We all like our independence. 14th July commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution with in 1789 on this day, the storming of The Bastille. And we all like our French food.
So, as a Bastille Day special we asked five Chefs about their favourite French regional classics and here's what they dished up.
La Soupe Du Pecheur (Charente Maritime)
Fishermans Soup
"I was born in La Rochelle, a beautiful fortified town (protecting ourselves from the English) on the west coast of France in Charente Maritime [which is] famous for its seafood abundance.
I did my apprenticeship in a restaurant Called "La Marée" where I would do about 150 seafood platters a day but what really was the hit there was the fish soup that we were giving out for free to all our customers. Made from whole fish - conger, red mullet and anything that we'd fancy really - cooked in a 200 litre pot with veggies and water for 5hrs and blitzed all together. Slightly strained and spiced up, served with crispy stale bread, Comte cheese and rouille...
Yep.... yum
There isn't anything on this planet that can make me feel more like home than this, there isn't a time or a season for it and it's certainly one of the most cost efficient dish you've ever seen."
Florent Gerardin, Head Chef, Pei Modern (Melbourne)
Tartiflette (Savoie)
Potato & Reblochon gratin with smokey bacon
"This dish takes me back to my childhood in France. My family and I would go to the snow and after a day of skiing we would cook tartiflette. It is a really full on potato gratin with one of my favourite cheeses melted on top. Now whenever I visit it is the dish that my Dad will make for me. And his is the best!"
Guillaume Zika, Executive Chef, Cottage Point Inn (Sydney)
Cassoulet (Languedoc)
"It’s hard to go past a great cassoulet. I mean, a rich amalgamation of white beans, confit duck, sausage, pork skin, garlic and herbs, what’s not to love?
Cassoulet originated in the south west of France and is named after the 'cassole', the traditional conical, ceramic cooking dish that it is cooked in. Nothing beats the aromas of this meaty goodness slow cooking on a winter’s day."
Michael Robinson, Head Chef, Margan Restaurant (Broke NSW)
Terrine de Porc (Alsace)
Pork Terrine
“Alsace has the most Michelin-starred restaurants than any other region in France, but it is also home to some of the country’s most simple restaurants.
Food from this area has many ties with Germany, leading to a more robust cuisine. The region is very well known for its pork, which influences foods such as terrines, charcuteries and pâtés.
We always have a terrine on the menu at Ananas Bar & Brasserie and they’re a feature of our monthly brunches, alongside our house-made charcuterie and pâtés.
There is something very homely about this style of cooking which encompasses one of the things I love most about French food: the coming together as a group, or family, to share and enjoy home-cooked dishes. For me, there’s nothing more quintessentially French than a terrine, some good crusty bread, cornichons and Dijon mustard. It’s heaven on a shared plate.”
Neil Martin, Chef de Cuisine, Ananas Bar & Brasserie (Sydney)
Boeuf En Daube, (Provence)
Beef Daube
"There's a Provencal saying, 'It's as easy as daube', referring to this dish’s simple ingredients and long, relaxed cooking time. A daube should be cooled for a day for the aromatic flavours to meld; I include orange, bay leaf and thyme. For me this dish brings out the heart of French cooking, melding tradition with modern day tastes."
Guillaume Brahimi, Restaurateur and Chef, Guillaume (Sydney)
As a last tempting mouthful, Chef Guillaume Brahimi has supplied the Boeuf En Daube recipe, and to top things off so you can cook like a French Chef, Tefal are giving away 2 x Tefal Heritage Triply Pot Roast pans, RRP $179.95. The elegant French cookware has three layers of stainless steel and aluminum for perfect heat distribution, whilst the ‘Thermo Spot’ identifies when the pan is ready to cook. Meanwhile Tefal’s resilient seven-layer Titanium Pro non-stick coating gives exceptional durability and cleaning.
