Over the past two weeks, I've tried as many classic French dishes as I could. Here are some of my favorites!
Boeuf bourguignon (pronounced buhf boor-geen-YOHN) is a beef stew. For this dish, chunks of meat are cooked very slowly for hours with carrots, onions and mushrooms in a sauce made with red wine. After all that time, the meat is so soft you can cut it with a spoon.
Magret de canard (pronounced mug-ray duh cuh-nard), meaning duck breast, is very popular in France. I had mine with potatoes cooked in duck fat, which made them extra crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. In the U.S., we eat a lot of chicken. Here, duck is just as common on restaurant menus!
Steak tartare (pronounced tar-TAR) is one of the most “out-there” dishes I've tried here in France. It is raw beef! The chef chops very fresh, high-quality beef into tiny pieces and mixes it with mustard, shallots (a vegetable similar to an onion), herbs, and often a raw egg yolk on top. It has to be made very carefully, so it is only served at restaurants that know how to make it safely. The first time I had it, I was honestly nervous about the texture. I thought it would be tough and chewy. But because the beef is chopped so finely, it is actually soft and smooth. Now, I really enjoy it! It is usually served with bread and French fries.
My favorite dessert is tarte Tatin (pronounced tart ta-TAN), an upside-down apple pie. The apples are cooked in butter and sugar until they turn into caramel, then covered with dough and baked.
