496 french classic recipes

Chicken tarragon saute with a whole cut-up chicken browned golden in butter, finished with a scallion and chicken broth pan sauce. Classic French technique, simple ingredients.

Classic French herb sauce with shallots, mushrooms, white wine, tarragon, chives, and parsley in a buttery roux base. A versatile sauce for meat, poultry, eggs, or pasta.

Lemon almond madeleines: classic French shell-shaped tea cakes with ground almonds and fresh lemon zest, finished with powdered sugar. Twenty-four buttery cookies for tea time.

Trout almandine with milk-dipped, flour-coated fillets pan-fried in butter and topped with toasted chopped almonds. A classic French bistro dish ready in 20 minutes.

Pears Helene is a classic French dessert of poached pear halves served with hot chocolate sauce and optional vanilla ice cream and chopped almonds. Elegant, timeless, and surprisingly simple to make at home.

Tourtiere is a traditional French-Canadian pork pie seasoned with cloves, mace, and marjoram in a flaky double crust. A Quebec holiday classic that's just as good warm or cold.

Creamy onion soup with Emmentaler cheese, kirsch, and horseradish in a smooth roux-based broth. Not the classic browned French style. Translucent onions, white wine, and a fondue-like finish.

Classic French tarte Tatin with 5 pounds of Golden Delicious apples baked in caramel and topped with flaky puff pastry. A showstopping upside-down dessert worth the effort.

Peach and sour cream tart with fresh-poached peaches arranged in a sweet pastry shell, filled with a sour cream custard, and topped with sliced almonds. A classic French-style summer fruit tart.

French fish poached in champagne with onion, lemon, and thyme, finished with a silky egg yolk and champagne butter sauce. An elegant, classic technique that cooks the fillets in minutes.

Salad with warm goat cheese: crumb-coated Montrachet rounds fried to a golden crust over tender greens in a champagne-cider vinaigrette. A French bistro classic worth every step.

Dutch oven pot roast braised in beef broth, French onion soup, and Burgundy wine with rosemary, sage, and whole cloves. Fork-tender beef with carrots, potatoes, and onions. Sunday dinner classic.

Rack of lamb glazed with rosemary-garlic Dijon paste, seared and roasted to medium rare. A French bistro classic served over white beans, elegant enough for a dinner party.

Cream puff swans made from choux pastry piped into S-shaped necks and oval bodies, filled with sweetened whipped cream and mandarin oranges. A classic French pastry showpiece.

Sauteed filet mignon with a red wine vinegar and cream pan sauce finished with shallots. A classic French bistro technique that turns simple steaks into an elegant dinner.

French blueberry tart with a flaky homemade pate brisee and a filling of cooked and fresh blueberries. A classic summer tart served with whipped cream or creme fraiche.