You’re not going to get this right the first time. After five, maybe six attempts, you’ll start to feel like a pro. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes. Check out the step-by-step here and watch the video here.
Search

Open Navigation Menu
Menu

Story Saved

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Close Alert

Search

# 43 French Recipes That Are Basically the Same as Hopping on a Plane to Paris

These are the French recipes you should master, from perfect roast chicken to soufflés and cream puffs.

August 2, 2017

Image may contain Ice Cream Cream Food Dessert Creme Animal Seafood Sea Life Lobster Human and Person

Does the staff make vats of veal stock on the regular? Mais, oui. Does that mean you have to? Of course not. Sub low-sodium beef broth instead.Eva Kolenko

When it comes to classic technique, flawless flavors, and mastery over butter, nobody does it better than the French. It's worth traveling to the land of the baguettes at least once in your life, but until you book that plane ticket, these classic French recipes will be here to curb any cravings. Bon appétit!

- Image may contain Food Bread Pizza and Plant

1/43

Though the dough can be temperamental, layer after delicate layer will convince you: Making this pastry is worth the effort.

- Elizabeth Cecil

2/43

This all-in-one brunch dish is both luxurious to eat and easy to make—it's a staple in the countryside town of Brittany.

- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott

3/43

You’re not going to get this right the first time. After five, maybe six attempts, you’ll start to feel like a pro. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes. Check out the step-by-step here and watch the video here.

- 4/43

Whip the whites until firm, but stop before they get too stiff.

- Oddur Thorisson

5/43

The batter is the base for cream puffs and éclairs, but when you add cheese and bake it, it becomes an irresistible snack.

- Peden + Munk

6/43

This Suzette sauce recipe is great for crepes, regular pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Maple syrup can sit this one out.

- Photo by Laura Murray

7/43

These cheesy bites puff in the oven and taste like gougères, aka fancy French cheese puffs, but this recipe makes them way easier.

- 8/43

This buttery bread is faintly sweet.

- Peden + Munk

9/43

Grilled ham and cheese: nothing to scoff at. Baked ham and cheese with velvety béchamel oozing out all over the place: mind-altering. (Add an egg to make it a Croque-Madame!)

- Peden + Munk

10/43

Entertaining bonus: It gets better as it sits, which means you’ll be rewarded for making it ahead of time.

- Eva Kolenko

11/43

Does the staff at Petit Trois make vats of veal stock on the regular? Mais, oui. Does that mean you have to? Of course not. Sub low-sodium beef broth instead.

- 12/43

Mâche, the sweet, tender lettuce that’s been popular in France since the 1700s, is increasingly easier to find at specialty grocers and farmers’ markets. Mizuna and baby arugula are just as delicious with these golden, crackling shallots.

- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Graylen Gatewood

13/43

For a little spice, you can add either dried or fresh chiles (like Fresno, Thai, or red pepper flakes). This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

- 14/43

With this recipe, there's no need to be intimidated by this classic fish stew from Provence.

- 15/43

Named for a region in Normandy known for its apples (and Calvados), this traditional recipe combines both in a rich, creamy sauce.

- 16/43

The closest thing the French have to a simple chicken cutlet.

- 17/43

4 cups of Burgundy gives the chicken (traditionally, rooster) the deep red color.

- 18/43

Bigger picnic? Simply roast two birds at the same time.

- Alex Lau

19/43

The word “buttery” is an understatement. Stuffing lots of butter and breadcrumbs under the skin makes for a most decadent and succulent bird.

- Danny Kim

20/43

Homemade beef stock is richer and more flavorful than store-bought, adding lip-smacking depth to your soups, sauces, and braises. And it's the backbone of many French recipes.

- Gentl & Hyers

21/43

Here’s how to time this: Have the salad and onion ring components ready before you cook the steak and the sauce, then keep the sauce warm while you fry the onions. Toss the salad at the last moment.

- 22/43

Truly, a special-occasion dish.

- 23/43

Hearty, fragrant, and absolutely perfect or a chilly evening.

- Gentl & Hyers

24/43

This riff on a classic cassoulet skips most of the exotic ingredients and elaborate preparation but still delivers deep rich flavor.

- Shay Harrington

25/43

Adding ground pistachios creates a substantial dough that complements the leeks for these galettes.

- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott

26/43

Don’t wait too long before inverting this tart; the caramel will stick if it gets cold.

- Alex Lau

27/43

A luxurious almond cream makes this one-hour summer stone fruit dessert taste like an all-day labor of love.

- Peden + Munk

28/43

The dough for these airy desserts is also the foundation for éclairs, cream puffs, and pâte à choux. Minus the ice cream and berries, they make a sweet little breakfast pastry.

- 29/43

Adding egg yolks, cream, and sugar transforms a standard pie crust into something almost cookie-like. Freeze the second crust for later use.

- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Anna Billingskog

30/43

"Galette" is just a fancy word for "a pie that's practically impossible to mess up."

- Christopher Testani

31/43

As if you need another reason to make these mini cakes for dessert: The batter can be prepped the day before.

- Peden + Munk

32/43

Substitute whole almonds for the hazelnuts in these brown-buttery cakes, or use a combination of both in this iconic bakery offering.

- 33/43

This simple dessert is custard-like in texture.

- Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott

34/43

Known as mendiants in France, these adorned chocolate bites are a holiday tradition.

- 35/43

Okay, we'll admit: We're cheating a little by using frozen puff pastry. But feel free to make your own if you're feeling ambitious.

- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott

36/43

This laid-back apple galette got a standing ovation during tastings, thanks to its crisp crust and the ideal sweet-salty balance.

- Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott

37/43

If you don’t have a kitchen torch, time to treat yourself. They’re inexpensive and super fun to use—and you can’t make this dessert without one.

- 38/43

The cream puff is the Eiffel Towel of Parisian pastries: iconic, beloved, and displayed everywhere. The recipe is so irrefutably timeless that even Pierre Hermé, France's most famous (and endlessly innovative) pastry chef, still uses the formula he learned as a 14-year-old apprentice.

- ©Romulo Yanes

39/43

So elegant yet so simple.

- 40/43

Say it with us: Macarons, not macaroons.

- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi, Prop Styling by Alex Massillon

41/43

Christmas comes but once a year—and when it does, you'll be ready with this French showstopper.

- William Abranowicz

42/43

Dip these madeleines in freshly brewed Early Grey for extra credit.

- Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman

43/43

The French 75 is that rare creature of a cocktail: elegant enough to make it feel as if you’re in Paris on New Year’s Eve but supremely simple to assemble.

Senior Associate Web Editor. When she’s not torturing herself by grinding coffee beans by hand and making her own butter, Rochelle writes about cooking techniques and seasonal eating for bonappetit.com. She comes to BA by way of a small farm in Central New York, where she worked as a farmhand... Read more

Explore Bon Appétit French

Read More

Recipes you want to make. Cooking advice that works. Restaurant recommendations you trust.

More from Bon Appétit

Contact

© 2024 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Bon Appétit may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices

Food Innovation Group