Tuesday 27 December 2016

La Cuisine Française

What is France best known for? It's food of course! I have to admit it was one of the reasons I liked learning French at all. Most of my time here is spent thinking about what I'm going to eat and where I'm going to buy it from. Only last night I ventured out into the cold night to acquire a raspberry eclair, which was definitely worth it. Saturday included a trip to my favourite market in the whole world. The one I used to live by on Avenue de Saxe. After some hilarious flirting with the vendors in order to get more samples of foie gras, blue cheese and charcuterie than was decent, I ended up buying myself a very simple but hearty lunch. A roast chicken leg with gratin dauphinoise which was full of garlic and herbs. What could be better than a simple but delicious meal made by someone else that you can take home and savour. That's exactly what I adore about French cooking. The simplicity. Many people think that it is all showy and complicated. Well the stuff you have in high-end restaurants in is, but the food that real French people eat is full of goodness. Why overcomplicated something that is already divine? There is no logical counter-argument. This doesn't mean that is boring and uses the same flavours repetitively, oh le contraire! The ingredients are simple but shown off. Take a simple steak tartare. Incidentally this is my favourite meal. The beef is beatifully tender and succulent. The capers are sharp and cut through the fat of the meat. The frites on the side providing that crisp texture that is so pleasurable. The diced raw onions that are sweet and crunchy. The rich egg yolk perfectly placed on top. You are exposed to all tastes, textures and cooking techniques in one simple dish. This is classic French cuisine at its best. 
The French are very proud of there food, some would even say snobby. With cooking like this, wouldn't you be?

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