Main Course

  • Quiche Lorraine

    The Quiche lorraine comes from the east of France in Nancy. It is one of the most famous french main course to share with other peoples. Very easy to cook for a joyful moment, the preparation takes 55min with all steps. PS : the real one Quiche lorraine is without cheese. The National Association for the Defense and Promotion of Quiche Lorraine is quite clear: 3 ingredients – bacon, eggs and clotted cream.

    Ingredients

    • 1 shortcrust pastry
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 cup clotted cream, 
    • 0,5 pounds bacon
    • salt
    • pepper
    • nutmeg 

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 180°C (gas mark 6).
    2. Roll out the pastry in a mould, prick with a fork. Sprinkle with butter shavings.
    3. Brown the bacon in a frying pan, then pat dry with a sheet of paper towel.
    4. Beat the eggs, crème fraîche and milk.
    5. Add the bacon, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour over the pastry.
    6. Bake for 45-50 min and it’s ready

  • Boeuf bourguignon

    Boeuf bourguignon is a main course that originated in Burgundy, France. It takes its name from the two Burgundian products that make it up: beef and red wine. It’s a kind of stew made from beef and wine. The traditional daube recipe also includes garnishes such as mushrooms and bacon. In addition to garlic, onions and bouquet garni. And whenever possible, the meat should be Charolais and the wine Burgundy. One of the special features of this recipe is that it takes a long time to cook, and must be simmered over a low heat.

    The story goes back to the time when the Duchy of Burgundy was attached not to France but to Flanders. The Dukes of Burgundy are said to have brought this recipe back from the Flanders region, which they occupied between the 14th and 16th centuries. While there they cooked beef carbonade with beer and gingerbread, in Burgundy they had good wine. The recipe was transformed and adapted. Beef bourguignon is made with beef, good local wine, lardons, mushrooms, onions and carrots.

    Ingredients

    • 10 small onions
    • 2 carrots
    • 0.125lbs butter
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • 2.2lbs beef bourguignon
    • 1 bouquet garni
    • 0.437lbs bacon
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 0.55lbs mushrooms
    • 0.131lbs flour
    • 1,056lbs red Burgundy wine
    • 2 glasses beef stock

    Directions

    1. Cut beef into 3 to 4 cm cubes. Peel onions without skinning. Peel and slice carrots not too thin (2mm minimum). Peel garlic and remove germ.
    2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add whole onions and bacon. Sauté, stirring constantly. When golden, remove with a skimmer and set aside.
    3. In the same pan, brown the meat pieces over high heat. Add the carrots and sauté for a further 5 minutes.
    4. When the meat is nicely browned, sprinkle with flour (2.1 oz) and leave to brown, stirring constantly.
    5. Scrape up the juices. Return the bacon and onions to the pot. Pour in red wine. Add salt, pepper, bouquet garni and crushed garlic cloves. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 3 hours.
    6. At the end of this time, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a further half-hour. Remove the bouquet garni and pour into a dish. Serve with pasta (tagliatelle, for example), or steamed potatoes (the sauce should be bound, but not thick; if not, add a little more water).

  • Aligot

    Aligot is a traditional French main course specialty from Aubrac, straddling the Aveyron, Cantal and Lozère regions. Made from mashed potatoes, fresh tome cheese or “tome d’aligot”, cream, butter and garlic.

    The story goes that aligot was originally a soup made with broth, bread and fresh tome, served by the monks of Aubrac to pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. After the French Revolution, Aubrac farmers carried on the tradition in their burons. In the 19th century, following a poor wheat harvest, bread was replaced by potatoes, giving rise to aligot as we know it today.

    Ingredients

    • 0.88lbs fresh Aubrac tome cheese
    • 2.2lbs potatoes
    • 0.55lbs fresh cream

    Directions

    1. Prepare potatoes for mashed potatoes.
    2. Cut the Tome fraîche de l’Aubrac into thin strips.
    3. Prepare mashed potatoes.
    4. Add the fresh cream.
    5. Season to taste (salt, pepper, garlic, etc.).
    6. Once the mashed potatoes are hot, add the fresh Aubrac tome cheese.
    7. Stir over medium heat until the fresh Aubrac tome cheese.
    8. Stretch and allow to run.
    9. Aligot de l’Aubrac is ready!

  • Coq au vin

    Coq au vin is an emblematic main course of French cuisine, made from cuts of rooster marinated and then braised in red or white wine, with a bouquet garni, lardons, mushrooms, carrots and onions.

    According to legend, the origins of coq au vin date back to ancient Gaul, when the Romans conquered the region. During this period, the leader of the Arvernes, Vercingetorix, who united part of the Gauls, is said to have sent the emperor Julius Caesar a rooster representing the valour and pride of the Gaulish people. In response to this provocation, the Roman emperor sent Vercingetorix an invitation to a supper. During supper, he had the rooster he had sent to the Arvernian chief, cooked in wine. Feeling offended, Vercingetorix and his warriors inflicted a severe defeat on the Romans. Thus was born coq au vin, which today, by virtue of its name and ingredients, is France’s national dish.

