Easy methods to Inventory a French Pantry

Properly over a decade in the past, after I was attending to know my then-boyfriend, now-husband in 2010—a tall, critical man from Gascony—I wished to cook dinner conventional French recipes to attach with him higher. I first consulted Julia Little one’s cookbook to make her well-known boeuf bourguignon, however discovered it to be fairly difficult. Then, I consulted a French cooking journal that had a a lot easier recipe and ended up with a dish that my husband nonetheless raves about to at the present time. That dish helped dissipate any worry I had about tackling French delicacies. After 14 years of efficiently plying my husband with French classics, I can confidently say it’s tougher to accurately pronounce blanquette de veau (veal stew) or gratin dauphinois (scalloped potatoes) than it’s to make them.  

French delicacies is usually thought to be a benchmark of culinary excellence, with a lot consideration paid to the savoir-faire, or know-how, of the nation’s artisan bakers, celebrated cooks, and world-renowned cooking establishments. There’s a cloud of romanticism that surrounds French meals, and the thought of tackling these fancy, typically difficult recipes at dwelling might be intimidating, to say the least. However with the appropriate substances readily available, it’s straightforward to get began.

In France, my in-laws go to the marché (farmers market) at the least as soon as every week, choose up each day baguettes, and cook dinner virtually each meal at dwelling. I at all times marvel on the ease with which my mother-in-law can whip up three-course meals with just some meat and vegetable purchases from the market. At dwelling in Los Angeles, I take my pantry cues from my French household, whose cabinets appear to at all times have simply what we want. In the event you’re itching to start out cooking a la Française, this checklist is for you—you’ll be outfitted to throw collectively a myriad of Gallic connoisseur dishes, each candy and savory. 

Pantry

Dijon Mustard

This pungent, tangy mustard was created within the mid-1800s within the Burgundy area of France and is used as a condiment for sandwiches, in addition to in marinades, dressings, and sauces like gribiche and steak au poivre. True Dijon mustard, per French requirement, is constructed from brown seeds (Brassica juncea) or black ones (Brassica nigra) grown in Dijon, however as a result of mustard seeds are largely imported into France to maintain up with demand, many French houses will use a Dijon-model mustard from manufacturers like Amora or Maille. In the event you’re trying to find a real Dijon mustard within the States, you might be able to discover a jar of Edmond Fallot, the one giant producer nonetheless making their mustard fully utilizing Dijon seeds. I at all times preserve a 500-gram crock of this model readily available as I choose 100% Dijon-made mustard, however you might have a better time discovering Maille within the States.

Vinegar

In a rustic that produces a ton of wine and cider, it is smart that there’s additionally a thriving vinegar manufacturing. Usually manufactured from leftover or over-oxidized wine (or cider), French vinegars are available in an array of flavors—white wine, purple wine, raspberry, quince, and extra. A staple for making French dressing and marinade, vinegar can be a wonderful addition to sure sauces to impart freshness and acidity, like in a sweet-and-sour gastrique. I at all times preserve purple wine vinegar readily available for salad dressing, and although it’s not French, sherry vinegar is usually utilized in southwestern France—it is barely milder and might be extra nice for these with palates which can be extra delicate to bitter flavors.

Dried Herbs and Spices

A typical French family could have a choice of dried herbs and spices which can be used repeatedly in on a regular basis cooking.

• Thyme provides a citrusy, floral high quality to roast rooster and sautéed mushrooms. 
• Nutmeg is a necessary ingredient in béchamel sauce and may add a contact of heat to soups and stews, like blanquette de veau and boeuf bourguignon. 
• Bay leaves are used as a part of a bouquet garni, or bundle of herbs, (together with recent parsley and thyme) to impart taste to shares and different dishes like navarin d’agneau (lamb stew) or pot-au-feu. 
• Piment d’espelette is constructed from peppers grown within the French Basque countryside which can be dried and floor into flakes or a powder. Much like paprika however with only a contact of warmth, it’s sometimes one of many spiciest substances in a French spice cupboard. I exploit piment d’espelette in poulet Basquaise (Basque-style rooster) largely, however it’s tremendous versatile and can be utilized wherever you may add black pepper, like on a steak, over roasted rooster, and even on veggies.
• Herbes de Provence is a multi-purpose dried herb mix sometimes manufactured from marjoram, rosemary, tarragon, lavender, fennel, and thyme—vegetation discovered alongside the Mediterranean coast. Its aromatic notes and complicated taste profile are wonderful in a marinade or as a dry rub on fish and rooster.

Inventory and Demi-Glace

Ideally, we’d all have time to make shares and demi-glace from scratch for soups, stews, and sauces. In actuality, many households—together with mine!—depend on powdered variations from Knorr or Maggi for comfort, although they could lack the depth, taste, and gelatin content material that offers richness to selfmade variations. In the event you choose non-powdered variations, you may preserve pre-portioned selfmade inventory within the freezer, whether or not chicken stock or beef stock, and search for jarred demi-glace that may be diluted to your most well-liked focus.

Darkish Chocolate

France’s proximity to Switzerland and Belgium signifies that good high quality chocolate is broadly out there. Except for being a wonderful snack, darkish chocolate is used for widespread French sweets like mousse au chocolat, pot de crème, and mi-cuit chocolat (often known as chocolate lava cake). It’s additionally a shock addition to sure beef-based stews, like boeuf bourguignon. I prefer to preserve a bar manufactured from at the least 70% cacao readily available, like Côte d’Or’s 70% Darkish Chocolate Bar, for cooking or snacking. 

Preserved Elements

Meals preservation is big in France, with among the hottest meals made in bulk and saved to be used all year long. 

