or grate a lot of things.
December 19^th 2021627 K 34.5 15 min.

Muffin dough

This dough can be used to make this delicious and classic of the English cooking: muffins. It can be sweet, in different flavours, with fruit, but also savoury in other recipes.
February 6^th 2013556 K5 25 min.

Pancake batter

Here is a pancake batter that is a little more sophisticated than the traditional version. The pancakes will be tastier with a softer texture.
February 2^nd 2020324 K3.8 15 min.

Pistachio powder or paste

Pistachio paste has a similar texture to almond paste, but the similarity ends there, as its flavour and colour are quite characteristic.
October 13^th 2010370 K 154 50 min.

Pizza dough

Pizza dough is a lind of bread dough with olive oil, which make it softer. This is the same dough that I use for pizzas and flammenkuches, this is no doubt incorrect, but it's very good nevertheless. At home we used to make pizza dough quite thick, and flammenkuche as thin as possible.
September 22^th 2024502 K4.6 1 hour 60 min.

Puff or flaky pastry (pâte feuilletée)

Puff pastry is an incredible assembly of thin layers of butter enclosed in thin layers of dough. After cooking this give a succession of thin crisp pastry leaves that produce exceptional desserts or pies. It's a jewel of French patisserie. Making your own puff pastry is not very difficult, it's just...
January 19^th 2011444 K 63.3 2 hours 45 min.

Shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée)

This is for sweet or savoury tarts, quiches or pies. The difference between this and sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée) is in the very small amount of sugar and the absence of ground almonds.
December 29^th 2019378 K 24 35 min.

Sweet pastry

This sweet pastry is one of the basics of French pâtisserie, just like shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) and sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée). It is less rich in butter, so less "short" but crisper, it can be used in all tart recipes, or for any other pastry-based desserts.
June 27^th 201855 K 15 min.

Sweetcrust pastry (pâte sablée)

Sweetcrust pastry is one of the basic pastry of French patisserie, used in many tart and cakes recipes, but it can also be rolled out and cut into biscuits, delicious with tea or coffee. This recipe is given for those who have a mixer (Kenwood, KitchenAid or other), but it can also be done with your...
July 1^st 2019476 K 24.4 35 min.

Walnut paste

Very similar to marzipan (almond paste) in method, walnut paste is very tasty.
February 21^th 2011298 K 63.5 15 min.

Yeast-based flaky dough (for croissants)

This yeast-based flaky dough (or croissant dough) is where puff pastry meets a yeast dough (such as brioche dough). This means that not only will we get flaky layers, but the dough will also swell and rise. The method is along the same lines as for a feuilletage: the basic dough is first kneaded,...
June 9^th 2019146 K 4 3 hours 60 min.

Pilau rice

Pilau rice (also called "restaurant rice" in France) is a way of cooking rice that's very different from using a rice-cooker. In this recipe, the rice is first "pearled" with onion in olive oil, then chicken stock is added, and the whole lot is put in the oven. This produces a very tasty moist rice,...
February 21^th 2011381 K 14.4 35 min.

Avocado mayonnaise

This version of mayonnaise, as creamy as ever but with a delicious avocado flavor, is a perfect accompaniment to fish, vegetables and even canapés.
July 17^th 20247,147 10 min.

Béarnaise sauce

This very tasty sauce, flavoured with tarragon, chervil and shallot, with its hint of acidity, is perfect for grilled fish or meats. Its well-known as a difficult sauce, but here are all the tips that you need to succeed.
May 22^th 2016338 K4 1 hour 6 min.

Bechamel sauce

Bechamel sauce is a classic, made from a cooked butter-flour mix called "roux", where milk is added and slowly cooked. We get a thick sauce, used in many recipes.
June 13^th 2024423 K4.3 20 min.

Beurre blanc sauce

Beurre blanc sauce is a great classic of French cuisine, made with vinegar, white wine and shallots. It is a wonderful accompaniment for fish and shellfish.
February 2^nd 2012174 K3.8 35 min.

Carrot-top pesto

You will no doubt be familiar with classic pesto. Here is an alternative, zero-waste version using carrot tops for a surprising pesto, full of fresh flavour.
September 16^th 202039 K 20 min.

Chocolate sauce

This rich smooth chocolate sauce, with its full flavour, is one of the indispensable ingredients of profiteroles, but it can be used with many others desserts.
February 21^th 2011301 K 24 35 min.

Cocktail sauce

Cocktail sauce is a spicy mayonnaise with cognac, Tabasco and concentrated tomato paste (or purée) added.
October 13^th 2010198 K4 9 min.

Coriander and cashew nut pesto

You are probably familiar with the classic pesto,made with basil and pine nuts. I'd like to tempt you with a rather different (but quite delicious) version, made with coriander and cashew nuts.
December 9^th 201865 K 30 min.

