9 Underrated French Foods That’ll Make You Swoon

@w_w.c

French cuisine is one of the most indulgent cuisines in the world. It’s considered the backbone of most cuisines in the Western World. French food relies heavily on local products and it’s packed with wines, cheeses, pastries, fatty meats and spreads. While Americans are pretty familiar with croissants, croque-monsieur and pâté, there are a bunch of French foods that fly under the radar. SEE YA, HOPPING ON A PLANE TO PARIS NOW.

1. Coquilles St- Jacques

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If you love seafood and cheese, this one’s for you. Coquilles St-Jacques is a dish of scallops in a creamy sauce with a crispy bread crumb and cheese topping. It’s usually broiled (cooked directly under an intense heat source) to golden brown perfection.

2. Hachis Parmentier

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This dish is the decadent French version of shepherd’s pie. It’s made with creamy mashed and baked potatoes, different cuts of beef, gravy and vegetables.

3. Piperade

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Part of Basque cuisine, piperade is a dish made with onions, sweet green peppers, tomatoes and olive oil at its core. It’s also mixed with ingredients like spicy paprika, garlic, bacon, ham or eggs. Basically, piperade is the French shakshouka.

4. Pissaladière

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With origins in Nice, pissaladière is an open tart that resembles a pizza, but the dough is a little thicker. It’s typically made with caramelized onions, anchovies and black olives.

5. Aligot

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Creamy would be an understatement. Aligot is a French dish made from cheese that’s blended into mashed potatoes. The fondue-like dish has butter, cream, crushed garlic and melted cheese, and the finished dish has a smooth, elastic texture. This crazy cheese pull is pretty common with aligot.

6. Gougère

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These light, airy bundles are known as gougère. They’re made from classic French pâte àu choux (a light pastry dough used to make sweets like profiteroles, éclaires and French crullers). A generous amount of cheese is folded into the dough before baking. The dough puffs bake in the oven and come out with a crisp outside and a hollow, steamy, soft and cheesy inside.

7. Tarte Tropézienne

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Also known as La Tarte de Saint-Tropez, Tarte Tropézienne is a rich, cream-filled brioche pastry. The fillings can vary from pastry cream to buttercream to crème chiboust (pastry cream plus meringue).

8. Mont Blanc

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Named after the famous mountains between France, Italy and Switzerland, Mont Blanc kind of resembles a snow-capped mountain. The dessert is made of pureéd, sweetened chestnuts and topped with whipped cream.

9. Floating Island

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This creation is made with floating pieces of sweet meringue in a crème anglaise. The meringue is made with egg whites, sugar and vanilla extract and quickly poached. The crème anglaise is a combination of egg yolks, vanilla and hot milk. YUM.