Say “oui!” to these authentic French recipes.
July 14 is Bastille Day, a French celebration day commemorating the start of the French Revolution. What better reason to whip up one of these authentic French Bastille Day recipes, from baguettes to boeuf.
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What Is Bastille Day?
Bastille Day, called National Day or le 14 juillet in France, celebrates the storming of Paris’s Bastille prison on July 14, 1789. This date is the acknowledged start of the French Revolution, which resulted in the overturn of the monarchy and the fall of the ancien régime, eventually giving rise to an egalitarian, democratically-elected government.
Today, Bastille Day means celebration. Not unlike 4th of July celebrations in the United States, France celebrates with parades; fireworks; lots of blue, white, and red decorations; and — bien sûr — good French food.
What Do People Eat on Bastille Day?
In France, there are no official Bastille Day (14 juillet) foods. That said, it is generally a big day for picnics in France, with celebrations running all day long, well into the evening. Pack a perfect picnic with this article.
What French Food to Cook: Bastille Day Recipes
These French Bastille Day recipes offer options for any type and size celebration. Cook a rich main course, pack a picnic lunch, or bake up a simple, elegant dessert. Here are the recipes you need to ring in Bastille Day with French food style.
1. Classic French Fruit Tart
This classic, easy French fruit tart recipe combines three equally delicious elements: a crisp, buttery crust, sweet and silky vanilla pastry cream, and heaps of fresh mixed fruit. The result is an elegant dessert that comes together easily and will be the hit of any party.
2. French Baguette Sandwiches
No one does picnic lunch like the French. Except you. Here are three classic baguette sandwiches that deserve to be in your repertoire, especially for a Bastille Day picnic.
3. Authentic French Onion Soup
This classic French onion soup recipe is hard to beat. Rich in both color, texture, and flavor, this French onion soup epitomizes everything a hearty, indulgent soup can be. It’s loaded with silky caramelized onions, melty Comté cheese, and a rich broth so rich it’s almost like a sauce.
4. French Ham and Cheese Galette Complète
This French crêpes recipe is the real deal: a ham and cheese galette made with 100% buckwheat and topped with a smear of good salted butter and a creamy, sunny-side-up egg. This makes a perfect breakfast, lunch, or dinner on Bastille Day.
5. Salade Lyonnaise
This is, quite simply, the most satisfying salad I’ve ever had. This traditional French salad — curly frisée greens tossed with warm bacon vinaigrette and topped with a poached egg — originated in the gastronomy-centered city of Lyon, France but is known worldwide for good reason.
6. Vegetarian French Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is always in heavy rotation in my home. Easy to make, hearty, and filling, this recipe makes a great vegetarian lunch or dinner all on its own, or with some crusty bread and butter.
7. French Radishes With Buckwheat Butter
One of the most simple and unexpectedly lovely treats I ever discovered in visiting Paris was radis beurre. Radishes and butter: a simple snack of spring French radishes, accompanied by good butter salted with flaky fleur de sel. You will love this elegant, simple little snack.
8. Boeuf Bourguignon
These red wine braised beef short ribs taste incredible, and require a lot less effort than you may think.
9. Baked Sticky Bun French Toast
OK, technically, this baked sticky bun French toast recipe is not classic French. But it is made with buttery brioche or challah and has the word “French” in it. It tastes so good that it deserves a place at your Bastille Day breakfast table as soon as possible.
10. Leek and Goat Cheese Quiche
Quiche is always in style in my book. This leek and goat cheese tart combines tender butter crust with a fluffy, eggy filling folded with cheese and savory ingredients like vegetables and bacon for a killer vegetarian quiche.
11. French Herbed Potato Salad
This Ina Garten-inspired French potato salad recipe doesn’t need mayo. Instead, a fresh vinaigrette gets tossed with warm potatoes and tons of fresh herbs for a true standout side dish.
12. Easy Sheet Pan Ratatouille
This is a traditional, easy ratatouille recipe: summer vegetables like eggplant, garlic, peppers, and zucchini baked on a sheet pan for a simple, summery French vegetable side that goes with just about everything.
13. Classic French Madeleines
This French madeleines recipe makes a tender, elegant sponge cookie that tastes lovely on its own or with a cup of good tea or coffee. Because so many Bastille Day celebration meals involve picnics, this simple French dessert is perfect and packs well.
Enjoy these très delicieux recipes for Bastille Day, or any time you need a little French cooking inspiration.
You’ll also enjoy:
Classic Fresh Fruit Tart
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
For the Pastry Crust
- 1 recipe pâte sucrée (recipe follows in link, below)
To Finish
- 2 pints fresh berries of choice, rinsed and fully dried, plus any other sliced fruit you’d like to use, such as sliced kiwi or mango
- 1/4 cup apricot jam
Instructions
For the Pastry Crust
- Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling. TIP: This will take a few hours total, though most of that is inactive chilling and baking time. This can be done up to 2 days in advance; store wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the milk with a couple tablespoons of sugar. Heat over medium-high heat, just until boiling. Remove from heat.
- While the milk is heating on the stove, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and lightened in color, about 2 or 3 minutes.
- Whisking constantly, whisk about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture.PRO TIP: This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.
- Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of milk. Whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent “scrambled eggs” on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, stirring constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles.
- Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl set over an ice bath. Stir gently until the pastry cream cools to warm room temperature and no more steam comes off the top.PRO TIP: setting the bowl on a bag of frozen vegetables works great as an easy ice bath alternative, and there’s no risk of water splashing in.
- Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap set directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill.
To Finish
- Transfer the tart shell onto a cardboard round or whatever serving dish you will be using. (Once it is filled with the pastry cream and fruit, the tart will be too heavy and delicate to move.)
- Pour the pastry cream into the tart shell, leaving a ¼” brim. Use an offset spatula to smooth an even surface. (If you have any extra pastry cream, enjoy it as a parfait with some fresh berries.)
- Arrange a generous amount of fruit and berries in a layer over the pastry cream in your desired design.
- Heat ¼ cup apricot jam with 1 tablespoon or so of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. Strain, if needed, through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the entire fruit tart with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- The tart shell: You can make the tart shell up to three days in advance. Store it at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap so it doesn't stale.
- The pastry cream: You can make pastry cream up to one day in advance. Give it a good stir before using it the next day. You don't want to make pastry cream too far in advance or it will start to become rubbery due to starch retrogradation.
- I recommend cutting fruit like kiwi or mango right before you use it. Cut fruit tends to oxidize and lose its perkiness pretty quickly. Berries and be washed and dried in advance, and stored in the fridge.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
2 comments
Mitzy Khan
Excellent. Tart turned out perfectly. A little time consuming, but worth it.
Jen Tisch
Just lovely! This tart came out great and I was proud of myself for doing the pastry cream for the first time. I didn’t need to strain it or anything, so thank you for the good directions 🙂