Popular French Cooking Techniques That You Can Do At Home

Popular French Cooking Techniques That You Can Do At Home

French cooking has always esteemed itself as one of the best and finest in the world. In America, the word is tantamount to gourmet cooking. Chefs trained in France are in demand in fine dining restaurants. Though it may sound complex, it is founded on very simple techniques that can be done by any amateur chef.

In France, every region has its native cooking tradition that includes different ingredients and methods of preparation. It can be categorized into 3: the Classical French Haute cuisine which includes sauces that are cream based. Food is elegantly and elaborately prepared using the best ingredients. An important component to this is presentation.

The next type is the Cuisine Nouvelle where food are prepared simpler and lighter without heavy sauces at all. Food is prepared and cooked fast emphasizing on local seasonal ingredients. Cuisine du Terroir is the third type that focuses on specialties in the region and is sort of rural in character. There are restaurants catering to each group of customers wanting different types of French cooking.

This traditional cooking varies by location in France. One of the key aspects of this cooking method is to take time to savor your meal. Take it from Mark Sullivan who is The Village Pub's Executive Chef in Northern California. He builds on the old technique by creating dishes with traditional French roots. He shares some basic cooking techniques:

Saute A la Franais

This is one of the French techniques anyone can master at home when cooking. Over high heat, fry ingredients lightly in oil. He recommends the use of olive oil and once the oild is hot on the pan, throw in ingredients you want, be it vegetables, poulty or meat.

It's in the Way You Cut Them

Cutting is an important skill every French chef must perfect. There are 3 basic ways to cut that you should know:

Brunoise: cutting about 1/8 of an inch square. It produces cubes of a 3 mm or less side length on each side. Commonly brunoised items are leeks, carrots and turnips that may be used as your garnish in many dishes. They should be consistent in shape and size to create a delightful presentation.

Dice: to cut about a quarter of an inch forming cubic pieces. Be sure that you have a good chopping board and knife ready to help you dice ingredients well.

Chop: to cut about half of an inch. Know the sizes of these cuts to help you with the recipes you're doing. You will need a sharp knife and a stable chopping board. Exercise caution when chopping.

Sauces and Stocks

Broth or stocks from cooking meats, bones or vegetable are the base of most things cooked in the kitchen. They are used to create sauces. Red wine is one universal sauce paired with stocks. It does wonder on a grilled slice of fish or meat.

No Second Guesses!

As they say, approach love and cooking in reckless abandon. Do not be scared of these techniques. If you're an aficionado of this type of cooking, dare to be bold and give them a try!

On French cooking, famous celebrity chef and personality, Julia Child attested, "In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport." So give in, embrace the French flair now.

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