Cream and herb dressing

A quick and easy recipe for a cream and herb dressing to go with all kinds of dishes, from simple jacket potatoes to fish.
June 12^th 202220 K 15 min.

Cream sauce with Vin Jaune

This sauce made with Vin Jaune ("yellow wine") is emblematic of Comtoise cuisine from Eastern France. It combines the smoothness of cream with the slight acidity and typical flavour of the Vin Jaune. The tricky aspect of cooking with Vin Jaune is that its fugitive flavour tends to disappear when...
October 3^rd 2018203 K4 50 min.

French dressing (vinaigrette)

Here is a very simple recipe, but it could completely transform, maybe even transcend, your salad.
July 7^th 20111.04 M4.5 7 min.

Greek Pesto

You may already know the pesto, this delicious Italian sauce, well here is the Greek variation of the thing: the basil is accompanied by thyme and oregano, and the Parmesan replaced by feta cheese. Greek flavors, but in an Italian spirit, a true European recipe.
July 24^th 202225 K5 20 min.

Green parsley sauce

This sauce, with a great parsley taste, is perfect with steamed vegetables or fish. At the bottom you will find the coulis version of this recipe.
February 21^th 2011511 K 44.3 25 min.

Green parsley tahini sauce

This greeen sauce with tahini and parsley is an excellent accompaniment for lots of vegetables (raw or cooked) and also goes well with poultry.
April 8^th 202045 K 9 min.

Gribouille dressing

Gribouille dressing is based on a rémoulade dressing, with shallot, herbs, hard-boiled egg and tuna added. It goes well with fish and vegetables of all kinds and makes a great sandwich filling.
February 17^th 202130 K 20 min.

Hollandaise sauce

This sauce is quite similar to Béarnaise sauce, but with a light lemon flavour. It can be used hot, warm or cold on several things: vegetables, fish, eggs... Not easy to get right, like all "emulsified warm sauces" (Béarnaise, Hollandaise, etc.), but you will find all the tips you need here.
July 25^th 2019237 K 14.7 25 min.

How to succeed in making sabayon (syllabub)

A sabayon is a delicious and delicate preparation based on egg yolks and sugar, with a liquid added (wine, alcohol, fruit juice, etc), which is then whipped in a bain-marie until it is both light and smooth. Usually sabayon is sweet (syllabub), but you can make it savoury, in which case there is...
November 12^th 2017929 K 54 20 min.

Lemon Mayonnaise

This is almost as simple to make as a plain mayonnaise, but with the double lemon flavour of both zest and juice for a delicate, fresh tang.
February 17^th 201682 K4.5 5 min.

Light herb sauce

This is a very quick and easy recipe for a delicious sauce! It goes particularly well with baked potatoes, fish (such as salmon) and cold white meats.
May 20^th 201588 K4 8 min.

Marchand de vin sauce

The rich "marchand de vin" sauce, made with red wine and shallot, is a classic accompaniment for meats that is traditionally made in the roasting tin or dish. This is a simplified version that can be made while the meat is cooking, even beforehand, so there is no risk of it going cold.
May 31^th 2012262 K4.1 35 min.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is a cold egg dressing, quite thick, served with many dishes, usually cold too: meat, fish, vegetables, etc.
February 16^th 2014806 K5 6 min.

Mint and pea pesto

Here's a version of pesto with mint and peas, for a very fresh take on this famous Italian sauce.
August 7^th 20245,010 30 min.

Mornay Sauce

Mornay sauce is made from béchamel sauce, to which egg yolk and grated cheese are added.
June 12^th 20247,595 15 min.

Pesto

Pesto is an Italian sauce made from pine nuts, Parmesan and basil. It's very simple but quite delicious, and goes particularly well with pasta.
July 25^th 2020267 K 25 15 min.

Pistachio and spinach pesto

You are no doubt familiar with classic pesto, made with basil and pine nuts. Here's a winter version with spinach and pistachios that's just as delicious.
January 16^th 202224 K 35 min.

Provençal remoulade sauce

The classic remoulade sauce is, in this recipe, declined in a Provençal version, where we use olive oil and to which we add chopped basil before mixing. You will obtain a classic remoulade texture, but a very typical and fresh taste.
September 18^th 202219 K 9 min.

Purple Pesto

You may already be familiar with the classic green basil pesto , but here is a version with purple basil that gives a very aesthetic purple pesto with a more peppery taste, quite similar to ginger.
August 7^th 202230 K5 20 min.

Rémoulade dressing

This dressing is a kind of mayonnaise with vinegar, used for some salads like celeriac rémoulade. Usually it is prepared from mayonnaise, but here is another version, simpler and just as tasty.
October 3^rd 2010872 K3.9 6 min.

Rémoulette dressing

This is similar to rémoulade dressing, but with lemon juice instead of vinegar and with chopped chives added. The name comes from the French for chives: "ciboulette". In technical terms, it is a cold emulsion, like mayonnaise. Not just a tasty dressing for vegetables and salads, it also goes well...
March 27^th 201971 K 8 min.

