What are some French regional specialties? Read on for a list of French recipes by region, including recipes from Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Southwest, Provence, Languedoc, Roussillon, Alsace-Lorraine, and the Loire Valley.
Diners in Bordeaux, enjoying some regional recipes, no doubt!
Recently, I was invited to co-host a regional wine diner at the fabulous Table 128 Bistro + Bar here in Amerique profonde. For our collaboration, I gave the chef a list of some of the most popular regional specialties in France. It was a fascinating exercise. I thought I’d share it with you, and include the best links to regional French recipes I could find. This list is not definitive, so if I’ve missed one of your faves, leave a comment in embedded Facebook area below this post, and I’ll add it (and try to find an exemplary link to a recipe).
Specialties of Burgundy/Lyon
Boeuf Bourguignon/Beef Burgundy. See my recipe.
A few French regional recipes of Burgundy/Lyon:
- Escargot de Bourgogne
- Chicken liver salad
- Oeufs en Meurette
- Coq au Vin
- Boeuf Bourguignon
- Salade Lyonnaise (poached egg salad with lardons-bacon)
Specialties Southwest France and Bordeaux
Duck Terrine Mousquetaire by D’Artagnan.
A few French regional recipes of Southwest France and Bordeaux:
- Wild Mushroom Tart
- Wild Mushroom Omelet
- Roquefort Tart
- Pâté: Rabbit Pâté, Foie Gras Pâté, Pâté de Campagne with prunes and Armangnac (call me lazy, but I say why make it when you can buy it from D’Artagnan).
- Daub of Wild Boar (can’t find a good recipe for this….which is OK, since I can’t find wild boar!)
- Steak “Marchande de Vin” (with shallot-red wine sauce)
- Duck dishes in general
- Walnut Tart with Prune-Armagnac Ice Cream (this is in my cookbook….I should post a recipe for it soon!)
- Cannelés
Specialties of Provence, including specialties of the Rhône, and specialties of the Côte d’Azur
My recipe for ratatouille, a Provençal specialty.
A few French regional recipes of Provence, the Rhône, and the Côte d’Azur:
- Egg dishes with truffles
- Bourride (a fish soup with garlic cream)
- Duck with Lavender Honey
- Lamb chops with Herbes de Provence
- Fish with Herbes de Provence
- Bouillabaisse
- Gigot D’Agneau Provençal (Roast Leg of Lamb Provençal)
- Le Grand Aoili (a platter of fish and veggies with aioli).
- French Green Lentil Salad with Shrimp
- Lentil Salad with Sausages
- Pan Bagnat
- Pissaladière
- Ratatouille
- Salade Niçoise (Follow the link for a beautiful, thoughtful post + recipe about this from David Lebovitz!)
Specialties of the Languedoc
Any-Day Cassoulet from The Bonne Femme Cookbook (this one doesn’t take three days!).
A few French regional recipes of the Languedoc:
- Dandelion Greens Salad with Poached Eggs and Bacon
- Stuffed Mussels
- Anything with Toulouse Sausages
- Fish with Olives and Artichokes (flavored with lemon, thyme, garlic, parsley, and nicoise olives).
- Lapin Grillé à la Moutarde (Grilled Rabbit with Mustard). Squeamish about eating rabbit? This preparation tastes really good on chicken leg-thigh quarters.
- Cassoulet. Here’s the real thing, by the amazing Paula Wolfert. Or, try my quick version of cassoulet.
Specialties of the Roussillon
A few French regional recipes of the Roussillon:
Specialties of Champagne
Sole Meuniere. Photo by Roger Ferrer Ibáñez via Flickr.
A few French regional recipes of Champagne:
Specialties of Loire Valley
Goat Cheese Salad with Honey and Pine Nuts. See my recipe.
A few French regional recipes of the Loire Valley:
- Saumon à la Crème (salmon with cream sauce)
- Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Honey and Pine Nuts
- Tarte Tatin (I love this NYT recipe that uses purchased puff pastry.)
- Pain Perdue (French toast) desserts
Specialties Alsace-Lorraine
Choucroute Garnie Ce Soir (My recipe braises in just one hour.)
A few French regional recipes of Alsace-Lorraine:
- Choucroute Garnie (my recipe-which includes the exact right mustard to serve with it)
- Quiche Lorraine
