French Bistro Recipes You Can Cook at Home (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional French bistro food? ›

Steak tartare, frogs' legs, and escargots are bistro staples that'll make you feel like you're dining in Paris. If, however, you're after something lighter, a vegetarian Provençal soup or salade Lyonnaise will leave your guests ready for a hearty main course.

With its silky texture and dynamic taste, it's no wonder Auguste Escoffier said the three great secrets of French cooking are butter, butter, butter.

A classic bistro restaurant menu typically features a delightful array of traditional French food, renowned for its simplicity, heartiness, and rich flavors. It is usually a simple menu printed on a single sheet of paper and may change daily, depending on what's fresh and in season.

The Oxford Companion to Food calls pot-au-feu "a dish symbolic of French cuisine and a meal in itself"; the chef Raymond Blanc has called it "the quintessence of French family cuisine ... the most celebrated dish in France, [which] honours the tables of the rich and poor alike"; and the American National Geographic ...

During your immersion in France lunch (déjeuner) is usually the biggest meal of the day. Americans, Australians, and other northern European countries may have a simple sandwich for lunch, but French lunches are typically more substantial.

Pot-au-Feu, France's National Dish | History Today.

Steak-frites

This is often considered the most typical French dish. A piece of steak, often a rib eye (entrecôte) is pan fried in butter and served “saignant” or bloody with a mountain of chips. Hollandaise and béarnaise sauces are both served with steak-frites.

Mirepoix consists of onions, carrots and celery (either common Pascal celery or celeriac). Mirepoix is used in many dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces. It is used either raw, roasted or sautéed with butter. Mirepoix is known as the holy trinity of French cooking.

Baguettes and other breads, meat, and cheese comprise the main basis of meals throughout the country, and each component has its own rich history and etiquette. Today, bread remains at the core of many meals, and bakers even bake twice per day to ensure there are fresh loaves for both lunch and dinner.

What is the most important ingredient in French cooking? ›

Butter, with its golden hue and velvety texture, is a staple in French cuisine. Its richness and ability to enhance flavors make it an indispensable ingredient in sauces, pastries, and cooking techniques.

Choucroute, Aligot, Ratatouille, Piperade, Pot au Feu, Coq au Vin, Bouillabaisse, Raclette, Boeuf Bourguignon… whatever your favourite French dish, there's nothing more quintessentially French than dining in a good French restaurant.

The café will serve croque monsieur (ham and cheese toastie), croissants stuffed with ham or cheese, omelettes, poulet-frites (chicken and chips) or moules (mussels). Some cafes change their menus again and become restaurants in the evening. They might change their tablecloths too.

Among the drinks customarily served are the grand crème (large cup of white coffee), wine by the glass, beer (un demi, half a pint, or une pression, a glass of draught beer), un pastis (made with aniseed flavour spirit, usually named by a brand like Ricard, 51, Pernod), and un espresso, or un express (a small cup of ...

Bistros sit somewhere between a café and a restaurant. They have a relaxed atmosphere and serve moderately priced food, wine and coffee throughout the day and evening. We recognise them for their courtyards and terraces, crowded with small circular tables and folding chairs.