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Salade d'endives aux noixChicory, walnut and apple salad

Across Picardy and the Nord, and over the border in Belgium, Belgian endive (chicory) is the winter salad, and this one appears after the main course at Sunday lunch or as a light supper from November to March. The pale, crisp leaves are cut into rings and tossed with sweet apple, toasted walnuts and a sharp mustard vinaigrette, so you get bitter, sweet and nutty in every mouthful. Many bistros add Roquefort; this version is vegan, and if you add cheese, note that Roquefort is made with animal rennet. A portion gives about 4 g of protein from the walnuts, so it is a side or starter. The most common mistake is slicing the endive too early: it browns at the cut edges, so dress it within 10 minutes of cutting. Chef's tip: cut out the small cone of core at the base of each endive; it holds most of the bitterness.

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Chilcano de pescadoClear fish broth

In the fishermen's terminals of Chorrillos and Callao, chilcano is what you drink on a Sunday morning after a long night: a clear, gingery broth made from the heads and bones left over from cleaning fish for ceviche, with chunks of fish, red onion, chilli and a squeeze of lime in the bowl. It is light and warming, around 160 kcal a bowl, and still gives about 24 g of protein from the fish fillet and the broth. The common mistake is squeezing the lime into the pot while it boils, which turns it bitter; add it to each bowl at the table. Don't boil the bones for more than 30 minutes either, or the broth turns cloudy and harsh. Chef's tip: ask the fishmonger for heads and frames from mild white fish like sea bass or cod, and leave out oily fish such as mackerel, which makes the broth strong and fishy.

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Potage cultivateurFarmer's vegetable soup

Potage cultivateur is the farmhouse soup of France, made in kitchens from Normandy to the Auvergne on cold evenings and eaten as a light supper with bread. The vegetables are cut into small, thin squares (the 'paysanne' cut), sweated slowly in butter, then simmered in water, so the broth stays clear and every spoonful has carrot, turnip, leek and potato. The old versions add bacon; this one is vegetarian. It is light, with about 4 g of protein per bowl; add a handful of white beans or serve with cheese on toast for more (choose a vegetarian cheese if you avoid animal rennet). The most common mistake is browning the vegetables: they should sweat gently until soft and shiny, never coloured. Chef's tip: cut every vegetable the same size, about 1 cm square and 3 mm thick, so they all cook in the same time.

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Salade de pissenlitsDandelion salad with warm vinaigrette

In Lorraine and around Lyon, the first tender dandelion leaves of March and April are gathered from meadows (or bought in bunches at the market) for a salad that marks the end of winter. The leaves are pleasantly bitter, and a hot vinaigrette poured over them wilts them slightly, with soft eggs to make it a light supper. The traditional version has crisp lardons; this vegetarian version uses toasted walnuts and a little of their oil for the same richness. A plate gives about 15 g of protein from the eggs and walnuts, so it is not a high-protein dish. The yolks stay runny, so use pasteurised eggs for anyone pregnant, very young, older or vulnerable, or boil the eggs for 10 minutes instead. The mistake to avoid is using big, old leaves from flowering plants; they are tough and harshly bitter. Chef's tip: soak the leaves in cold water for 30 minutes before drying them; it crisps them and tames some of the bitterness.

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Artichauts à la barigouleBraised artichokes

In Provence, artichauts à la barigoule is cooked in spring when the small violet artichokes come into the markets of Aix, Avignon and Marseille, and it is served warm as a starter or as a light main with bread. The trimmed artichokes are braised in olive oil with carrot, onion, garlic and herbs until tender in a fragrant, slightly tart liquor. The traditional braise uses white wine; this version is alcohol-free, using vegetable stock sharpened with white wine vinegar and lemon. It is vegan, with about 5 g of protein per portion, from the artichokes. The common mistake is trimming too timidly: any dark green leaf left on stays tough and stringy, so keep going until only the pale, tender leaves remain. Chef's tip: rub each artichoke with lemon as you trim and drop it straight into lemon water, or it will go brown within minutes.

