List of French dishes

There are many dishes considered part of French cuisine. Some dishes are considered universally accepted as part of the national cuisine, while others fit into a unique regional cuisine. There are also breads, charcuterie items as well as desserts that fit into these categories which are listed accordingly as well.

Common dishes found on a national level

There are many dishes that are considered part of the nation's national cuisine today. Many come from haute cuisine in the fine-dining realm, but others are regional dishes that have become a norm across the country. Below are lists of a few of the more common dishes available in France on a national level.

Common breads

Listed in order by size from thinnest to thickest loaf-
* "Ficelle"
* "Baguette"
* "Flûte"
* "Pain"
* "Pain Poilane" (large thick crusted circular loaf) [Steele, 13.]

Common savory dishes

* "Steak frites" (steak and fries)
* "Poulet frites" (chicken and fries)
* "Blanquette de veau" (blanquette of veal)
* "Coq au vin" (chicken in red wine)
* "Pot au feu" (beef stew with mixed vegetables)
* "Bouillabaisse" (fish soup)
* "Endives" (Belgian endive)
* "Boudin blanc" (Delicate flavored sausage similar to bockwurst)
* "Foie de veau" (calf's liver)
* "Andouillette" (chitterling sausage)
* "Foie gras" (fatty duck or goose liver) [Steele, 82.]

Common desserts and pastries

* Chocolate Mousse
* "Crème Brûlée"
* "Mille-feuilles"
* "Choux à la Crème" (cream puffs, see choux pastry)
* "Tartes aux fruits" (fruit tarts)
* "Religieuse" (chocolate éclair shaped to resemble a nun)
* "Madeleine" (a small cake-like cookie)
* "Tarte Tatin" (caramelized apple tart)
* "Gâteaux" (cake)
* "Éclairs"
* "Profiteroles" (baked puff pastries (choux) filled with cream or ice cream) [Steele, 13-14.]

Common canned food unique to France

Many dishes, including relatively sophisticated ones, are available as canned or frozen food in supermarkets. These products are sometimes endorsed by famous chefs. Below is a list of some of these canned items which are unique to France.
* "Cassoulet"
* "Choucroute garnie"
* Duck confit

Lorraine

** "Quiche Lorraine"
** "Potée Lorraine"
** "Pâté Lorrain"

Alsace

** "Choucroute garnie" (sauerkraut with sausages, salt pork and potatoes)
** "Spätzle"
** "Baeckeoffe"
** "Kouglof"
** "Bredela"
** "Beerawecka"
** "Mannala"
** "Tarte flambée"
** "Baba au rhum"

Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Artois, Flanders, Hainaut) - Picardy

** "Andouillette" of Cambrai
** "Carbonnade" (meat stewed in beer)
** "Potjevlesch" (four-meat terrine)
** "Waterzoï" (sweet water fish stew)
** "Escavêche" (cold terrine of sweet water fish in wine and vinegar)
** "Hochepot" (four meats stewed with vegetables)
** "Flamiche"

Normandy

** "Tripes à la mode de Caen" (tripe cooked in cider and calvados)
** "Matelote" (fish stewed in cider)
** "Moules à la crème Normande" (mussels cooked with white wine, garlic and cream)cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_frenchcookery.shtml#normandy|title="BBC Food - Regional French Cookery"|accessdate=2007-05-24]
** "Tarte Normande" (apple tart)
** "Terrinée" (a baked rice dessert)

Brittany

** "Crêpes"
** "Far Breton" (flan with prunes)
** "Kik ar Fars" (boiled pork dinner with a kind of dumpling)
** "Kouign amann" ("galette" made flaky with high proportion of butter)

Loire Valley/Central France

** "Rillettes" (spreadable paste made from braised pork and rendered fat, similar to pâté)
** "Andouillettes" (sausage made with chitterlings)

Burgundy

** "Boeuf Bourguignon" (beef stewed in red wine)
** "Escargots de Bourgogne" (snails baked in their shells with parsley butter)
** "Fondue bourguignonne" (fondue made with oil in which pieces of meat are cooked)
** "Gougère" (cheese in "choux" pastry)
** "Pochouse" (fish stewed in red wine)

Rhône-Alpes

** "Raclette" (the cheese is melted and served with potatoes, ham and often dried beef)
** "Fondue savoyarde" (fondue made with cheese and white wine into which cubes of bread are dipped)
** "Gratin dauphinois"
** "Tartiflette" (a Savoyard gratin with potatoes, Reblochon cheese, cream and pork)

Aveyron

** "Tripoux" (tripe 'parcels' in a savoury sauce)
** "Truffade" (potatoes sautéed with garlic and young Tomme cheese)
** "Aligot" (mashed potatoes blended with young Tomme cheese)
** "Pansette de Gerzat" (lamb tripe stewed in wine, shallots and blue cheese)
** Salade Aveyronaise (lettuce, tomato, roquefort cheese, walnuts)

=Toulousain=

** "Cassoulet" (a dish made with beans, sausages and preserved duck or goose)

Languedoc

** "Brandade de morue" (puréed salt cod)
** "Cargolade" (Catalan style of escargot)
** "Trinxat" (Catalan cabbage and potatoes)
** "Bourride" (Monkfish stewed with vegetables and wine, garnished with aïoli)
** "Rouille de seiche" (Similar preparation of squid)
** "Encornets farcis" (Cuttlefish stuffed with sausagemeat, herbs)

Provence/Côte d'Azur

** "Bouillabaisse" (a stew of mixed Mediterranean fish, tomatoes, and herbs)
** "Ratatouille" (a vegetable stew with olive oil, aubergine, courgette, bell pepper, tomato, onion and garlic)
** "Pieds paquets" (Lambs feet and tripe 'parcels' in a savoury sauce)
** "Soupe au pistou" (bean soup served with a pistou (cognate with Italian pesto) of fine-chopped basil, garlic and Parmesan)
** "Salade Niçoise" (varied ingredients, but always black olives, tuna)
** "Socca"
** "Panisses"

French cuisine ingredients

French regional cuisines use locally grown vegetables, such as:
* potatoes
* haricot verts (A type of French green bean)
* carrots
* leeks
* turnips
* "aubergine" (eggplant)
* "courgette" (zucchini)
* Mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, cèpes (porcini)
* Truffles (Tuber (genus))
* shallots Common fruits include:
* oranges
* tomatoes
* tangerines
* peaches
* apricots
* apples
* pears
* plums
* cherry
* strawberry
* raspberry
* redcurrant
* blackberry
* grape
* blackcurrantMeats consumed include:
* chicken
* squab
* turkey
* duck
* goose
* foie gras
* beef
* veal
* pork
* mutton and lamb
* rabbit
* quail
* horseEggs are fine quality and often eaten as:
* omelette
* hard-boiled with mayonnaise
* Scrambled plain or "haute cuisine" preparationFish and seafood commonly consumed include:
* cod
* sardines, canned and fresh
* tuna, canned and fresh
* salmon
* trout
* mussels
* herring
* "escargot" (snails)
* oysters
* shrimp
* calamari
* frog's legs

Herbs and Seasonings vary by region and include:
* "fleur de sel"
* "herbes de Provence"
* tarragon
* rosemary
* marjoram
* lavender
* thyme
* fennel
* sage

Fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as fish and meat can be purchased either from supermarkets or specialty shops. Street markets are held on certain days in most localities; some towns have a more permanent covered market enclosing food shops, especially meat and fish retailers. These have better shelter than the periodic street markets.

Notes

Works cited

*Steele, Ross. The French Way. 2nd edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.