I had heard somewhere that the French do not prefer fast food. They like to savour the food and relish the exquisite taste. They like to sit for hours on the table and talk about the food, the ingredients, the choice of wine etc. This idea was really uncommon and intriguing to me as I had never done it before. You can sit for hours in a Parisian restaurant and enjoy good food course after course; good wine to go with them and chic culture and watch time go by languidly. That’s the ideal French way of eating your food.The French are popular all over the world for their world class cuisines and amazing mouth-watering dishes. It is said that no one cooks like French and that saying is true indeed. The French treat their food as a work of art.
It’s unlike the fast food that is so common today which we can eat on the go. The French style of eating involves indulging in a pure romance with your food. It’s about the amazing relationship that you share with your food on the table.
A typical French meal consists of le petit dejeuner, a light (breakfast) which might include some bread along with coffee. Then they have le dejeuner (lunch) which is around 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The lunch generally revolves around the meat of any kind or fishes. Vegetables are also included in lunch like eggplants or mushrooms. This is served with the choice of wine or drinks to go with it accordingly. It is actually difficult to spot a restaurant in France that serves lunch after 1 pm. After this, they have a light dinner which generally consists of light pasta or something simple followed by cheese, which is a must and then desserts. Ordinarily, a French person prefers just simple fruits for deserts for regular days.
The French Style:
Many people say that the French eat small portions, or are rarely obese. Well, the reason being that they enjoy their food; they relish it and eat only when they are hungry. The culture of snaking isn’t prevalent there and people prefer the three-course meals. Nobody eats their food like the French eat. They indulge in the flavours and do not rush with the food like it is the culture in many countries. Food is an artwork in France. It is not some work or some kind of dealing. They do actually prefer eating in small portions as opposed to that what Americans do. They take special care in the presentation of a dish that makes it appealing to the senses and alluring to your hungry eyes. Mastering French art form is highly regarded today as a mark of exceptional culinary success. It is very difficult to perfect. French cuisines mostly use a lot of herbs unlike the use of spices in India.
The French have a unique way of keeping everything in balance with utmost sophistication just like their language. They do not go to the gym for chiselled physiques or puffed muscles but for general fitness, and because it is good for health. This is how the French culture is. Even the kids of the house are used to these cultural values from a very young age. France is truly rich in its food and culture like no other country has ever seen.
French cuisine’s history
French cuisine’s history is that Classic French cooking began after 17th century after two great chefs; Francois Pierre La Varenne and Marie-Antoine Careme introduced French cuisines. Before this French cuisine was heavily inspired by Italian cuisines. It was only later in the 20th century when nouvelle cuisine (new cuisines) got introduced into French cooking that turned into the elite gastronomical cuisines that are called as haute cuisine.
Hence there are a lot of French dishes you might want to try out. Out of all today I am sharing the recipe of a favourite French dish- Chicken Cordon de bleu II.
Cordon de bleu is actually a French term which is translated to “blue ribbon”. This originally is referred to an award that is given to women cooks for their culinary expertise. This can also be given to men today. This term is also given to this dish. It is a simple dish with mouth-watering flavours that just makes the dish perfect and makes it stand up to its name of “blue ribbon”!
Chicken Cordon Bleu II Recipe:
Here is the recipe if you would want to give it a try at home. Remember; take things slowly with a lot of love and patience because that’s how the French do it.
Ingredients:
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halved
- 6 slices of Swiss cheese.
- 6 slices of ham
- 3tsp all-purpose flour
- 1tsp paprika
- 6 tsp butter
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1tsp heavy whipped cream
Method:
Pound the chicken breasts. Place a slice of ham and cheese slice on each of your breasts, fold the chicken over the filling and secure it with a toothpick tightly. Now coat them with flour and paprika.
Heat butter in a skillet over medium flame and fry the chicken pieces until they turn crisp from outside and turn to golden brown colour from all sides. Now you can pour in the wine and bouillon and cover and cook it for 30 minutes.
After this remove the toothpicks and dress them in a thick sauce made up of corn-starch and whipped cream, drizzled over it.
Serve it hot with red cherry flavoured New World Pinot Noir Wine, to marry the silkiness of the wine with the flavours of the chicken and give your taste buds a taste of romantic delicacy i.e. France.
Hope you enjoy this and start to rethink life like a Frenchman. Happy cooking J