18 French Dinner Dishes Ideas

Are you looking for French dinner ideas?

Dinner is the main meal of the day for the majority of French people. It is customary for most French families to eat together in the evening, and this meal might last up to two hours.

Dinner in France is often served between 7.30 and 8.45 p.m. Since it is considered bad manners in France to watch TV while eating dinner, French television schedules essential programs to begin after supper at 8.45 p.m.

In France, dinner is sometimes referred to as souper, and it frequently includes a bowl of green salad as a palate cleanser. But what exactly do the French eat for dinner? It varies depending on whether you are at home, in a restaurant, or at a party.

18 French Dinner Dishes Ideas

Dinners in France are typically rich and savory, generally cooked in wine, cream, or even cheese. If you’re in France and wondering what to eat for dinner, or if you’ve been invited to a French home, here are some of the French dinner dishes and offerings you should be aware of.

French Dinner Starters

1. Lobster Bisque

French chefs are adept at crafting excellent soups that have become dinner table favourites around the world. The traditional lobster bisque is one of the most well-known French soups.

This seafood soup is the definition of a cream-style soup, and it can easily serve as the focus of a light lunch. The fresh lobster meat is surrounded by a thick broth with some Cognac, which gives the bisque a deep and distinct flavor.

2. Ratatouille

Ratatouille is a staple that can be found in any French restaurant. It’s essentially a vegetable stew with eggplant that simmers on the stove until soft.

It’s really simple and inexpensive to prepare, so if you’re on a tight budget yet want to serve something unique and French, then you should try making this one.

3. Soupe à L’oignon (French onion soup)

The French onion soup is made with meat stock and browned onions, and it is topped with gratinéed croutons and cheese.

It is served as a starter or enjoyed as a full meal that’s perfect for after a day of sightseeing. It is one of the traditional French cuisines that is not only popular in France but also all over the world.

This richly flavored broth-like soup is also ideal for a cold winter day, especially after you’ve been skiing.

4.   Salade niçoise

This classic French salad, which originated in Nice, highlights the best of local vegetables wherever you visit in France.

This light dish often contains fresh tomatoes, boiled eggs, tuna (canned or freshly grilled), Niçoise Cailletier olives, and anchovies which are added to a lettuce base.

French Dinner Main Dishes Ideas

5. Boeuf Bourguignon

Boeuf Bourguignon is a popular French dish that originated from Burgundy.

It is a rich slow-cooked beef stew in which the meat is simmered in red wine with potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, onions, and a bouquet garni (bundle of thyme, parsley and bay leaves).

It is best served with Dauphinoise or Lyonnaise potatoes, if they are available on the menu.

6. Blanquette de Veau

When French people are asked what their favorite food is, it constantly ranks in the top 10.

The blanquette de veau, a creamy veal stew cooked with gobs of butter, cream, and carrots, is a classic French evening dish. The stew is traditionally thickened with a roux and served over rice.

7. Bouillabaisse

If you enjoy seafood, a nice Bouillabaisse, especially one produced near a fishing community, is a must-try.

This classic Provençal fish soup from Marseille  contains shellfish and at least three distinct varieties of fish, as well as saffron. It goes well with rouille (garlic and cayenne mayonnaise) on toasted bread or croutons.

8. Cassoulet

The dish is named after its traditional cooking vessel, the cassole, which is a deep, round ceramic pot with slanted sides. Cassoulet is a hearty, slow-cooked stew from the south of France.

This meal is traditionally made with duck, garlic sausage, pork skin, and white beans. Nowadays, you may get any type of cassoulet – sometimes just sausage, sometimes meat.

9.   Chateaubriand

The French word chateaubriand might be perplexing. It can refer to either a steak cut or a process of roasting a beef tenderloin.

Regardless of the confusion, when you order a chateaubriand from a French restaurant, you will receive a magnificent center-cut piece of beef tenderloin (typically enough to serve two), as well as a classic red wine sauce.

10.  Cognac Shrimp with Beurre Blanc

We can’t talk about French food without mentioning shallots, wine, cream, butter, and cognac.

These ingredients combine to give us a delicious dinner dish that is simple to prepare. The name of this Cognac shrimp recipe makes it sound nicer and more complicated to prepare than it is, but a beurre blanc is simply a butter and wine sauce.

11. Confit de Canard

Confit de canard, a traditional south-west French dish, is frequently served plain. Simply put, this is duck that has been cooking in its own fat.

It can also be served with a rich sauce incorporating cherries, red wine, or orange. The confit de canard is also usually found in shops and supermarkets in cans or jars.

12. Coq au Vin

When visiting France, the coq au vin is a dish that should not be missed. At its most basic, this dish is simply chicken cooked in red wine with bacon, butter, mushrooms, and beef stock. Serve with creamed potatoes and buttered French beans for a complete meal.

13. Coquilles Saint-Jacques (Gratinéed scallops)

To make this opulent dinner dish,  the scallops are poached in white wine. It is topped with mushroom purée and then served with a sauce created from the poaching liquid for the scallops.

Before being flashed under a hot grill, the scallops are frequently covered with breadcrumbs and Gruyere.

14. Moules Marinières

This popular dinner dish is basically a big bowl or saucepan of mussels cooked in white wine with shallots and parsley.

As with most fish and seafood dishes on a French menu, a glass of Muscadet is the perfect match. But a beer is often seen being sipped alongside this dish and it works as well.

15. Steak Tartare

Steak tartare is a classic French dish consisting of finely chopped or minced raw beef or horsemeat. It is frequently served with onions, capers, and seasonings, and raw egg yolk on top.

Most restaurants will provide it ‘deconstructed,’ so you can mix it to your preference, but it is occasionally served as a pre-mixed meat patty.

16. Tartiflette

This hearty and carb-heavy evening meal derives from the French regions of Savoie and Haute-Savoie.

It is a delectable potato dish loaded with melted Reblochon cheese, bacon, and onion that is served as-is in the traditional French cuisine.

French Dinner – Light / Quick Dishes

17. Fondue Savoyarde

For most people, fondue is associated with skiing, and it can be found on the menus of restaurants located in or near the alpine region. You may, however, enjoy it anywhere, since you can get your own fondue kit.

The main attraction is a big pot of melted cheese that has been seasoned with white wine and garlic, which serves as the centerpiece. Bread cubes dipped in beaufort or gruyere cheese make for a delectable treat.

18.  Pissaladière

A pissaladière is a small pizza topped with onions, olives, and anchovies that is served with a salad. The base is a caramelized onion that has been practically pureed.

This used to be a breakfast meal, but it has now evolved into a great snack to enjoy with either an aperitif or after-dinner drink.

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