Skip to content
LoginRegister
WhatToEat.Today
Recipes

All recipes

Vegetarian, or something you can't eat? Set your diet once and we'll hide recipes that don't fit.

539 recipes

ChaplasHollow puffed Andean bread

Walk through Ayacucho's central market at seven in the morning and you will see women selling stacks of chaplas from cloth-lined baskets, still warm from the wood-fired ovens of the Andes. These round wheat breads puff up like pita in the fierce heat, leaving a hollow pocket inside a thin, soft, lightly floury crust. In Ayacucho and Huancavelica they are eaten with sweet coffee or hot emoliente for breakfast, or split and filled with queso fresco, avocado or a spoonful of rocoto sauce. Highland bakers traditionally work in a little lard; vegetable shortening gives the same tenderness and keeps the bread vegan. A cool baking tray is the reason chaplas stay flat, so preheat it thoroughly. Chef's tip: let the rolled rounds rest before baking and flip them upside down onto the tray, so the smooth, dry side meets the heat first and the pocket opens evenly.

149 minPeruvianBreads & ParathasVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pan chutaAniseed round bread

The small town of Oropesa, half an hour from Cusco, calls itself Peru's bread capital, and its wood-fired bakeries are famous for chuta: big, flat, round loaves as wide as a dinner plate, glossy on top, with a faint sweetness and the warmth of aniseed. Travellers on the road to Puno and Bolivia stop to buy them by the bagful, and families bring them home for All Saints' Day and for sharing with hot coca tea or coffee, fresh cheese and butter. The bakeries traditionally use lard; this version uses vegetable shortening and butter, so it is vegetarian. The make-or-break moment is the proof: chuta is large and flat, and if it goes in under-risen it bakes dense and splits at the rim. Chef's tip: toast the aniseed for a minute in a dry pan and crush it lightly before adding, for a rounder, sweeter perfume.

240 minPeruvianBreads & Parathas
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Baguette

Four ingredients and nothing else: since a 1993 decree, a loaf sold in France as a baguette de tradition may contain only flour, water, salt and leavening. Parisians buy one or two a day, warm from the boulangerie, and the end of the loaf rarely makes it home uneaten. A good one has a thin, shattering, deep golden crust, an open, creamy crumb and a faint nutty sweetness from a long, slow rise. Tear it for butter and jam at breakfast, split it for a jambon-beurre or a cheese sandwich, or put it on the table with soup, salad and a cheese board. Shaping is where most home bakers go wrong: pressing all the air out while rolling the dough long gives a tight, cottony crumb, so handle it lightly and let the bench rest do the work. Chef's tip: cut the slashes almost lengthways, at a shallow angle with the blade nearly flat, and overlap each one by a third; straight-down, crosswise cuts just open into flat scars instead of the raised 'ears' you want.

445 minFrenchBreads & ParathasVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Œuf et mouillettes (egg and soldiers for toddlers)

In France, l'œuf à la coque with mouillettes, buttered bread fingers, is the gentle supper or Sunday breakfast every child knows. For babies and toddlers the egg is boiled a little longer, until the white is firm and the yolk is set but still soft and fudgy, so little ones can scoop and spread it rather than dip into a runny centre. It contains egg, gluten (wheat) and milk (butter). Chef's tip: start with eggs at room temperature so they don't crack in the hot water, and lower them in gently on a spoon.

11 minFrenchBreakfast & Brunch
by KrazyBadal 0 views

CroquemboucheCaramel-bound choux puff tower

At a French wedding, christening or first communion, the croquembouche ('crunch in the mouth') arrives at the end of the meal: a tall cone of choux puffs filled with vanilla pastry cream, stuck together with amber caramel and wrapped in spun sugar threads. Guests crack puffs off with a knife or the back of a spoon, so each bite is crisp caramel, light pastry and cold, smooth cream. Pâtissiers often flavour the cream with orange liqueur; it is written here with vanilla only, and you can add 2 tablespoons of liqueur to the cooled cream. Underbaked choux is the classic mistake, because pale puffs go soft and collapse under the weight, so bake them until they are deep golden and dry inside; and since hot caramel burns badly, keep a bowl of iced water beside you and work with care. Chef's tip: build the tower on the day, no more than 4 hours before serving; the caramel softens in the fridge and humid air.

210 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gâteau battuTall egg-rich brioche cake

Picardy's tall, fluted gâteau battu ("beaten cake") gets its name from the long beating its dough needs: so many egg yolks and so much butter go in that it is closer to a thick batter than a bread dough. In the Somme it is the cake of family celebrations, first communions and weddings, and of Sunday breakfast, and it is baked in a distinctive tall, ridged mould that gives it the look of a chef's toque. The crumb is yellow, very light, buttery and only gently sweet. Serve it in slices with rhubarb jam, poached fruit or crème anglaise, or toasted the next day. Unmoulding too soon is how it collapses: the crumb is so tender that it needs 10 minutes to firm in the tin. Chef's tip: let the dough rise slowly until it reaches the rim of the mould, even if that takes 3 hours; rushing it gives a dense, cakey bottom.

