496 french classic recipes

Genoise sponge cake whips warm whole eggs and sugar to ribbon stage, then folds in cake flour and melted butter for a delicate French-style layer cake base. The classic foundation for tortes and trifles.

Yule log cake (buche de Noel) is the classic French rolled sponge cake for Christmas, made from a delicate whole-egg genoise baked thin, filled, rolled, and decorated to look like a wintry wooden log.

Oxtail consomme is a crystal-clear fine-dining broth made from slow-simmered oxtails, aromatics, and an egg-white raft clarification. The classic French technique gives a rich beef flavor in a see-through bowl.

Savarin aux fruits, a classic French rum-soaked yeast ring cake. A light, beaten dough is baked, then drenched in flavored syrup until saturated and filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit. An elegant patisserie dessert.

Chewy almond paste macaroons with crackled tops and tender centers, baked from a homemade four-day-aged paste of blanched almonds and egg whites. The classic Italian-style cookie before the French sandwich version took over.

Creme brulee is the classic French baked custard: a silky cream base set gently in a water bath, then finished with a thin, glassy sheet of caramelized sugar you crack through with a spoon. Simpler to make than it looks.

Brioche bread bakes into rich, eggy, butter-laden French rolls with a tender crumb and signature topknot. Six eggs and a pound and a half of butter folded in slowly build the silky dough. Classic brioche a tete shape from a coffee cup mold.

Classic French Provencal dish usually cooked in a heavy casserole on the stove top or in the oven; would also work well in slow cooker. Use inexpensive stewing beef or oyster blade; it will not be anywhere near as good if you use more expensive cuts of beef.

Turkish baklava layered with cinnamon-and-clove spiced walnuts between dozens of buttered phyllo sheets, then drenched in fragrant clove syrup. Crisp, flaky, and honey-sweet, cut into the classic diamond pieces.

Sweet-savory enchiladas rolled with olives, raisins, and gouda, drenched in chili salsa and baked until bubbly. An unusual, old-world take on the Mexican classic with a sweet-salty twist.

Kataifi pastries: shredded phyllo rolls stuffed with walnut, almond, and spice filling, baked golden, and drenched in lemon-cinnamon honey syrup. A Greek-Middle Eastern classic.

Traditional Croatian mlinci: yeasted flatbread baked until crisp, then soaked in salted water and drenched in melted butter or roast drippings. The classic side for roast poultry.

Pan bagnat is the South of France's answer to the packed lunch: a crusty roll stuffed with tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, hard-boiled egg, and anchovies, drenched with olive oil and vinegar. Beach-food classic.

Baked Granny Smith apples stuffed with brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped nuts, then drenched in a maple syrup glaze. A classic Midwest fall dessert served warm with cream.

Carne adovada is a New Mexican classic where pork chops soak overnight in a bold red chile sauce with garlic and oregano, then cook low and slow until fork-tender and drenched in smoky heat.

Homemade fish nuggets: bite-size fish fillet cubes dipped in spiced milk-egg drench, dredged in seasoned cornstarch and flour, then fried golden in two minutes. The crispy fast-food classic done at home with real fish.