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Tallarines rojosSpaghetti in red sauce with chicken

Tallarines rojos is the Sunday-lunch and weeknight pasta of homes all over Peru, from Lima to Arequipa: spaghetti in a sweet, deep-red sauce of blended tomato, onion and garlic with a little ají panca and oregano, often with pieces of chicken cooked right in it. Children love it, and it is served with a sprinkle of grated cheese and sometimes a spoon of huancaína on the side. The usual mistake is cooking the sauce too briefly, so it tastes of raw onion; let the blended tomato fry until it darkens and the oil shows at the edges. Chef's tip: a bay leaf and a spoon of ají panca paste give the sauce its Peruvian character; paprika will do if you can't find the paste.

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Velouté de courgettesSmooth courgette soup

French families make velouté de courgettes on summer and early-autumn evenings, when courgettes are cheap and plentiful, often blending in a few wedges of soft triangle cheese or a spoon of cream so children drink it happily. It is pale green, silky and mild, and ready in under half an hour; serve it with crusty bread and a piece of cheese. Some soft cheeses are made with animal rennet, so check the label or use a vegetarian cream cheese. The most common mistake is boiling the courgettes too long, which turns the soup a dull khaki; simmer only until just tender. Chef's tip: leave some of the green skin on but peel in stripes, so the colour stays bright without any bitterness.

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Haricots verts persillésGreen beans with garlic and parsley

Haricots verts persillés are the green beans that sit beside roast chicken, an omelette or a plate of potatoes in homes all over France, especially in June and July when fine beans are at their best. They are blanched until just tender, then tossed in foaming butter with a little garlic and lots of chopped parsley, so they stay bright green with a slight snap. Using olive oil instead of butter makes them vegan. The most common mistake is cooking the beans in too little water, so it stops boiling and they turn olive-grey; use a big pot of well-salted water. Chef's tip: cool the beans in iced water after blanching if you want to make them ahead, then warm them in the butter just before serving.

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Broyé du PoitouGiant butter biscuit

From the Poitou-Charentes region of western France, broyé is one huge, thick butter biscuit baked in a round and carried whole to the table. Tradition says you break it in the middle with a firm blow of the fist, and everyone grabs a jagged piece; farmhouse cooks served it at weddings and family lunches, and it still ends meals there with coffee or a glass of local pineau. It is crisp at the edges, slightly tender in the middle and tastes of salted butter. Some families add chopped candied angelica from Niort. The top is glazed with egg yolk for its shine; milk gives a softer sheen if you prefer no egg wash. Chef's tip: mark the top with a fork in a diamond pattern and press quite deep, because the lines spread as it bakes; a pale broyé is the common mistake, so bake on until it is evenly golden all over.

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Croûte aux champignonsCreamy mushrooms on toast

In the mountain villages of Savoie and the Jura, croûte aux champignons is a quick supper in autumn and through ski season: thick toasted bread topped with mushrooms cooked down in butter, a splash of dry white wine and cream, sometimes with a little melted local cheese on top. It is rich and earthy, and a green salad alongside is all it needs. The recipe uses white wine, which mostly cooks off but not entirely; for an alcohol-free version use vegetable stock with a squeeze of lemon. The most common mistake is pouring in the cream before the mushrooms have browned and the wine has reduced, which gives a thin, grey sauce. Chef's tip: rub the hot toast with a cut garlic clove so every bite is fragrant.

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Œufs mimosaStuffed eggs with grated yolk

Œufs mimosa have been a starter in French bistros and on family tables for generations, served at Sunday lunch, on Easter platters and as a light supper with salad and bread. Hard-boiled eggs are halved, their yolks mashed with mayonnaise and mustard and piped back in, then a little yolk is grated over the top so it looks like the fluffy yellow flowers of the mimosa tree. They are naturally gluten free. The most common mistake is overboiling the eggs, which leaves a grey-green ring around the yolk and a sulphurous taste; 10 minutes and an ice bath is enough. Chef's tip: keep back one yolk just for grating, so the topping stays bright yellow and dry.