300 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gâteau à la brocheSpit cake

At weddings and village fairs in the Aveyron and the Pyrenees, gâteau à la broche is a performance: a wooden cone turns on a spit in front of a wood fire while a cook ladles batter over it, layer after layer, for hours. The drips set into the spiky ridges that make the tall, hollow cake look like a fir tree. Slices have thin golden rings, a soft, buttery, eggy crumb and a scent of orange-flower water; it is eaten at the end of the feast with sweet wine for the adults or coffee. Older recipes use rum where this one uses orange-flower water and lemon, and at home a foil-wrapped rolling pin turned under a hot grill does the job of the spit. Pouring too much batter at once is the easy mistake: thick layers stay raw inside, so ladle thinly and let each one colour. Chef's tip: keep the batter at room temperature and stir it each time; cold batter clings badly and drips off in sheets.

140 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pain de campagneCountry sourdough loaf

Picture a round, flour-dusted boule on the counter of a village bakery in Burgundy or the Auvergne: that is pain de campagne, the 'country loaf' French families once baked weekly in a shared oven and kept in a cloth for days. A little wholemeal rye in the dough gives a greyish crumb, an earthy, gently sour flavour and a thick, crackling crust that stays good for four or five days. Slice it for tartines with butter and honey, toast it for soup, or serve it with a cheese board, onion soup or a slow vegetable stew. This version builds a fresh leaven in the morning and rests the shaped loaf in the fridge overnight, so you bake first thing the next day. Many home loaves come out pale and soft because they are pulled too early; French bakers call the dark finish 'bien cuit', and that colour is where the flavour lives. Chef's tip: bake straight from the fridge into a screaming-hot lidded casserole; the cold, firm dough is easier to score and springs up higher.

1335 minFrenchBreads & ParathasVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

ErdäpfelstrudelSavoury potato strudel

Austrians, especially in the Mühlviertel of Upper Austria and the Waldviertel, make savoury strudels as often as sweet ones, and Erdäpfelstrudel is a farmhouse favourite for a meatless Friday or a cold evening. Thin pastry wraps a filling of potatoes, fried onion, sour cream, marjoram and parsley, baked until crisp and golden and sliced with a green salad or a dill and sour-cream dip. Bought filo makes it easy at home. The mistake to avoid is a wet filling, which turns the pastry soggy underneath. Chef's tip: cool the filling completely before rolling; warm filling makes the layers stick and tear.

90 minAustrianVegetarian
by KrazyBadal 0 views

AnchoïadeAnchovy dip

Anchoïade is the anchovy dip of Provence, pounded with garlic and olive oil and served at the apéro or as a summer starter with a big basket of raw vegetables, celery, fennel, radishes, peppers and cauliflower, for everyone to dip; in Marseille and Nice it is also spread on toast. It uses salted (cured) anchovies, which are not cooked: cured fish is not for pregnant women, young children or anyone with a weakened immune system; for a safer version, warm the finished anchoïade gently in a small pan for 3–4 minutes until steaming hot before serving. The common mistake is adding the oil too fast, so it splits. Chef's tip: soak the salted anchovies in milk or water for 10 minutes to soften their saltiness.

15 minFrenchChutneys & DipsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tartare d'alguesSeaweed tartare

Tartare d'algues is a modern Breton classic, a dark green, salty spread of chopped seaweed with capers, shallots, gherkins and lemon, sold in jars at markets in Roscoff and Saint-Malo and spread on toast or blinis at the apéro. Brittany harvests more seaweed than anywhere else in Europe. The common mistake is not rinsing salted seaweed well enough, so it is far too salty. Chef's tip: rinse the seaweed in two changes of cold water, then taste a piece before chopping.

20 minFrenchChutneys & DipsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tarte au citron meringuéeLemon meringue tart

Tarte au citron meringuée is one of the best-loved tarts in French pâtisseries, a crisp sweet pastry case filled with sharp lemon cream and crowned with swirls of glossy meringue, toasted until golden; it is a favourite Sunday lunch dessert from Paris to Menton, the lemon town on the Riviera. The lemon cream is cooked on the hob, so it sets cleanly. The common mistake is letting the lemon cream boil hard, which makes it grainy. Chef's tip: make the meringue with hot syrup (Italian meringue); it is stable, safe to eat and will not weep on the tart.

85 minFrenchDesserts
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Potage Saint-GermainFresh pea soup

Potage Saint-Germain is a Parisian classic named after the Saint-Germain district, a bright green spring soup served at the start of family dinners in May and June when fresh peas arrive, though frozen peas make an excellent version all year. Peas are simmered briefly with lettuce, spring onions and mint, then blended smooth so the soup tastes fresh and sweet. The common mistake is cooking the peas too long, which turns the soup khaki and dull. Chef's tip: cool the blended soup quickly in a bowl set over iced water if you are not serving it at once; it keeps its vivid colour.

30 minFrenchSoupsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gâteau marbréMarble loaf cake

Gâteau marbré is the marble cake of French childhood, a vanilla and chocolate loaf with swirls through every slice, packed in school bags for goûter and sold in supermarkets everywhere as a lunchbox cake. Homemade, it is soft, buttery and quick. The common mistake is swirling too much, which turns the cake brown all through. Chef's tip: layer the two batters in the tin and drag a knife through just two or three times.

