Impress Your Visitors with Some of My Favorite French Meal Recipes

Croque madame

French Cooking is not snobby or fancy. It is all about mastering the basic techniques, layering the flavors perfectly and relishing each bite. Although the cuisine sounds quite fancy, the right techniques and ingredients can help in creating amazing French meals in the comfort of your very kitchen. I am going to offer certain delicious French recipes which will certainly help you impress your visitors.

Crepes

Ingredients
  • All-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • ¼ tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Powdered sugar for serving
  • Fresh fruit for serving
Crepes
Directions
  • Whisk flour, salt, and sugar in a large whisking bowl. Beat the eggs and add milk. Let the batter stand for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly
  • Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Swirl the pan to ensure proper coating. Drop batter on the pan evenly about ¼ cup at a time.
  • Cook for 2 minutes. Flop and cook for a minute again.
  • Repeat the steps with remaining batter
  • Serve with powdered sugar and fresh fruit

Bacon and Leek Quiche

Ingredients
  • All-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ stick unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp. ice water
  • 3 large leeks
  • 1 lb. thickly sliced bacon
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 tsp. chopped thyme leaves
  • Gruyere cheese
  • 4 large eggs
  • Heavy cream
Bacon Leek Quiche
For the crust
  • Pulse 2 ½ cup flour with salt in a food processor. Pulse again by adding butter.
  • Add ice water and egg yolk. Pulse until the pastry is moistened. Remove the pastry on a work surface that has been dusted with flour. Knead for a couple of times until it is smooth. Pat the pastry in the form of two discs and wrap it in plastic.
  • Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Roll the disk of pastry on a floured surface to about 12-inches
  • Place the pastry in a tart pan which comes with a removable bottom. Trim the extra inches.
  • Line the tart shells with a foil
  • Fill with dried beans and pie weights
  • Bake the tart shells for thirty minutes until dry
  • Bake the crust for 15 minutes until dry and golden
  • Transfer the tart pans on two sturdy baking sheets
Filling
  • Cook bacon over high heat in a large skillet. Stir until it is crisp and browned.
  • Add thyme and leeks to the skillet. Season with white pepper and salt. Cook over moderate heat and stir occasionally until they are softened.
  • Transfer the contents to a bowl and allow it to cool. Stir in cheese and bacon
  • Divide the leek and bacon filling between the tart shells. Whisk the eggs with heavy cream and yolks. Season with white pepper and salt
  • Pour the custard into tart shells and bake it for about 30 minutes
  • Bake, until it is lightly browned and puffed
  • Transfer the quiches to a rack and let it cool for 15 minutes
  • Remove the rings and cut the quiches in the form of wedges

Orange Cardamom Madeleines

Ingredients
  • Unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp. Honey
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • ¾ tsp. ground cardamom
  • ¼ c. granulated sugar
  • ¾ c. confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Orange Cardamom Madeleines
Directions
  • Brush a pan with butter.
  • For batter, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir vanilla and honey after removing the pan from heat. Let it cool for ten minutes
  • Whisk baking powder, flour, salt, and cardamom in a small bowl and set it aside
  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place the rack in the center.
  • Stir eggs and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture gently. Add the butter mixture and fold gently. Cover it with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
  • Spoon the batter into the pan. Eliminate air bubbles by tapping the pan on the work surface
  • Bake until the cookies are golden and puffed. Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool. Unmold the cookies and let them cool further
  • Stir orange zest and sugar in a small bowl until the glaze is opaque, thick and smooth.
  • Coat the ridged side of the cookie with a brush. Let it set for 15 minutes.

Croque Madame

Ingredients
  • 4 slices of white bread
  • 2 tbsp. Butter
  • 4 slices of ham
  • ½ cup grated gruyere cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp. butter
For Bechamel sauce
  • 1 tbsp. Butter
  • 2 tbsp. plain flour
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • ¼ grated parmesan
  • A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
Croque Madame
Directions
  • B’chamel sauce can be made either in a microwave or on the stovetop.
  • Heat butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour
  • Add milk and stir continuously until the sauce is smooth and thickened
  • Add nutmeg, mustard, and parmesan. Stir well and season with pepper and salt. let it cool for some time.
  • Butter one side of each piece of bread
  • Lay the 2 pieces of coated side on a baking tray. Spread each 2 tablespoons of prepared sauce on 2 pieces of ham.
  • Top with remaining bread and more sauce
  • Sprinkle gruyere cheese and place the tray in the oven until it turns golden.
  • Heat butter and fry eggs in a pan over medium heat. Remove the toasts from oven and top them with fried eggs

Article by Arts Culinaires

Food blogging is my passion. Food is much more about featuring mouth-watering delicacies. There is a story waiting to be told behind every passionately crafted delicacy. There is so much to explore and so much to share. I believe in the principle of sharing whatever that I have learnt till now.

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