10 Best French Dishes to try in Paris
The capital of France (or shall I call it as the “City of lights”) is not just regarded as a city of love and romance, but is also widely known for its rich culture, fashion and gastronomy. Cuisine française or French cuisine is a blend of cooking techniques, savoury flavours, delectable presentation and sophistication. And, to top it all, literally every single dish is best enjoyed with a glass of wine! Santé!! (Cheers!!)
In this Blog, I am going to apprise y’all with 10 French dishes that you CANNOT afford to miss on your next visit to Paris.
So, let’s get started!!
1. First up, I’m gonna begin with the most traditional as well as the most soul-warming dish of all times – Soupe à l’oignon (Onion Soup) The French onion soup is a soup which is usually based on some beef broth, and caramelised onions. It is often served “gratinéed”, which means that it is cooked with pieces of bread (crouton) covered with cheese floating on the top. The main ingredients in the soup include onions, beef or chicken, croutons or the crispy fried bread crumbs, some fresh herbs and cheese. The vegetarian version is also available for all you vegetarians out there! This traditional French soup is considered to be an Entrée (Starter), however one might feel slightly on the heavier side.
2. Next up, Jambon-beurre (Literal translation : Ham & butter) As simple and short as it sounds, Jambon-beurre is nothing but a Ham Sandwich, HOWEVER, the one that is prepared in a traditional “French” style will surely steal your hearts!!! The Jambon-beurre sandwich is prepared with a freshly baked, crispy traditional French bread, we all know as the Baguette. This bread is sliced into two halves and layered with butter & some salt, and slices of rich quality ham are tucked in the middle, et voilà!! This Parisian style Sandwich is definitely a must try!
3. Now, it’s time for a dish that is quite popular amongst foodies all around the world – Beef Bourguignon! Beef Bourguignon is a traditional beef stew in Paris, France. The main ingredients in the dish include beef stock, red wine, garlic, and veggies like potatoes, onions, carrots & mushrooms, along with some chunks of bacon. This dish is very rich in taste, and has won the hearts of a lot of chefs around the world who keep trying their hands at preparing the dish and even customising the recipe every now & then.
4. Did You Know? France is one of the leading producers of Oysters. Normandy, Brittany, Île d’Oléron are a few major oyster growing regions. An Oyster in French is called “huître”, and ideally they are never rinsed in order to retain & preserve their flavours. Ummm…okay!!! So, for all you Oyster-lovers, you’re surely gonna find some amazingly flavoured oysters on your visit to France! Ah! Wait a sec! …. Don’t forget to go all Parisian! Squeeze a lemon onto your oyster, and slurp back in one gulp!
5. Rooster in wine, anyone? Yeah, you heard that right!!!!! “Coq au vin” is the dish wherein a rooster or a chicken is braised in red wine (white wine at times) and served with lardons/bacon and mushrooms.
#FunFact : The wine acts as a main ingredient in this dish as its acidic components not only add good flavour but also help in tenderising the meat.
6. Are you diet-conscious? I’m pretty sure there’ll be a few of you out there! Well, the next dish is not only delicious and flavoursome but is also a healthy one! Well kind of! Yayyy….. “Crêpes ” – Crêpes are made up of flour, milk, butter, salt, sugar and eggs, and are served with different kinds of fillings and toppings. The savoury crêpe is regarded as “crêpe salée”, en français! Crêpes can be eaten sweet as well. My personal favourite is a crêpe served with a combination of Nutella with whipped cream and strawberries or blueberries. Oh my god!!! It is actually a delight to the taste buds. One thing that I love about Crêpes is that they are not only delicious but also hold a good nutritional value, which means that one can eat them at any time of the day, be it simply for normal munching/snacking or as a wholesome meal for one’s lunch or dinner altogether, without having any regrets!! Do you even need any other reason to fall in love with Crêpes??
7. Moving on further, have you thought of a concoction of garlic, butter, parsley, red wine, & chicken? Sounds fascinating, no? But, how about we add some “Escargots” aka Snails to this concoction ? Woahhh!!!! Cooked Escargots or snails is a French delicacy which the French people really relish. While escargots cooked in the concoction so mentioned is the most ideal way of enjoying eating escargots, however, they can also be customised by cooking them in different styles of concoctions like tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, and herbs, or any other flavours. Escargots are meant to be eaten using a snail fork which is specially designed to hold the snail shells, and one is easily able to dig out the flesh from the shells with the help of the fork.
#DidYouKnow ? : Escargot is a traditional delicacy in a number of European countries. France is the number one consumer of snails as they consume tons & tons of snails in a year. The ideal way of cooking them is by first purging them out, removing the shells and then cooking them in the flavoursome concoction. As delish as the dish may sound, they are also a great source of nutrition as they are rich in protein & water, and have a very low fat content.
8. Now, it’s time for me to tell you about a dish that is vegetarian, however, it can also be turned into a non-vegetarian dish, at the same time. A classic French stew prepared with fresh vegetables like tomatoes, onions, peppers, eggplant etc, garlic and some fresh herbs. This dish is called “Ratatouille”, and can be served with mashed potatoes for the vegetarians, whereas the chicken lovers can enjoy it best with some grilled chicken or fish. Don’t forget to sip your wine along with it!
9. “Tartiflette” is a dish that is all about potatoes, gooey cheese, onions, and sauce based out of white wine. However, this is more of a vegetarian dish, le français or the French enjoy it with some crispy bacon chunks. The king of this dish is nothing but the Reblochon cheese, a local French cheese which gives the required amount of a rich creamy texture as well as flavour to a dish.
10. Saving the best ‘till last? It would be doing great injustice if I don’t tell you about this one last dish, which is one of the most popular French dishes, and is known as the “Cassoulet”. Cassoulet is a plat français of fresh pork, sausages, and baked white beans. Adding Duck to it would make this dish even more exotic & classic.
#RealityCheck : A lip-smacking cassoulet must not be prepared in less than 4 days…. Yes, you read that right!!! Cassoulets are supposed to be prepared very slowly in order to allow the beans, the pork & the sausages to absorb the flavours properly and nicely. They are usually best served straight from the oven along with some red wine & some fresh salad or French bread on the side.
Go, give France a visit sometime real soon! And do let us know about the dishes you liked. Bon appétit y’all!!!!
