Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the National Day of France, which is celebrated on July 14 each year. It is the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which marked the beginning of the French Revolution. Celebrations are held throughout France. And, of course, food plays a major role in these celebrations. The list of dishes in French cuisine is vast. I had earlier given some very popular French recipes in my column for t2oS. In this article, the recipes are truly exotic and extremely delicious. They are served in most cafes and top restaurants in France.

VICHYSSOISE (POTATO AND LEEK SOUP)

Vichyssoise, a creamy soup of leek, potatoes and onions, is generally attributed to French chef Louis Diat, who created it while working at the Ritz-Carlton in New York in the early 20th century. He named the soup after his childhood home near Vichy, France. This soup can be served cold as well as hot.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

STEAK DIANE
(BEEF/CHICKEN)

Steak Diane is believed to have originated in France and its a dish of pan-fried steak, often flambeed tableside, with a sauce made from the pan juices, typically featuring cognac, butter, and Dijon mustard. The name Diana is likely a reference to the Goddess of the hunt, as ‘a la Diane’ sauces were traditionally served with game meats.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

PARMENTIER de POISSON
(SEAFOOD PIE)

Parmentier de Poisson is a French dish named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who famously promoted the potato in France. The term ‘Parmentier’ in French cuisine generally refers to the dishes incorporating mashed potatoes, and Parmentier de Poisson specifically denotes a fish pie topped with mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

#For the mashed potatoes

#For the pie

METHOD

#For the mashed potatoes

#For the pie

• Add milk and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Now add the seafood. Mix well and cook for 1 minute.
• Now add cream, dill and juice of half lemon (or according to taste).
• Put the mixture in a pie dish and decorate with mashed potatoes. There should not be gaps or holes.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C till the potatoes are nicely browned, about 30 minutes.

POULET A LA BRIARDE (FRIED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE)

This recipe comes from the Briard region east of Paris. The combination of tender fried chicken with a mushroom sauce served alongside a side of mustardy and tangy potatoes is a match made in heaven.

INGREDIENTS

#For the chicken

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1 cup seasoned flour
• 2 eggs beaten with a bit of lemon jest
• 1-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Oil for cooking the chicken

#For the mushroom sauce

• 1tbsp butter
• 2tbsp shallots minced
• 2 cups mushroom sliced fine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1tbsp minced garlic
• 2tbsp chopped parsley
• 1tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup red wine, optional
• 1½ cup chicken stock (if not using wine increase stock by ½ cup)
• 1 ½tbsp cornstarch, diluted in little water
• 3tbsp heavy cream
• 1tbsp parsley

#For the potato salad

• 2-3 potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 1tbsp Dijon mustard sauce
• 1tsp minced garlic
• 1½tbsp virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup warm chicken stock
• 1tbsp white wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

METHOD

• Pound the chicken breast till it becomes thinner. Always put a cling film when you pound it using a meat mallet.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Dredge the chicken in seasoned flour.
• Then dip in beaten egg.
• Coat the chicken with breadcrumbs.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken till golden-brown and cooked through. Keep aside on an absorbent paper towel.

#For the mushroom sauce

• In a saucepan heat butter and then add shallots and cook till brown. Then add mushrooms and salt and cook until water from mushrooms evaporate.
• Now add fresh herbs and garlic and saute till fragrant.
• Now add vinegar and wine and let reduce to half.
• Now add stock and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add cornflour slurry and adjust the thickness of the sauce.
• Add cream and parsley. Add 2tbsp of butter to give a nice shine to the sauce.

#For the potato salad

• Boil and peel 2-3 potatoes and cut them into cubes.
• Thinly slice 1 onion.
• Now in a bowl combine 1tbsp Dijon mustard sauce, 1tsp minced garlic, 1½tbsp virgin olive oil, ¼ cup warm chicken stock, 1tbsp white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss the potatoes and onions in this dressing. Adjust the seasoning.

