French cuisine has gotten its fair share of attention throughout the years, but few people know that it’s actually more diverse than you might think. Sure, there are the classics like escargot and steak frites that everyone knows about, but there’s also lesser-known delicacies like tarte tatin and mayonnaise de saumon. If you’re interested in expanding your culinary horizons, this list of unique French dishes to try will help get you started!
1) Cassoulet
The dish is traditionally made with meat like pork, sausages and bacon. The meat is then combined with white beans and vegetables. The mixture is then placed in a casserole dish and cooked slowly in the oven. If you want to spice it up a little, you can use black pepper, chili peppers or fresh herbs as well. Cassoulet is usually eaten for lunch but it also makes for a delicious dinner dish if you are feeling adventurous! There are plenty of other dishes to try at French restaurants too. For dessert, there’s crème brulee, Paris-Brest and tarte Tatin. For snacks, go for croque-monsieur (a ham sandwich), salade niçoise (a traditional salad from Nice) or quiche Lorraine (a light egg custard pie).
2) Coq au vin
The French dish, Coq au vin, hails from the Burgundy region in France, which is found in the east of the country. The dish consists of rooster that is boiled and then cooked in red wine with mushrooms, bacon, onions, garlic and chicken livers. The French translation of coq au vin is rooster with wine. This dish is typically served over noodles or potatoes.
Some people consider coq au vin a form of comfort food because it has been around for so long and has never gone out of fashion. It’s delicious when paired with a good glass of red wine! Coq au vin can be served at any time during the day: breakfast, lunch or dinner!
3) Pot-au-feu
Pot-au-feu is one of the quintessential dishes in French cuisine. It’s a hearty, satisfying dish that can be eaten at any time of day. Pot-au-feu translates literally as pot on the fire. The hearty soup traditionally contains meat, carrots, onions, celery, and potatoes boiled for hours in water with herbs and seasonings. Afterwards it is usually served with a slice of bread and butter or a hunk of cheese on top.
It’s easy to make a pot-au-feu at home. Just add your ingredients (typically beef, chicken, and vegetables) and water into a large stockpot. Bring it all to a boil, cover it and let it simmer over low heat for several hours or until everything is tender enough that you can pierce it easily with a fork or knife. Then fish out any bones or fat pieces before serving with your favorite toppings.
4) Soupe a l’oignon
Soupe a l’oignon is an onion soup made of thinly sliced onions, butter, flour, salt and water. The soup is cooked slowly until it becomes rich and deep brown in color. This dish is often served with croutons fried in butter until golden brown and melted cheese on top. Desserts are typically eaten after meals as snacks. They may also be served for celebrations or holidays like Christmas. Here are five desserts that you need to try while visiting France! -Crème Caramel: Crème caramel (or sometimes just creme caramel) is a dessert consisting of soft, sweet custard with hard caramel topping. It has the contrast of both crunchy and smooth textures.
5) Tarte Tatin
French tarte tatin is a dish that originated there. The dish, which consists of apples baked with sugar and butter, is made with puff pastry dough that is placed on top of the apples after they are cooked. This type of tarte doesn’t have a crust underneath the apples, unlike most tarts. The name Tatin was given to the dessert because it originated in a restaurant called Auberge de l’Aubette (The Old Buck’s Tavern) owned by two sisters from the village of Lamotte-Beuvron, called Tatin. One day during lunchtime, one sister forgot about her apple pie and accidentally burned it.
6) French Chocolate Cake
For all the chocolate lovers, this is a must-try! This dessert is more cake than anything and made with a lot of melted chocolate. The best thing about this dish is that it comes with a scoop of ice cream on top.
The chocolate cake can be found in many different variations like the famous Mont Blanc Cake or the Crème Brulee. If you’re looking for something sweet but different, these cakes will not disappoint. They are typically very rich desserts so make sure you have plenty of water nearby before diving into one. Make sure to save room for the typical french coffee at the end as well.
7) Desserts
Crème Brulée – this dessert is a custard with a crispy caramelized sugar top and is typically served with a raspberry or strawberry on top. Sachertorte – this cake is made of chocolate, apricot jam and ground nuts, layered with whipped cream in between the layers. Tarte aux pommes – this dessert is apple pie where the apples are cooked in butter, sugar, honey and cinnamon until they are soft before being placed on a pastry crust and baked. Profiteroles – these desserts are choux pastry balls covered in ice cream and then topped off with chocolate sauce.
