The food in this book is a celebration of the great French way of life and way of eating, but with a difference. French cuisine has a reputation for being rich, complex and time-consuming, which it can be, particularly in restaurants. But French home cooking is based on good, local, seasonal ingredients and simple skills. This is the food I was brought up on and that I still like to eat – the food we enjoy cooking as a family. It’s fresh and delicious, with vegetables, pulses and fruit playing a large part.
In France, as in Britain, people are keen to have a healthier diet and I believe we can achieve this without compromising on taste or pleasure. In this book I’ve created some brand new recipes to suit the way we like to eat today, as well as taking a fresh look at some much-loved traditional dishes to bring them up to date. These days, most of us don’t have hours to spend cooking – and then washing every pot and pan in the place – so I’ve included plenty of recipes that take very little time but are still full of flavour. There are speedy omelettes, snacks such as open sandwiches and dips, bean and lentil recipes and plenty of pasta. I was raised on pasta and it’s still one of my top choices for a quick supper. There’s a wide selection of fish and meat too, ranging from simple and cheap mackerel fillets to more elaborate weekend feasts, such as shrimp tartlets thermidor and rack of lamb.
The food here is very achievable – you don’t need lots of fancy equipment and nearly all of the ingredients are easy to come by. Wherever possible I have reduced the richness and used less cream and butter than in the old days, while maintaining flavour. But this is not a diet book and there are some classics that just can’t be improved on. I believe it’s fine to have a more indulgent treat once in a while so you will find a few luxurious dishes, such as duck confit pie and French toast.
In the following chapters you will find ideas for all times of day from sensational scrambled eggs to soups, salads, easy one-pot suppers such as Basque-style chicken, mussels with beer, and braised squid, as well as puddings, breads and some special French drinks that make great aperitifs. There are recipes from every region to give a glimpse of what different parts of France have to offer. The recipes are not extravagant – there’s no lobster or foie gras. I only mention truffles a couple of times – and even then they’re optional.
One of the best things about cooking great food is sharing it with other people. I hope you will enjoy making these dishes for your family and friends and showing them just how simple and delicious good French food can be.
COOK’S NOTES
Bayonne ham – this is an air-dried ham that comes from Southwest France and is named after the city of Bayonne. If you can’t get Bayonne ham, you can use other air-dried hams, such as Parma ham or Serrano ham.
Bouquet garni – this is a bundle of herbs tied together with string for adding to soups, casseroles and other dishes. Tying the herbs together makes it easier to remove them when the dish is done. The classic version contains parsley stalks, bay leaf, thyme, celery and leek, but I sometimes vary the contents to match the dish.
Butter – I use unsalted butter in recipes, unless otherwise specified. I do think that butter is one of those things that is worth spending a bit extra on if you can, in order to get the best.
Eggs –I use large, free-range eggs unless otherwise specified.
Parsley – I’m happy with either curly or flatleaf parsley for most recipes, unless specified.
Piment d’espelette – this is a mild, smoky chilli pepper grown in the Basque region of France. The chillies are dried and used whole, flaked or ground. You can use ordinary chilli powder or flakes but some kinds may be hotter than the Espelette chilli so bear this in mind.
Stocks – at the back of this book you will find recipes for some basics, such as stocks. Stock is really worth making yourself, but if you don’t have time you can buy some good fresh stocks in supermarkets now.
Ventrèche – this comes from fatty pork belly and can be smoked or salted. Pancetta or smoked streaky bacon are good substitutes if you can’t get ventrèche.