16 Recipes for Becoming a Next-Level French Cook (2024)

Once you're well acquainted with the basics of French cooking with dishes like vichyssoise and bouillabaisse, you’re ready to move on to more complicated French cooking techniques. Whether rolling out homemade croissants or flambéing crêpes Suzette, perfecting these French recipes will upgrade your classic cooking skills from beginner to expert.

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Classic Croissants

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The only thing more quintessentially French than a flaky, buttery croissant is making said flaky, buttery croissant by hand. Don’t be put off by the amount of time required to get this classic pastry right. The longer it takes the better it tastes, right?

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Quiche Lorraine

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Quiches come with all kinds of toppings these days, but the classic Quiche Lorraine is made with Gruyère cheese and bacon. This recipe mixes in chopped chives, but we suggest experimenting with other herbs, like sage or rosemary, for depth of flavor.

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Double-Baked Cheese Soufflé with Parmesan Cream

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Star chef Alain Ducasse’s double-baked cheese soufflé is all about the dairy, from Parmigiano-Reggiano and Comté to milk and heavy cream. The end result is light, fluffy, and creamy.

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Toulouse-Style Cassoulet

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Cookbook author Paula Wolfert’s cassoulet is not for the faint of heart. Using ingredients and methods that are traditional in the southern French city of Toulouse, this slow-cooked casserole is made with white beans, seven types of pork, and duck confit.

Pear Tarte Tatin with Red Wine Caramel

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Apples are the traditional choice for tarte Tatin, but the stunning dessert can be made with other kinds of fruit, too, like this version with pears from chef Shawn McClain.

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Chicken Legs Coq au Vin

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If you’re going to try your hand at coq au vin, it’s best to start with a recipe from one of the greats. This one comes from chef Eric Ripert, and it’s made only using drumsticks.

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Crêpes Suzette

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Chef Jacques Pépin’s key to making crêpes Suzette for a crowd is preparing the orange butter sauce in advance. You can then flambé the liquor and pour the sauce over the crêpes, serving the dessert right away.

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Gnocchi Parisienne

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Not to be confused with Italian gnocchi, gnocchi Parisienne is made of pâte à choux — otherwise known as the dough used to make pastries like profiteroles and eclairs — that is first poached, then baked.

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Warm Chocolate Soufflé

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Soufflés have a reputation for being difficult to perfect, but the beauty of this dessert is that, even if all goes wrong, it will still taste good. Once you have the recipe down, you can experiment with cooking times, leaving the soufflé in the oven longer if you prefer that well-done, airy texture or taking it out early to achieve a gooey center.

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Spring Millefeuille

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Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s raspberry and cream millefeuille is made with store-bought puff pastry — a simple hack for preparing this beautiful dessert. If you'd like to try your hand at making homemade puff pastry, F&W culinary director at large Justin Chapple has a great quick version.

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Blanquette de Veau

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Chef Daniel Boulud prepares this classic, creamy veal stew with veal stock, sometimes adding sweetbreads and finishing the dish with shavings of black truffle. At home, omit the sweetbreads and truffle and opt for store-bought vegetable broth over veal stock.

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Gougères

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Chef Alain Ducasse's gougères, which are essentially baked balls made of light, cheesy pastry, are easy to execute and sure to impress dinner guests.

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Classic French Macarons

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Macarons, not to be confused with coconut macaroons, always seem to cause trouble for contestants on baking shows. The delicate cookies often come out misshapen or cracked. But with pastry chef François Payard’s recipe in your back pocket, you’ll perfect these vexing confections every time.

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Marseille-Style Shrimp Stew

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Cookbook author Melissa Clark’s shrimp stew has the perfect balance of salty seafood, sweet spices, and sour citrus ⁠— not to mention an ideal crunch when served with toasted baguettes.

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Pork Rillettes

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This rustic pâté is a great accompaniment to any charcuterie board. Though it’s easy to go out and buy a jar of rillettes, it’s so much more fun to tell your friends that you made it yourself.

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Apricot Pâte de Fruit

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These fruit jellies, which are sold in patisseries throughout France, are especially popular during the holidays. They may seem daunting, but they really just require a few stages, and the key ingredient of gelatin. If you can reduce liquid in a pan, mix fruit in a blender, and let something rest in the refrigerator overnight, you’ve got this beloved French treat down.

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