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Chicharrón de pescadoCrisp fried fish chunks

Up and down the Peruvian coast, from Chorrillos in Lima to the beaches of Piura, chicharrón de pescado is the crunchy plate ordered alongside ceviche at a long seafood lunch: bite-size chunks of firm white fish marinated briefly in garlic and lime, dusted in flour and fried, then served with fried cassava, salsa criolla and tartar or rocoto sauce. Using frozen peeled cassava keeps it to half an hour. The common mistake is leaving the fish in the lime too long: after about ten minutes the acid starts to 'cook' the outside and the coating slips off. Chef's tip: toss the floured pieces in a sieve to shake off every bit of loose flour; a thin coat fries crisp, a thick one turns pasty.

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Pejerrey arrebozadoBattered fish fillets with onion salsa

Pejerrey arrebozado is a Lima classic from the cevicherías and home kitchens of the coast, eaten at lunch on a plate with white rice, a heap of sharp salsa criolla and sometimes boiled potato. The pejerrey, a small silverside, is opened into butterflied fillets, dipped in a light egg-and-flour batter and fried golden. Outside Peru, use small fillets of whiting, sole, haddock or tilapia. The batter here uses sparkling water, not beer, so it is alcohol free. The common mistake is frying in oil that isn't hot enough: the batter drinks the oil and turns greasy, so test with a drop of batter first. Chef's tip: make the salsa criolla first and let the onion sit in lime for ten minutes; it softens its bite and turns a pretty pink.

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Saumon en papilloteSalmon baked in paper parcel

Saumon en papillote is everyday French home cooking at its lightest: a fillet of salmon sealed in baking paper with ribbons of courgette and carrot, lemon and dill, so it steams in its own juices in the oven. Across France it is a favourite midweek dinner because there is almost no washing-up, and each person opens their own fragrant parcel at the table, ideally with boiled new potatoes or rice. The usual mistake is cutting the vegetables too thick, so the fish overcooks while they stay raw; slice them very thin. Chef's tip: fold and crimp the paper edges tightly all the way round, or the steam escapes and the salmon dries out.

25 minFrenchFishGluten free
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Bouillie (French baby cereal porridge)

In France, la bouillie is the warm cereal porridge that joins a baby's morning or evening milk at around six months. It is simply the baby's usual milk, breast milk or formula, thickened with plain infant cereal or fine oat or rice flour, and given from a spoon, or thinner from a bottle as many French families do at bedtime. It is creamy and mild. It contains milk from the formula, and gluten if you use oat or wheat cereal; there is no egg, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: choose a cereal with no added sugar or flavourings; you can add a spoon of fruit purée for sweetness later.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Petits pots de crèmeBaked custard pots

Petits pots de crème are little baked custards in individual pots, a classic dessert of French home cooking and old Paris bistros, often served in a pair: one vanilla, one chocolate. They are richer and softer than crème caramel, set in a gentle water bath. The common mistake is baking them too hot, which leaves bubbles and a grainy texture. Chef's tip: take them out while the centres still wobble; they firm up in the fridge.

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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.

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Truffes au chocolatChocolate truffles

Chocolate truffles, named after the black truffles of Périgord they resemble, are the home-made Christmas gift and after-dinner treat of France, rolled roughly and dusted with bitter cocoa. They need just good dark chocolate, cream and a little butter. The common mistake is overheating the chocolate, which makes it split and greasy. Chef's tip: work with cold hands and a melon baller, and keep the tray in the fridge between batches.

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OranaisApricot custard pastry

The oranais, also called abricotine, is a French bakery pastry that is said to come from the city of Oran in Algeria, brought back by returning pieds-noirs in the 1960s, and it is now found in boulangeries all over France for breakfast and goûter. A square of puff or croissant dough has its corners folded over a spoonful of pastry cream and two apricot halves, so it looks like a pair of eyes. The common mistake is using wet canned apricots, which make the pastry soggy. Chef's tip: drain the apricots on kitchen paper and glaze them with warm apricot jam after baking for a jewel-like shine.

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Crème de marronsSweet chestnut spread

Crème de marrons, sweet chestnut cream, was invented in Privas in the Ardèche in the 1880s to use up broken chestnuts from making marrons glacés, and it is now a French store-cupboard classic: spread on crêpes at Candlemas, stirred into fromage blanc, or piled into a Mont Blanc dessert. This home version uses cooked, peeled chestnuts. The common mistake is not blending it smooth enough. Chef's tip: blend while still warm, and push it through a sieve for a silky finish.

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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.

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