13 best french cookbooks

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Chicken with Walnuts and Lemon, from the Dordogne

Choux Puffs with Whipped Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Alsatian Bacon, Onion, and Cream Pizza

Curly Endive Salad with Hot Bacon and Goat Cheese

Cider-Braised Duck with Onions, Shallots, Leeks, and Carrots

Aromatic Mussels with Curry

Tender Tart Pastry (La Pâte Tendre)

• EQUIPMENT: food processor
• PREPARATION TIME: 5 minutes
• COOKING TIME: 15 to 25 minutes
• DIFFICULTY LEVEL: simple

Place the flour and salt in a food processor and process once to mix. Add the butter and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the 5 tablespoons ice water and pulse just until the pastry begins to hold together. If the pastry seems dry and dusty, add the remaining 1 tablespoon water.

Tip out the pastry from the food processor to your work surface and form it quickly, without touching it too much, into a flat round. Cover it with a bowl and let it rest on the work surface for at least 30 minutes. The pastry can sit several hours at room temperature, as long as the room isn’t warmer than 68°F (20°C). The pastry is now ready to use as desired.

Astuces:

• This is made in a food processor, so the ingredients stay cold while they’re being put together.
• Once the pastry is made, it needs to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes so it can relax before being rolled out.

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A sample bite from the book: French Onion Soup

French onion soup is perhaps the most iconic and well-traveled of all French dishes. Worldwide, it has seduced more stomachs than even our beloved New England clam chowder, which, incidentally, is based upon another French export. I once read that onion soup was “invented” by Louis XV. In this histoire, Louis was out hunting with the boys when they returned to the hunting lodge and found nothing but a couple of onions and a bottle of Champagne in the cupboards. What was a poor monarch supposed to do but improvise? The truth is that onion soup has been simmering in farmhouse kitchens since the birth of time; it is a dish born of frugality and circumstance. There are many versions, and mine is the remembered flavors from my youth—the way my family made it. Please feel free to substitute my Homemade Chicken Stock (page 70) for beef broth or even water. The real flavor comes from the deep caramelization of the onions. The croutons and cheesy topping are key to the success of any onion soup. I like to use Emmental and mozzarella in a three-to-one ratio. The mozzarella really adds a beautiful molten quality. Add as much cheese as you want.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter until foamy. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are very brown, about 1 1/2 hours. Adjust the heat even lower, if necessary, to keep them from burning. The sweetness and richness of flavor comes from this step.

3. Sprinkle the onions with the flour (if using; this addition gives the soup a bit more depth and body). Add the stock, wine, thyme, and bay leaf and simmer until golden brown with a rich taste, about 30 minutes.

4. While the soup is simmering, make the croutons. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the baguette slices directly on the oven racks and bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and preheat the broiler.

5. In a small bowl, combine the cheeses. To serve, ladle the soup into 8 ovenproof bowls, and then top each with 2 bread slices and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Working in batches if necessary, set the bowls on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

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Artichokes with Feta-Dill Dressing

Duck Fat-Roasted Potatoes with Anchovy Salsa Verde and Mayonnaise

Seared Steaks with Basil Bearnaise

French Baked Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Tarragon Cream

Lillett Fondue

Meyer Lemon Tart with Olive Oil and Fleur de Sel

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Raspberry Gratin from JACQUES PÉPIN QUICK & SIMPLE

This tasty dessert can be made with fresh berries or IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) berries. I always have a few packages of frozen unsweetened berries in my freezer. Serve the gratin warm, with crème fraîche or sour cream.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the berries in a 5-cup gratin dish.

Place the pastry pieces in a bowl. Add the melted butter and brown sugar and mix well. Sprinkle on top of the berries.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the gratin is nicely browned on top. Serve warm, with crème fraîche.

Keep a supply of IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) berries in your freezer for use in fruit desserts.

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Madeleines

Caramel Apple Jam

Cream Brûlee

Strawberry Layer Cake

Baba Isaphan

Molten Chocolate Cakes

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Learn to cook like the professionals with this essential reference work

An ideal guide for professional chefs in training and aspiring amateurs, this fully illustrated, comprehensive step-by-step manual covers all aspects of preparing, cooking and serving delicious, high-end food.

An authoritative, distinctive reference book, it covers 250 core techniques in extensive, ultra-clear step-by-step photographs. These techniques are then put into practice in 70 classic and contemporary recipes, designed by chefs. With over 1,800 photographs in total, this astonishing reference work is the essential culinary bible for any serious cook, professional or amateur.