Culinary Trends: The French Food Revival

One of the 2017 culinary trends to watch out for is the revival of French cuisine, according to a list from the James Beard Foundation. Many home cooks are desperate to bring the exciting and complex flavours that exist in French cuisine to their own home table. This is perfectly understandable of course, with French cuisine often being seen as the height of cooking sophistication.

However, they are put off by the perceived complexity of this cooking style and are therefore hesitant to try it. Yet there are simpler recipes available that allow you to dip your toe into the world of French cooking without having to spend hours cooking up such a meal. You can try the recipe in the short video attachment for a delicious lunch that is going to be ready in just minutes.

Othman Louanjli is someone who appreciates the possibility of being able to cook French cuisine in his own home. He tends to focus on creating traditional and harmonious dishes, with an emphasis on the main ingredient that has been used.

A Lighter Touch

Modern French cooking is perhaps slightly different to what people traditionally associate with this particular cuisine. There are many top chefs who are going back to their French roots with their cooking, but in a far more simple way than would have been traditionally used. These chefs include Gabriel Kreuther and Kevin Adey. Kreuther advises to read any recipe twice all the way through before beginning any home-cooking experiment. This enables a budding chef to better plan a meal by working out what ingredients are needed and in what order.

Focus on the Produce

French cooking usually focuses on seasonal and regionally sourced produce, and this is particularly important to the top French chefs. They serve products that are fresh, in season and locally sourced, and would never serve something like asparagus in autumn or tomatoes in winter. The embedded PDF guides you through a great, simple winter warmer, prepared in classic French style.

Layering Flavours

French chefs are renowned for having a gift for layering many different flavours, which is often a feature in sauces, soups and stews. This layering process often takes place over a base ‘mirepoix’. This is made up of carrots, onions, and celery, combined with garlic. Wine is often used within this recipe to deglaze the pan or to be reduced, for a more intense flavour. Finally, you can add a layer of fresh herbs for a finishing touch.

Typical Meal Structure

A typical French meal will usually last for three courses, none of which are meant to be rushed. This provides a pleasant and relaxing end to the day’s activities. Soups, salads and other basic dishes are often popular as starters. The attached infographic looks at how to make a classic pissaladiere. Main courses tend to be built around one central ingredient, such as chicken. This will usually be roasted to the perfect point at which the skin is crispy and the meat underneath is juicy and tender. Dessert can be quite a varied course, which options ranging from a simple selection of cheese and fruit, to a more complex and fancy pastry or tart. The latter can be an important addition to any budding French cook’s repertoire.

Master the Basics

The key to creating spectacular French meals lies in the ability to master some of the basic meals and techniques. To do this, spend time researching and learning a variety of different cooking methods, and why and how they are used.