List of recipes from category Basic recipes: 81 recipes (lactose free)
List of recipes from category Basic recipes
- Aromatic preparations: 14 recipes
- Breads: 1 recipe
- Cakes: 3 recipes
- Confectionery: 1 recipe
- Creams and foams: 37 recipes
- Fruits: 3 recipes
- How to...: 4 recipes
- Meat: 2 recipes
- Miscellanous: 9 recipes
- Pasta and rice: 2 recipes
- Pastries: 25 recipes
- Sauces: 37 recipes
- Syrups and coulis: 5 recipes
- Vegetables: 6 recipes
- Work on/prepare an ingredient: 1 recipe
Aromatic preparations
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 2nd 2012119K 15 12 hours 36 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 12th 2018409K 15 26 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 13th 2010222K4.6 22 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 5th 2011258K4.3 1 hour
Herb olive oil
This flavoured olive oil, easy to prepare, goes very well with Mediterranean cuisine: pizzas, pastas, pan bagnat, etc...February 21th 2011301K3.8 21 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 21th 2017408K3.5 12 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 3rd 2012257K3.5 55 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 21th 2013761K 73.1 4 hours 36 min.
Home-made chilli oil
It is very simple and economical to make your own chilli oil. Here's how to do it.March 30th 202224K 15 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 29th 202039K 1 hour 29 min.
Breads
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 26th 2024111K1 1 hour 7 min.
Cakes
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 23th 2014105K5 1 hour 8 min.
Confectionery
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 29th 2018320K4 32 min.
Creams and foams
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 25th 2013168K5 15 min.
Stewed apple (compote)
Here is a very basic but delicious recipe, and the pitfalls to avoid.November 8th 20172.4M 14.8 1 hour 13 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 12th 2012191K4.7 13 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 17th 2013110K4.6 28 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 23th 2014124K4.6 21 min.
Stewed rhubarb
This is perhaps the best known use of rhubarb, and can be used as the basis for other recipes.October 13th 2010286K4.4 55 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 2nd 2015466K4.3 30 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 26th 2012456K4.3 37 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 2nd 2015114K3.8 1 hour 17 min.
Stewed apricots
Here is how to make delicious stewed apricots, both an easy and a more sophisticated way.July 12th 2023769K 143.6 1 hour 17 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 30th 2019106K3 59 min.
Stewed plums
Quick and simple, stewed plums can also be spread like jam.June 27th 2010456K2.6 38 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 11th 202034K 55 min.
Fruits
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 25th 202128K5 59 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 12th 2023125K3.9 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 22th 20238,188 28 min.
How to...
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 16th 2015445K4.5 43 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 16th 2013297K4.1 44 min.
How to prepare apricots
Here's how to prepare apricots for use in a recipe, from washing to slicing.July 12th 2023733K3.7 32 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 4th 20242,684
Meat
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 21th 2011284K 24.7 43 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 3rd 2019203K3.8 15 min.
Miscellanous
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 21th 2011360K5 22 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 8th 2013306K5 2 hours 40 min.
Toasted flaked almonds
Toasted flaked almonds are the perfect finishing touch for desserts, ice creams in particular, because of their delightful crunch.March 9th 2020305K4.8 27 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 21th 2011335K4.8 5 hours 6 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 2nd 2016225K3.7 1 hour 16 min.
Pasta and rice
Fresh pasta dough
You can use this dough to make lasagne, ravioli, spaghetti, etc. - in fact, any fresh pasta you wish.December 6th 2012177K3.8 1 hour 13 min.
Pastries
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 28th 2011196K5 44 min.
Armagnac marzipan
Almost the same as plain marzipan, but this almond paste is flavoured with a hint of Armagnac or Cognac.September 12th 201843K4.8 9 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.August 27th 2020500K4.6 1 hour 59 min.
Marzipan (almond paste)
Very easy to do if you have a food processor which can slice or grate a lot of things.December 19th 2021624K 34.5 11 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 13th 2010283K 14 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 13th 2010364K 154 48 min.
Walnut paste
Very similar to marzipan (almond paste) in method, walnut paste is very tasty.February 21th 2011295K 63.5 14 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 25th 202060K 2 min.
Sauces
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is a cold egg dressing, quite thick, served with many dishes, usually cold too: meat, fish, vegetables, etc.February 16th 2014803K5 6 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 25th 2020264K 25 15 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 7th 202227K5 19 min.
Tomato pesto
This is a variation on the classic pesto sauce (basil and pine nuts), using cherry tomatoes, basil and almonds.June 29th 2011161K4.5 13 min.
French dressing (vinaigrette)
Here is a very simple recipe, but it could completely transform, maybe even transcend, your salad.July 7th 20111.0M4.5 7 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 17th 201680K4.5 5 min.
Tomato sauce (for pizzas)
This is the sauce to put on pizza bases before the toppings.October 19th 2010519K4.3 1 hour 15 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 21th 2011505K 44.3 23 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 21th 2010185K 14.1 13 min.
Cocktail sauce
Cocktail sauce is a spicy mayonnaise with cognac, Tabasco and concentrated tomato paste (or purée) added.October 13th 2010196K4 9 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 12th 2017925K 54 18 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 3rd 2010868K3.9 6 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 17th 20243,908 10 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 16th 202037K 16 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 9th 201863K 26 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 8th 202043K 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 17th 202128K 18 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 7th 20241,713 26 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 16th 202221K 34 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 18th 202216K 9 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 27th 201968K 8 min.
Sorrel pesto
Alongside the traditional basil pesto, here's a sorrel version, very fresh, with a delicious herbaceous taste.April 7th 20247,979 29 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 15th 202313K 18 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 14th 20243,407 1 hour 31 min.
Syrups and coulis
Poaching syrup
Less sweet than normal sugar syrup, poaching syrup is specially for slow cooking fruits to be used in other recipes.September 2nd 2012284K5 14 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 20th 2012765K 44 24 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 21th 2011440K 23.5 25 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 21th 2011739K3.5 8 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 30th 201962K 1 hour 13 min.
Vegetables
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 3rd 2011290K4.5 1 hour 37 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 3rd 2014155K4 1 hour 24 min.
Work on/prepare an ingredient
Lettuce "chiffonade"
Chiffonade is a French term meaning "made of rags.", it consists of shredding the heart of a lettuce into thin ribbons.February 21th 2011215K 15 32 min.