French food… je t’aime! If you’re serious about cooking then you know that the foundation of Western cuisine was built by the French. They know a thing or two about cooking well, from your 5 basic mother sauces to intricate molecular gastronomy dishes. We’ve rounded-up our 36 best French-inspired food recipes to test your culinary prowess. Before you even get started, check out our glossary of French Cooking Terms.

Our Favourite French-inspired Food

French Breakfast

Start your day with a bit of French flair with these oh-so-decadent crêpe recipes. Crêpes are the skinnier, fancier French-style version of the pancake. Serve as a sweet or savoury dish with these easy-to-follow recipes.

Parma Ham Crêpe Gâteaux

A herby, savoury crêpe cake stack. GET THE RECIPE

Mushroom Spinach and Gruyère Crêpes

Ooh-la-la, a trio of earthy flavours topped off with a decadent hollandaise sauce. GET THE RECIPE

Smoked Trout & Cream Cheese Crêpe Stack

A classic combination made great – piled high into a crêpe stack. GET THE RECIPE

Crêpes With Lemon Ricotta & Mixed Summer Berries

Make a large batch of these for your next beachside summer holiday. GET THE RECIPE

ClemenGold Crêpe Suzette

We love this retro dish that’s been given a contemporary makeover. GET THE RECIPE

Rooibos Crème Brûlée Crêpe Cake

The rooibos-infused crème anglaise pairs perfectly with this French pancake recipe, a heavenly dessert. GET THE RECIPE

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French Toast

Pain Perdu is the French term for what a lot of us call French toast or eggy bread. Here are a few ideas to take yours to the next level. One of the best French-inspired foods we know!

French Toast With Caramelised Bananas & Macadamia Nuts

There is something nostalgically child-like about fried bananas, plus the caramel flavours go really well with crunchy nuts in this French toast recipe. GET THE RECIPE

Chocolate Hot Cross Bun French Toast

Perfect for when Easter rolls around and hot cross buns are in abundance. The recipe will work with your favourite bread or brioche if you can’t find hot cross buns though. GET THE RECIPE

Vegan French Toast

We have our vegan friends covered with this banana substituted French toast recipe. GET THE RECIPE

Cream Cheese-filled French Toast Bake

Maybe a bit too decadent for your average breakfast, but perfect for a Sunday brunch. GET THE RECIPE

French Toast With Tomato & Ginger

This tomato and ginger relish is the perfect savoury companion to the sweetness of the dish. GET THE RECIPE

Croque Monsieur

Go big or go home! In France, one does not simply eat a ham and cheese sandwich. GET THE RECIPE

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French-inspired Food – Bread

When it comes to French food, there are fewer things more iconic than bread, here are our favourite French Bread recipes that go beyond just the baguette.

Basic Brioche

This buttery flaky brioche will have you asking, is it a dessert or is it bread? GET THE RECIPE

Onion Campagne

Try this pain de campagne (French-style sourdough) recipe with added onions for extra flavour. GET THE RECIPE

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French-inspired Food – Starters

Now that you’ve mastered the art in French bread making, try one of these recipes to top it with.

Venison en Pâté en Croûte

A rich meaty pate encased in a crisp golden pastry. GET THE RECIPE

Country Style Terrine With Sauce Ravigote

A French jelly-like loaf made with duck and pork, served with a tangy sauce. GET THE RECIPE

Smoked Ham Hock Terrine

The sweetness of the beetroot and apple relish is the perfect pairing with this salty ham terrine. GET THE RECIPE

Pork & Venison Terrine

Enjoy this very meaty affair with a side of onion confit. GET THE RECIPE

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French-inspired Food – Pastry

We love the idea of visiting a French pâtisserie daily, but if Paris is a little out of the way, try these French pastry recipes as a good alternative.

Oven Roasted Onion Tarte Tatin

The onions are first cooked to sweet and stick perfection before encasing and baking to golden perfection. GET THE RECIPE

Tomato & Onion Tarte Tatin

This tart taste as good as it looks, and don’t worry, it’s a cinch to make. GET THE RECIPE

Pear & Blue Cheese Tarte Tatin

A classic French-inspired dish that is a sweet-savoury way to end any meal. GET THE RECIPE

Plum & Vanilla Tarte Tartin

Soft juicy plums with a hint of vanilla and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Perfection. GET THE RECIPE

Wild Mushroom Mille-Feuille

Traditionally mille-feuille is a sweet pastry, but this variation uses mushrooms as the filler between layers of crisp puff pastry. GET THE RECIPE

Pissaladière

A tart-come-pizza, topped with Mediterranean flavours make for a great snack. Pissaladiere hails from the southern part of France, near the Italian border, hence the fusion-y concept. GET THE RECIPE

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French-inspired Food – Mains

The pièce de résitance!

Ratatouille

A rich tomato based veggie dish, this recipe is served with gnocchi and ricotta. GET THE RECIPE

LCHF French Onion Soup with Cheesy Croutons

This is a bowlful of oniony goodness made the low carb way. Probably not the way the French would make it but it’s a great way to enjoy the classic if you’re cutting carbs. GET THE RECIPE

Bouillabaisse

A bouillabaisse, is a classic French seafood stew. This recipe goes perfect with crispy bread. GET THE RECIPE

Dusky Kob Meuniere with Lyonnaise Potatoes

To cook a la meunier, translates to cook like a miller’s wife – whatever that’s supposed to mean! One things for sure, this method and dish is to die for. GET THE RECIPE

Mussel en Papilotte

Mussels cooked in paper may not sound delicious but wait until you’ve tried these steamed beauties. GET THE RECIPE

Classic French Onion Soup

Besides the way the name rolls off the tongue (soupe à l’oignon) we love how well onions go with a meaty broth. GET THE RECIPE

Confit Salmon

We love this French method of cooking; confit is slow cooking or poaching food in oil or fat, the results make your protein tender and melt-in-the-mouth. GET THE RECIPE

Duck Confit

This dish will take a bit of effort but it’s so worth it! GET THE RECIPE

Venison Loin With Bordelaise Sauce

Served with one of the 5 mother sauces – Bordelaise, this meal packs a series meaty punch. GET THE RECIPE

Beef Bourguignon

Don’t be fooled, this beef bourguignon isn’t just a beef stew…. it’s the beef stew! Make a day ahead to let the flavours fully develop. GET THE RECIPE

Chicken Au Poivre

If you love going a bit nuts with the pepper grinder then this dish is for you. GET THE RECIPE

Pot Au Feu

Pot-au-feu is a French dish eaten in almost every home, it started as a peasant’s dish and is now a delicacy. GET THE RECIPE

Duck Cassoulet

Another dish that has its origins tied to peasantry. Cassoulet is a slowly roasted casserole dish, hours of cooking develops incredibly intense flavour. GET THE RECIPE

Coq Au Vin

A red wine braised chicken with bacon and mushroom and loads of garlic! GET THE RECIPE

Now that you have a bunch of French-inspired food recipes, brush up on your French Cooking Terms to make sure you’re doing it right.