    Ingredients

    • 1 rooster
    • 3.125 cup red wine
    • 4 carrots
    • 0.33 lbs button mushrooms
    • 0.28 lbs bacon
    • 1 yellow onion
    • 0.11 lbs butter
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 tablespoons chicken stock
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    Directions

    1. Cut rooster into pieces.
    2. Peel and chop the carrots, peel onion.
    3. Place the pieces of meat in a large shallow dish with the carrots, bay leaf, garlic and onion.
    4. Cover with red wine and marinate for 12 hours.
    5. Melt the butter in the casserole.
    6. Drain meat and brown until golden brown.
    7. Add bacon and filtered marinade, top up with hot water and season with salt and pepper.
    8. Simmer for 1 h, then add chopped button mushrooms.
    9. Continue cooking for 1 hour.
    10. Remove rooster pieces, bind the sauce with the chicken stock, then return the rooster pieces to the casserole dish.
    11. Keep warm until ready to serve!

  • Ratatouille

    Ratatouille is a traditional main course specialty of the Niçoise, Provençal, Occitan and Mediterranean cuisines, based on a stew of Mediterranean vegetables and olive oil. This dish is a specialty of Provence and the former Comté de Nice, in France. Ratatouille can be eaten hot or cold, but always between June and October to respect the seasonal nature of the vegetables.

    The first written records of the word ratatouille date back to 1831 in the Journal of military sciences, where an unflattering description was given. It was eaten by the military and also in prisons, as it was quick and easy to cook. In 1846, ratatouille was defined in the French Provençal dictionary as “a soup for rats” and “a bad stew”.

    The very first publication of the actual ratatouille recipe, which was more complimentary, finally appeared a century later, in 1952, in a transport magazine “La Vie du Rail”. Made from vegetables widely grown by Provençal families, it was very similar to Basque piperade and bohémienne, another Provençal main course based on tomatoes and eggplants. For several years now, top chefs have been enjoying cooking ratatouille, transforming it into a delicious and refined dish.

    Ingredients

    • 1.32lbs zucchini
    • 1.32lbs eggplants
    • 1.32lbs tomatoes
    • 0.66lbs red and yellow peppers
    • 0.44lbs onions
    • 0.03lbs garlic
    • 0.52 cup olive oil
    • 5 basil leaves
    • 1 bouquet garni with thyme, bay leaves, flat-leaf parsley
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    Directions

    1. Start by peeling the onions and removing the seeds from the peppers.
    2. Remove the skin from the tomatoes by scalding them for a few seconds, then core them.
    3. Then dice all the vegetables and brown them separately, one by one, in a well-oiled frying pan, except for the tomatoes.
    4. When finished, drain the browned vegetables before pouring them into a casserole dish with the tomatoes.
    5. Season with salt, pepper, bouquet garni and garlic.
    6. Simmer for about 40 minutes over low heat.
    7. Finish by adding the chopped basil leaves.

  • Hachis Parmentier

    Hachis Parmentier is a French main course based on mashed potatoes and minced beef. The word hachis refers to a dish in which the ingredients are chopped, ground or minced. Antoine Parmentier created the famous French main course known as parmentier beef hash. An agronomist and nutritionist, he extolled the merits of the potato, just imported from South America, to Louis XVI. Indeed, this precious tuber could be a solution to the famines and shortages of the time, helping to popularize the potato throughout France. He invented a number of recipes, including hash browns, to accommodate the potato in a variety of ways.

    Ingredients

    For the mashed potatoes:

    • 1.1lbs potatoes
    • 0.44lbs milk
    • 0.07lbs butter
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    For the hash:

    • 1 shallot
    • 1 garlic clove
    • 1 yellow onion
    • 1.1lbs ground beef
    • 1 half bunch parsley
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    Directions

    1. Peel, wash and cut potatoes into chunks.
    2. Cook in milk for about 25 minutes, until tender.
    3. Blend to obtain a mashed potatoes and add the butter and set aside.
    4. Preheat oven to 356°F.
    5. Peel and chop onion, garlic and shallot.
    6. Brown in a hot, lightly buttered frying pan.
    7. Chop meat coarsely.
    8. Add meat to pan, season with salt and pepper.
    9. Chop parsley and add off heat and mix.
    10. In a gratin dish, spread a layer of minced meat, then cover with mashed potatoes.
    11. Sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
    12. Serve hot!

  • Gratin dauphinois

    Gratin dauphinois is a traditional gratin main course in French cuisine, originating in Dauphiné (south-eastern France), made with potatoes and milk. In North America, the dish is known as “au gratin style potatoes”.

    Gratin dauphinois first appeared in Italy and Switzerland between the 16th and 17th centuries, but it wasn’t until 1788 that it became part of French gastronomic history. On July 12 of that year, the Duc de Clermont-Tonnerre served it to his officers who, on his recommendation, had avoided a confrontation with insurgents. Associated with this narrowly averted massacre in the town of Gap, the dish, modestly composed of potato strips, milk and garlic, quickly became popular, and its recipe spread to inns throughout the southeast before arriving in Paris.

    Ingredients

    • 2.86lbs Mona Lisa potatoes
    • 1.04 cups whole milk
    • 2.7 cups whole cream
    • 0.11lbs butter
    • One clove pink garlic
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    Directions

    1. Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
    2. Heat oven to 356°.
    3. 2.08 cups cream and milk into a large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes after boiling.
    4. Rub the dish with garlic and half the butter.
    5. Arrange the pre-cooked potatoes evenly in the dish.
    6. Put all the liquid from the pan into the dish, then add a further 0.625 cup of whole cream.
    7. Bake at 356° for 1h30. Marie’s tip: cover the dish with aluminum foil during baking.
    8. Ten minutes before the end of baking time, put a knob of butter on the gratin and remove the foil so that the gratin browns well.
    9. Serve hot!