12 French-inspired recipes for your table

From tarte tatin to ratatouille, French toast to steak frites… what do you think of when you think of French food?

Here is a collection of French recipes, from the classics to reinvented dishes, that will help you get big-hitting French flavour on the table, with a few hacks and shortcut methods to help you along the way. Bon appetit!

Jamie gives steak and chips a Provençal makeover in his latest cookbook, 5 Ingredients Mediterranean. Juicy steak, crispy potatoes, sun-soaked tomatoes, crushed pistachios and a pistou-inspired hack, all add plenty of bright Med-inspired flavours.

This 5-ingredient tart is inspired by Jamie’s time cooking with local chefs in Marseille. From Jamie’s 5 Ingredients Mediterranean, this is an unconventional take on a pissaladière, topped with minty courgettes, black olive tapenade and goat’s cheese.

Jamie’s ratatouille risotto from 5 Ingredients Mediterranean uses a frozen Mediterranean veg base to bring a ready-prepared bit of sunshine whatever time of year you cook it.

JAMIE SAYS:

“I love this quick and simple one-pan dish with a passion.”

Jamie’s barbecue chicken recipe is packed with the bright, Med-inspired flavours of garlic, rosemary, lemon and bay; and features deliciously crispy skin. Served with florentine potatoes and a French-dressed salad it’s an absolute feast!

JAMIE SAYS:

“This chicken is to die for – people won’t be able to stop picking at it.’

Light, golden puff pastry with soft juicy fruit and crisp caramel, tarte tatin is an absolute French classic, and for good reason! This decadent recipe goes the extra mile, with fresh vanilla and Calvados (French apple brandy) adding delicious depth to your apple caramel topping.

Hungry for more? Here are five more epic tarte tatin recipes.

Ratatouille hails from Provence, on the French Mediterranean coast, and it’s packed with colourful, sunkissed vegetables – the perfect dish for a super-healthy midweek meal.

This classic street food from Nice in the South of France is a pancake-thin unleavened bread, made with only chickpea flour and water. These tasty numbers are flavoured with rosemary, then cooked like a pancake and topped with jammy onions, anchovies and olives. Delicious, and gluten-free, too.

A heart-warming vegetable and bean soup will make you feel like you’re on France’s Mediterranean coast. Pistou is a pesto-like sauce from Provence, that’s made by pounding together fresh basil, olive oil and salt. In this case, Parmesan is added to the mix for a rich, deliciously herby topping.

This recipe will show you how to master a buttery, silky French omelette to perfection. A combo of fresh herbs such as chives, tarragon, chervil and parsley will make this really sing. A simple, luxurious dinner for one.

A throw-it-all-in French classic, this comforting bake is incredibly easy to make. While it’s common to use all sorts of fruit, the classic recipe is made with cherries. Traditionally the cherries are left whole, stones included, as the stones release an almond-like flavour while baking – give it a go!

Lemon and sugar? Chocolate and banana? Ham and cheese? What do you like to stuff into your crêpes? Use this basic recipe and take it in whatever direction you’re in the mood for. Or, for something extra special, try these Buckwheat crêpes with poached apple & pear.

Jamie takes a French classic and twists it, with his French Toast sandwich, filled with hot, caramelised banana and gooey chocolate, and topped with crushed hazelnuts. “This could be the most amazing breakfast or brunch, or even turned into dessert with a little scoop of ice cream”, says Jamie. Or, have a go at this Panettone French toast.

Click here to find out more about Jamie’s 5 Ingredient Mediterranean and bag yourself a copy