• Jams, jellies, and preserves, each store-bought or selfmade, are sometimes eaten within the morning slathered on a bit of toasted, buttered baguette. Once I’m in France, I really like to select up ultra-local jams manufactured from mirabelle plums or rosehip, however within the US, I purchase Bonne Maman preserves, particularly after they’re on sale.
• Olives are a well-liked comfortable hour snack, and may also be utilized in tagines or made into tapenade. Vibrant inexperienced Picholine olives are my favourite, and you may’t go mistaken with olives de Good, a black olive just like kalamata that shines in a salade Niçoise.
• Cornichons are a mini pickle that may be added to a French ham and butter sandwich (jambon beurre) or served alongside melted raclette within the winter.
• Duck confit is a specialty of southwestern France, manufactured from seasoned duck legs simmered after which preserved in their very own fats. They’re utilized in cassoulet or served alongside a inexperienced salad and crispy potatoes. 

Jarred or Tinned Fish

Seafood conserves are more and more widespread throughout Europe, however you’re extra more likely to discover just a few varieties at dwelling. Anchovies are very talked-about in southeastern France, alongside the Mediterranean, and are used to make a fast pissaladière for lunch or apéro. Canned sardines are sometimes grilled or pan-fried, then calmly dressed with a squeeze of lemon and served on bread. And jarred tuna, preserved in olive oil, is crucial for making a salade Niçoise and pan bagnat.

Wine and Different Spirits

Cheap, but drinkable purple and white wines are de rigueur for cooking coq au vin or moules marinières, however I additionally prefer to preserve a bottle of darkish rum for including taste to crepe batter, and Cognac or Armagnac for enhancing the sauce for steak au poivre. 

Fridge

Salted Butter

Butter is a ubiquitous ingredient in French delicacies. Apart from being the spine of many baked items like croissants, it’s used generously for sautéeing greens, basting steaks, including a shiny end to omelets, and incorporating a sure je ne sais quoi to mashed potatoes. And when you can actually use unsalted butter for many of those purposes, the French overwhelmingly choose salted butter for normal use—each for cooking and spreading on bread. Made in both Normandy or Brittany, one of the best butter is yellow with flecks of crunchy sea salt. Whereas one of these butter is all over the place in France, it may be troublesome to seek out the identical model right here within the US, however Dealer Joe’s carries a salted butter from Brittany that’s worthy of a spot in your kitchen; should you can’t discover it, Kerrygold from Eire is a strong alternative that’s broadly out there.

Crème Frâiche 

This creamy dairy product resembles American bitter cream however with a milder tanginess. I exploit this for making quiche and thickening mushroom soup, however it’s additionally scrumptious when served atop recent strawberries. Crème frâiche might be fairly costly within the US, so you may at all times make homemade crème frâiche with simply a few substances.

Yogurt

The number of yogurts in a French grocery store by no means ceases to amaze me—most shops have total aisles devoted to the product. Yogurt, sometimes full fats, is usually eaten for breakfast or dessert, both plain, with a spoonful of preserves or chestnut cream, or sprinkled with uncooked sugar (known as cassonade in French). Since most households have at the least one particular person pot of yogurt readily available always, it’s additionally potential to throw collectively a yogurt cake at a second’s discover, utilizing the yogurt container to measure out the remainder of the substances. Within the US, I go for La Fermière or Oui by Yoplait, that are the 2 closest manufacturers when it comes to consistency and taste to French variations—very creamy, thick, and with a stronger tanginess than their American counterparts.

Cheese

From youngsters to adults, most French individuals—until they’ve points with dairy—get pleasure from all totally different sorts of cheeses frequently. You’ll typically discover at the least one kind of cheese within the fridge reserved for a post-meal cheese course, like Brie or Camembert. However for getting ready meals, Emmental, Gruyère, or Comté is the number of alternative for sandwiches, making quiches, melting in gratin, or sprinkling atop salads. There’s a shredded Swiss-Gruyere mix at Dealer Joe’s that I purchase at the least as soon as a month and use for croque monsieur or after I’m making Mornay sauce, bechamel’s cheese-laced cousin. 

Bacon

Within the US and UK, bacon is extra generally eaten for breakfast, however the French sometimes use lardon, cubes of fatty bacon, to taste numerous dishes. Added to salads, on prime of tarte flambée, in quiche Lorraine, or for incorporating layers of complexity to stews, lardons are extra of a condiment than a essential protein in most cases.

Freezer

Frozen Puff Pastry

It’s fairly straightforward to throw collectively a shortcrust pastry for quiche or a tart with flour, butter, salt, and water. However laminated dough like puff pastry is lots tougher, so many individuals purchase it frozen and preserve it round for making tarts, pies, and appetizers like vol-au-vent. Puff pastry might be sliced into strips, twisted, brushed with egg wash, sprinkled with cheese, and baked for a straightforward snack, or rolled with sugar and baked to make palmier cookies. The ingredient acts as a clean canvas for culinary creativity, and the probabilities are virtually limitless.

Frozen Greens

Regardless that France depends closely on weekly open-air markets and their native grocery shops for produce, it isn’t shocking to seek out a number of luggage of frozen greens stashed away in a French particular person’s freezer “simply in case.” Frozen greens are sometimes picked at their peak, preserving a lot of their vitamins and taste in the course of the freezing course of. Impressed by the French, I’ve began shopping for frozen variations of fussier greens that often want a number of prep—artichokes, fava beans, string beans, and peas—and in addition prefer to preserve a bag of blended greens (carrots, peas, corn, and inexperienced beans) readily available to make macedoine, one in every of my husband’s favourite salads from childhood.