Roquefort sauce

This is an ideal sauce to make when you have been cooking meat, as it uses the juices left in the pan, but there's a tip for making it without meat juices.
December 19^th 2010200 K4.9 25 min.

Sauce Normande (for fish)

Sauce Normande (or Normandy sauce) is a classic of French cuisine. It is rather "old school", but deliciously velvety and comes in two versions, one for meat and one for seafood. Here is the version to accompany fish or shellfish.
January 1^st 2020225 K4.8 40 min.

Sorrel pesto

Alongside the traditional basil pesto, here's a sorrel version, very fresh, with a delicious herbaceous taste.
April 7^th 202410 K 30 min.

Tapenade

Tapenade is a classic of Mediterranean cuisine, basically a purée of black olives and olive oil. This version is little more sophisticated, with a less marked olive flavour.
November 21^th 2010187 K 14.1 15 min.

Tartar sauce

Tartar sauce is a remoulade sauce with the addition of chopped pickles and herbs. It is an ideal accompaniment to cold dishes, such as cold meats, or hot dishes, such as fries or cooked vegetables.
March 15^th 202315 K 20 min.

Tomato pesto

This is a variation on the classic pesto sauce (basil and pine nuts), using cherry tomatoes, basil and almonds.
June 29^th 2011163 K4.5 15 min.

Tomato sauce (for pizzas)

This is the sauce to put on pizza bases before the toppings.
October 19^th 2010522 K4.3 1 hour 15 min.

Tomato sauce (with fresh tomatoes)

When we make a classic tomato sauce, we generally use tinned crushed tomatoes, and that's already very good. But it's possible to do much better, using fresh tomatoes (when in season, of course), which are gently preserved in the oven with thyme and garlic. See how in this recipe.
July 14^th 20246,670 1 hour 35 min.

Blackcurrant coulis

Blackcurrants make a very good coulis, but it's a bit more difficult than with other fruits. Here is a simple method to help you succeed.
February 21^th 2011443 K 23.5 25 min.

Citrus syrup

This citrus-flavoured syrup blends the bitterness of the zest with the delicious acidity of the juice. It can be used to soak biscuits or cakes when making desserts. You can make this with whatever citrus fruits you prefer. It can be prepared in advance and will keep for several days.
December 30^th 201965 K 1 hour 15 min.

Fruit coulis (fruit purée)

Contrary to what people usually think, coulis is not just a simple fruit purée with sugar. Of course, this is the general principle, but it's possible to make something much better and more refined. This recipe is for a strawberry coulis (see below for other fruits): how to make it, but also how...
October 20^th 2012770 K 44 25 min.

Poaching syrup

Less sweet than normal sugar syrup, poaching syrup is specially for slow cooking fruits to be used in other recipes.
September 2^nd 2012287 K5 15 min.

Sugar syrup

This syrup is mainly used as a basis for all sorbet recipes, which consist of this syrup and fruit pulp, but it can be also used to soak biscuits for example, or for fruit salads.
February 21^th 2011744 K3.5 8 min.

Green bean purée

Green (or French) beans are usually served whole, for instance as an accompanying vegetable or in a salad, but they make a good purée, too. This is tasty on its own, but also goes very well with meats, and children usually prefer it to "normal" beans.
August 11^th 202378 K 25 min.

Leek fondue

Leek fondue (literally "melted") consists of finely sliced leeks cooked until barely tender then simmered gently in cream until thickened. The aim is to keep the fresh green of the just-cooked leeks but with a lovely soft, melting consistency. This can be a side dish or an ingredient in lots of...
March 4^th 202074 K2.5 40 min.

Macédoine of vegetables

A macédoine is simply vegetables diced small (carrots and turnips) or cut small (green beans) with peas. The different vegetables are cooked separately "à l'anglaise", then thoroughly drained. They are only combined at the end in a mayonnaise dressing.
September 3^rd 2014159 K4 1 hour 25 min.

Onion fondue

Onion fondue is a delicious classic of French cuisine: finely-sliced onions, cooked long and slow until they are melting and caramelized. This can be used in many other recipes.
March 25^th 2020136 K 50 min.

Pan-fried potatoes

What could be simpler than fried potatoes? No need of a recipe for that! Quite right, but it's also very easy to end up making fried mash instead. Here are the main pitfalls to avoid.
February 3^rd 2011294 K4.5 1 hour 40 min.

Potato purée

The French have fond childhood memories of this, and while nothing will ever be as good as "Maman" made, here's a fairly straightforward way to make it.
October 3^rd 2010233 K5 1 hour 35 min.

Lettuce "chiffonade"

Chiffonade is a French term meaning "made of rags.", it consists of shredding the heart of a lettuce into thin ribbons.
February 21^th 2011218 K 15 35 min.