QUICHE LORRAINE

Quiche Lorraine originated in the Lorraine region of France, near the border with Germany and Belgium, and is know for its savoury custard filling of eggs, cream and bacon baked in a pie crust. While the dish is now considered a classic French recipe, it has roots in German cuisine and evolved from earlier medieval dishes. Today, Quiche Lorraine is a popular dish worldwide, often featuring a rich custard filling of bacon, cheese and other ingredients like spinach and mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS

#For the pie crust

• 90g unsalted butter
• 1tsp sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 180g flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 2tbsp chilled water

#For the filling

• 225g thick bacon sliced
• 225g spinach
• 1tbsp olive oil
• ½ onion finely chopped
• 200g mushrooms finely chopped
• 1 cup finely diced smoked ham
• 100g sour cream
• 150g cheese grated
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½tbsp parsley

METHOD

#For the pie crust

• Take 90g unsalted butter, add 1tsp sugar, a pinch of salt. Cream it all together.
• To the above add 180g flour, 2 egg yolks and 2tbsp chilled water. Mix all together to get a sandy mixture. Do not knead it. Put in a cling film and keep in the fridge overnight or at least for 2 hours before using it.
• Remove from fridge and between two sheets of baking paper roll out the pastry. The pastry should overlap the top of the pie dish. Press the pastry to the bottom of a greased pie dish and the sides. Remove the extra pastry hanging outside the pie dish.
• Now put an aluminum foil in the pie dish and put some beans on it.
• Bake in the oven at 190°C for at least 15 minutes.
• Remove the foil with the beans and keep aside while you make the custard filling.

#For the filling

• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.
• Cook bacon in a skillet until brown. Crumble and remove and drain on paper. Set aside.
• Blanch spinach. Cool and squeeze dry and chop finely.
• Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Stir in the mushrooms. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in ham and bacon. Remove from heat.
• Combine sour cream and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Spread out over the pie. Arrange bacon mixture on top. Sprinkle cheese over the bacon.
• Whisk eggs in a bowl. Add milk and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the crust.
• Put the quiche on a baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven on the middle shelf until the top puffs up and is golden-brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

OEUFS MEURETTE (EGGS A LA FLORENTINE)

If you are looking for a step up from Eggs Benedict for your next Sunday brunch, try Eggs a la Florentine. In France, the term cooking ‘a la Florentine’ refers to anything cooked with spinach and Mornay sauce. Chicken, fish or vegetables, almost anything will work well on a bed of sauteed spinach, doused in a home-made Mornay sauce and melted cheese. Broiled under the grill and with toasted bread, this luscious creamy egg dish will delight any spinach lover.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 persons)

#For Mornay sauce (about 500ml)

• 2 whole cloves
• ½ onion
• 30g unsalted butter
• 30g all-purpose flour
• 500ml whole milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1tsp salt
• 2 pinches of white pepper
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• 2 large egg yolks
• ½ cup (50g) grated cheese

#For the eggs

• 500g spinach leaves, washed and dried
• Salt to season
• Pepper to season
• 4 large eggs
• 2tbsp unsalted butter
• 100g Gruyere cheese or any that is available

METHOD

#For Mornay sauce

• Stick the cloves into the onion half. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, and then the flour. To make a roux, stir with a wooden spoon until flour and butter combine to form a paste. Cook for 2 minutes, then immediately remove from the heat, setting it aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in another medium-sized saucepan, combine the milk, clove-studded onion half, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slowly bring to a light boil, stirring from time to time.
• As soon as the milk is warm, strain half of it over the cold roux sitting in the other saucepan and use a whisk to fully blend with the roux before adding the rest of the milk. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly.
• When the sauce starts to bubble, leave it over the heat for 2 minutes, stirring a little faster to prevent bits from sticking to the bottom. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, then turn off the heat. Your bechamel sauce should be velvety smooth and creamy.
• As soon as the bechamel is done, stir in 2 large egg yolks and ¼ cup grated cheese to make Mornay sauce.

#For the spinach

• In a saucepan of boiling water, blanch the spinach with 2 pinches of salt for 2 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl of cold water. Then lightly squeeze the spinach in your hands to drain out the water, then wrap in a paper towel, giving it an extra squeeze.
• Now cook the eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes. Then put in cold water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process. Peel the eggs under light running water and set aside.
• Now season and chop the spinach, then saute in a skillet with the butter over high heat for 2 minutes.

#For the final assembly

• Grease your serving dish and spoon 3tbsp of sauteed spinach onto the bottom of each dish. Use the back of the spoon to make an impression in the spinach and lay an egg into each one. I put 2 eggs just to show the cut. Then cover with a dollop of Mornay sauce and a sprinkle of cheese.
• To finish, broil under the grill for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately with toasted bread.

NOTE: I have served mine with some potato patty filled with cheese and cream. And then I sprinkled some cheese on top and broiled it for 5 minutes till the cheese melted.

Durri Bhalla is a cookery expert and author of Indian Bohra Cuisine and Inner Truth To Good Health And Weight Loss. You can find her @durribhallakitchen on Instagram, @Durribhallakitchen on Facebook and Durri Bhalla on YouTube