6 Top French Recipes You Need to Cook

6 Top French Recipes You Need to Cook

1) French Chicken Tarragon or Poulet à l'estragon is a braised chicken in a juicy creamy tarragon sauce. Tarragon is such an underused aromatic herb, yet it marries so well with chicken. Poulet a l'estragon or chicken tarragon is a common French dish you find in many fine restaurants. Now you can make this restaurant worthy dish at home. It's packed with amazing flavours and this technique of cooking the chicken gives you amazing juicy results. I find that the smaller chickens always give you better flavour. If you can't find fresh tarragon, no problem simply use the dried version. The results will still be amazing. The cognac or brandy is optional, but of course it’s for cooking and not drinking. Although you should taste it first to be sure! Enjoy French Chicken Tarragon or Poulet à l'estragon .

2) Green beans are one of the best side vegetable dishes you can make. They go with almost everything, from lamb racks, roast beef or chicken, even with fish. This method is the French way, which keeps the beans nice and green. You can pre-cook them in advance, even the day before and finish them off just before serving. 

3) The best and simplest pepper steak or steak au poivre recipe you will find. Sometimes, less is more and this recipe is one of those. No chopping, no stocks, no rare ingredients or herbs required. All cooked on stove top. This restaurant recipe has been proven thousands of times. It was one of the most popular menu choices in my old restaurant. I’m almost ashamed to reveal how simple it is, but only for you, I will! 

4) It is hard to beat a profiterole or cream puff with hot chocolate sauce filled with a creamy custard cream. You will love these Profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce, a French dessert totally made from scratch. It’s a great dinner party dessert as they can be made one day in advance and refrigerated. Simply re-heat the chocolate sauce and voila! So easy to serve. They are not hard to make, just make sure you let them dry out in the oven, so they don’t collapse once cooked. Enjoy and share Profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce today! 

5) Ratatouille, a French Provençal vegetable dish that originated in Nice. It's a slow cooked vegetable stew which is also known as Ratatouille Niçoise. By slow cooking the vegetables, it concentrates the flavours and gives them an almost creaminess. It's great to make a big pot as it's so versatile. You can use it as a vegetable side dish for fish, chicken, meat etc. or mix it with pasta, add it on toast for a snack. It's also freezes well, so you have ready vegetables at anytime. Plus it's very healthy, vegan and vegetarian friendly. What more could you want. Enjoy this French Ratatouille Nicoise from Provence.

6) One of the finest and best desserts in the world and yet so easy to make. A creme caramel is a baked custard dessert topped with runny caramel sauce. This used to be the most popular dessert in French restaurants due to the profit margin and convenience of being prepared in advance. A great creme caramel should have no sign of bubbles on the sides, it should also jiggle when shaken, if you follow this recipe accurately you will achieve perfection.