Aligot
Side · Auvergne
Mashed potato beaten with young Tomme cheese and garlic until it stretches like ribbon.
Pair with: A cool-climateGamayfrom Auvergne.
Knowledge Center · Food Guide
The French Food Dictionary
An A–Z of French dishes to know before a wine trip — the bistro classics, the regional specialities, and the market snacks — each with a wine that belongs on the table.
Bœuf Bourguignon
Stew · Burgundy
Beef slow-braised in red Burgundy with bacon lardons, pearl onions and mushrooms.
Pair with: AVillage-level red Burgundy.
Bouillabaisse
Fish · Provence
The Marseille fish stew — rockfish, saffron and fennel served with rouille and croutons.
Pair with: Bandol RoséorCassis Blanc.
Brandade de Morue
Fish · Languedoc / Provence
Salt cod whipped with olive oil, milk and garlic into a creamy purée.
Pair with: Picpoul de Pinet.
Cassoulet
Stew · Languedoc
Slow-cooked white beans with duck confit, Toulouse sausage and pork.
Pair with: CahorsorFronton.
Choucroute Garnie
Meat · Alsace
Wine-braised sauerkraut piled with sausages, smoked pork and potatoes.
Pair with: Alsace Riesling.
Confit de Canard
Meat · Gascony
Duck legs slow-cooked and preserved in their own fat, crisped to order.
Pair with: Madiranor a matureSaint-Émilion.
Coq au Vin
Stew · Burgundy
Cockerel braised in red wine with lardons, mushrooms and pearl onions.
Pair with: Côte Chalonnaise red.
Crêpe Suzette
Dessert
Thin crêpes flamed with orange, sugar and Grand Marnier.
Pair with: ADemi-sec Vouvray.
Croque Monsieur
Bread
A grilled ham and Gruyère sandwich under a blanket of béchamel.
Pair with: A crispChablis.
Daube Provençale
Stew · Provence
Beef slowly braised with red wine, orange peel and herbs de Provence.
Pair with: GigondasorVacqueyras.
Escargots à la Bourguignonne
Starter · Burgundy
Snails baked in their shells with garlic-parsley butter.
Pair with: Chablis 1er Cru.
Foie Gras
Starter · Périgord / Alsace
Duck or goose liver, served as a pan-seared escalope or a chilled terrine.
Pair with: Sauternesor aLate-harvest Alsace.
Galette Bretonne
Bread · Brittany
A savoury buckwheat pancake folded around ham, egg and cheese.
Pair with: Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine sur lie.
Gratin Dauphinois
Side · Dauphiné
Sliced potatoes baked slowly in cream and garlic — no cheese in the original.
Pair with: ANorthern Rhône Marsanne blend.
Hachis Parmentier
Meat
Slow-cooked minced beef topped with mashed potato and gratinated.
Pair with: ALoire Cabernet Franc —ChinonorBourgueil.
Île Flottante
Dessert
A poached meringue floating on vanilla crème anglaise with caramel threads.
Pair with: Coteaux du Layon.
Jambon-Beurre
Bread
The Paris sandwich: a baguette with butter and cured ham.
Pair with: A glass ofChampagne.
Kouign-Amann
Dessert · Brittany
A butter and sugar-laminated pastry, caramelised on the outside, flaky within.
Pair with: Ademi-secCiderorCoteaux du Layon.
Magret de Canard
Meat · Gascony
The seared breast of a fattened duck, served rare with a red-fruit sauce.
Pair with: A matureCahors.
Moules Marinières
Fish · Normandy / Brittany
Mussels steamed open with shallot, parsley and white wine.
Pair with: Muscadet.
Navarin d'Agneau
Stew
A spring lamb stew with baby turnips, carrots and peas.
Pair with: A youngCôte de Beaune red.
Onion Soup Gratinée
Soup
Slow-caramelised onions in beef broth under a raft of crouton and Gruyère.
Pair with: AMâcon-Villages white.
Pâté en Croûte
Starter
A terrine of pork, veal and foie gras baked inside a pastry case.
Pair with: A youngBeaujolais cru.
Piperade
Vegetable · Basque Country
Tomatoes, peppers and onions stewed with Espelette pepper, often folded with eggs.
Pair with: Irouléguy Rosé.
Pissaladière
Bread · Nice
A Provençal flatbread of slow-cooked onions, anchovies and black olives.
Pair with: BelletorBandol Rosé.
Pot-au-Feu
Stew
Beef and root vegetables slowly poached — the eternal Sunday dinner.
Pair with: A matureBordeaux Supérieur.
Quenelle de Brochet
Fish · Lyon
Airy pike dumplings baked in a shellfish-cream sauce.
Pair with: White Burgundy —MeursaultorPouilly-Fuissé.
Quiche Lorraine
Bread · Lorraine
An open custard tart of eggs, cream and smoked lardons — no cheese in the purist version.
Pair with: Alsace Pinot Blanc.
Ratatouille
Vegetable · Provence
A slow-cooked stew of aubergine, courgette, pepper, tomato and herbs.
Pair with: AProvençal Rosé —BandolorCôtes de Provence.
Rillettes
Cured meat · Loire / Touraine
Slow-cooked pork shredded and packed under its own fat.
Pair with: Chinonor a dryVouvray.
Salade Niçoise
Salad · Nice
Tuna, boiled egg, olives, tomatoes and green beans — never with potato in the original.
Pair with: ABellet Rosé.
Steak Frites
Meat
The bistro standard: a seared entrecôte with a mountain of thin fries.
Pair with: Right Bank BordeauxorCrozes-Hermitage.
Tarte Tatin
Dessert · Loire
An upside-down caramelised apple tart, best served warm with crème fraîche.
Pair with: ADemi-sec Vouvray.
Tartiflette
Meat · Savoie
Potatoes, lardons and onions baked under a whole melted Reblochon.
Pair with: ASavoie white —ApremontorRoussette.