60 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pogne de RomansOrange blossom brioche crown

The pogne is the Easter brioche of Romans-sur-Isère and Valence in the Drôme, a high crown of soft dough fragrant with orange-blossom water, traditionally made for Easter and eaten with the local ravioles, or at breakfast with butter. Its name comes from "poigne", the fistful of dough the baker grabs. The common mistake is underproving; it needs a long, slow rise to be light. Chef's tip: make the starter the night before; it gives the pogne its gentle, rich flavour.

635 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Confiture de figuesFig jam

Fig jam is made in late summer in Provence and the south-west, when the trees are heavy with violet figs, and it is served with breakfast and, very often, with cheese, especially goat's cheese and ewe's cheese from the Pyrenees. The figs are cooked with lemon and vanilla until thick and glossy. The common mistake is undercooking it, so it stays runny. Chef's tip: figs are low in pectin, so add a grated apple or use jam sugar.

60 minFrenchBasicsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

ChouquettesSugar choux puffs

Chouquettes are the small, hollow choux puffs studded with pearl sugar that French bakeries sell by weight in paper bags, a favourite treat bought on the way home from school and shared between brothers and sisters. They are made with the same choux dough as éclairs but left unfilled. The common mistake is opening the oven too soon, so they collapse. Chef's tip: press the pearl sugar in well after glazing, so it does not roll off.

40 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sablés au parmesanParmesan shortbread

Sablés au parmesan are the crumbly savoury shortbreads French hosts bake for the apéro, served with a glass of something cold before dinner, and they keep well in a tin. Parmesan is always made with animal rennet, so for a vegetarian version use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese. The common mistake is overworking the dough, which makes them hard rather than melting. Chef's tip: roll the dough into a log and chill it, then slice and bake straight from the fridge.

27 minFrenchSnacks & Starters
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nougat glacéFrozen nougat parfait

Nougat glacé is the frozen dessert of Provence, inspired by the white nougat of Montélimar: an airy parfait of whipped cream and honey meringue, studded with caramelised almonds, pistachios and candied fruit, served in slices with a red berry sauce at summer dinners. It needs no ice-cream machine. The common mistake is folding in the cream too hard, so it freezes icy instead of light. Chef's tip: take it out of the freezer 10 minutes before slicing.

50 minFrenchDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

MendiantsChocolate nut and fruit discs

Mendiants are little discs of chocolate topped with an almond, a hazelnut, a raisin and a dried fig, the four "beggars" of the Provençal Christmas, whose colours were said to match the robes of the four mendicant orders of monks; they are part of the thirteen desserts and a favourite home-made Christmas gift. The common mistake is letting the chocolate set before adding the toppings, so they fall off. Chef's tip: pipe only six discs at a time and top them straight away.

30 minFrenchDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Poires au vinPears in red wine

Poires au vin are a simple winter dessert from Burgundy and the Loire, whole pears poached in red wine with sugar, cinnamon, orange and cloves until they turn a deep ruby, then served cold in their reduced syrup. The red wine version is made with alcohol, and most but not all of it cooks off; for children, pregnant guests or anyone avoiding alcohol, use red grape juice with less sugar and a squeeze of lemon. The common mistake is not turning the pears, so they colour unevenly. Chef's tip: leave the pears in the syrup overnight for the deepest colour.

55 minFrenchDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Crêpes dentelleCrisp lace crêpe biscuits

Crêpes dentelle, "lace crêpes", are a speciality of Quimper in Brittany, said to have been invented by a baker there in 1886 who burnt a crêpe and rolled it up; they are wafer-thin, crisp, buttery rolled biscuits, sold in tins all over Brittany and eaten with coffee or crumbled over ice cream. The common mistake is spreading the batter too thick, so they will not crisp. Chef's tip: spread the batter so thin you can see the tray through it, and roll each one as soon as it comes out of the oven.

40 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Marrons glacésCandied chestnuts

Marrons glacés are the luxurious Christmas sweet of the Ardèche and Privas, whole chestnuts candied slowly in vanilla syrup and finished with a thin sugar glaze, given as gifts in December and served with coffee after the Christmas meal. Home versions use cooked, peeled chestnuts, which saves the hardest work. The common mistake is stirring, which breaks the chestnuts. Chef's tip: wrap the chestnuts in muslin, or set them in a steamer basket, so you can lift them in and out of the syrup without touching them.

110 minFrenchDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Brioche vendéenneBraided Easter brioche

The brioche vendéenne is the plaited Easter brioche of the Vendée on the Atlantic coast, once baked for Easter Sunday and for weddings, where it was carried into the dance on a huge board. It is softer and lighter than Parisian brioche, scented with vanilla and orange-blossom water, and has protected status (IGP). The common mistake is plaiting too tightly, so it splits in the oven. Chef's tip: plait loosely and give it a long, slow final prove.

330 minFrenchBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Showing 24 of 539 recipes

Show more recipes

Page 2 of 23