Fluffy and light as air, this egg white omelette is stuffed with mushrooms, bacon, herbs and cheese.

An enduring classic, these little French-style strawberry tarts are given a boozy lift with the addition of Grand Marnier.

Chicken liver pate can be served on toast or biscuits, with drinks or, set in small individual containers, it is a perfect first course for a dinner party.

Mignardises date back to 18th century France, when pastry chefs baked small treats at the end of the day in the low residual heat of their ovens. The name comes from an old French word meaning cute', pretty’ `graceful’. They are served at the end of the meal to extend the pleasure of the evening. […]

A twist on a French classic, l'oeufs à la neige, our soft meringues are topped with blackberry fool.

To make orange madeleines, add 1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind when beating the egg mixture. Omit the water and replace with 1 tablespoon orange juice. Note

Meaning ‘salted pork with lentils’, in French, this hearty, rustic-style dish is a specialty of France’s Auvergne region. Toulouse is a small French sausage made of coarsely diced pork and flavoured with wine, garlic and various seasonings. It is available from speciality butchers. You can also use thick pork sausages. Taste before adding any salt […]

Rosewater pistachio crêpes

Turn the traditional vegetable stew into a tasty soup and elevate it with a fresh basil pistou.

Not suitable to microwave. Note

You will need about 3 punnets of raspberries for this recipe. Note

Delicious little French confectioneries that literally mean 'small oven'.

Tender madeleine biscuits flavoured with vanilla and gentle dipped in a sweet rosewater glaze.

Delicious little French croquettes with a tangy caramelised onions from Australian Women's Weekly.

If you can’t find corella pears, use four beurre bosc pears instead. The same quantity of red wine can be used in place of the port; the end result may not be as sweet, so adjust sweetening accordingly. Pears can be reheated gently in the syrup, or served cold. You can sprinkle some fine strips […]

Refreshing raspberry, yoghurt and strawberry terrine with a sweet berry and fresh mint salad - a show-stopping dessert for your next dinner party!

It is fine to use just the one 600ml carton or two 300ml cartons of cream for this recipe. You can vary this dessert endlessly by changing the flavours of the sorbet and the fruit. You can make this dessert ahead of time; once frozen, cover with plastic wrap. Decorate with fresh fruit before serving. […]

Tender and flavoursome rabbit and hazelnut terrine - the perfect addition to your next dinner party or afternoon tea!

Grapefruit probably got their name because they grow in clusters like grapes. Pink or ruby grapefruit have coral-pink flesh and shell- pink skin, and are sweeter and juicier than the yellow-skinned variety. Grenadine is a deep-red syrup based on pomegranate juice and used to both colour and sweeten desserts and drinks. Some versions of grenadine […]

Ready-rolled puff pastry can be bought at any local supermarket. Note

Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches that originated in French cafés and are typically made with gruyère.

Basil can be substituted for parsley. Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Nectarines, apricots or berries would be delicious in place of the peaches. serving suggestion Serve with thick (double) cream. Note

Sweet and fluffy pastry puffs filled with a rich chocolate and coffee cream and drizzled with sweet toffee.

Gruyère is a hard-rind Swiss cheese with small holes and a nutty, slightly salty, flavour. It is a popular cheese for soufflés as it melts easily. Like a traditional soufflé, this soufflé omelette should be eaten straight away to prevent it sinking. Note

Cute little mini quiches that pack a huge blue cheese punch.

You need a medium piping bag fitted with a 2cm fluted tube. Note

If you don’t have three patty pan trays, just wash, grease and flour the pan again, and continue using until all the mixture is baked. Note

Use a bland tasting vegetable oil or a light olive oil for the remoulade; it can be made a day ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge. Note

An Italian sponge cake named after the city of Genoa that is impressively light, airy and delicious.

You need 12 medium passionfruit for this recipe. Note

Add a little sugar to the ratatouille to reduce any acid taste, if you like. If you want to reduce or eliminate the oil, the ratatouille can be cooked in the oven. Combine all the ingredients in an ovenproof dish and bake at 180°C (160°C fan-forced) for about 30 minutes. Note

We used a bottled mixture of cornichons and baby pickled onions. Rillettes are a classic dish served for an aperitif with slices of baguette, cornichons and a glass of red wine. Duck or goose rillettes are also very popular in France. Note

Sweet and crispy French-style mango soufflés with chocolate collars from Australian Women's Weekly.

These small French croquettes make for great snack or cocktail food.

Fried shallots, often sold by their Thai name of homm jiew, are available from Asian grocery stores in jars or cellophane bags, and will keep for months if stored tightly sealed. They can be added to any number of Western dishes for a tasty bit of surprise crunch. Note

Delicious, thin and crunchy Belgian-style chocolate hazelnut thins.

Light, fluffy beignets filled with fruity raspberry jam are an adorably sweet afternoon treat.

Soufflé can be made ahead through the end of step 4. Just before you intend to fold in the egg whites and bake the soufflé, warm the prepared egg yolk and spinach base by standing the bowl in warm water a few minutes. Note

Standing the custards in a dish filled with ice cubes keeps the custards from melting while the sugar is caramelising under the grill. Of course, if you have a cooking blowtorch, use that instead. Note

From the humble baked bean to the chickpea, legumes contain healthy components linked with protection against diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart problems.

A delicious French-style roast leg of lamb in a tomato stew with rosemary and white beans.

Corella pears have only a short season, if they’re not available use thinly sliced apple, red-skinned look best instead. Note

Strawberries are jam-packed with the good health-promoting vitamins A and C. Note

Ghee is good to cook with as it doesn’t burn as quickly as butter. If you prefer, use 30g unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil for frying. Micro cress is a cress that has been harvested at seedling stage. It is available at speciality greengrocers and markets. Micro cress is highly perishable, so must […]

You could top the petit fours with fresh raspberries instead of the icing flowers. Petit fours are best made on the day of serving. Note

Confit, from the French verb ‘confire’ meaning to preserve, means both a food item that has been slow-cooked in fat to cover, and also the cooking technique. Confit foods are exquisitely soft and delicately flavoured, so the technique is sometimes used, as in this recipe, simply to achieve this luxurious effect. Note

Recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Note

Fill macaroons just before serving. If the marmalade is too chunky or thick to spread, warm it, strain it, and leave it to cool before using. Note

Return to pan, cover; freeze until firm. Note

These delicious and crunchy little garlic and chive croûtons will spruce up any leafy salad.

Makes enough for six 275g servings of panfried snapper fillets. If rouille separates, add about 1 tablespoon of boiling water to mixture and whisk until smooth. French for “rust”, rouille is so called because of its deep red colour. A capsicum and chilli flavoured sauce, it is often used to enhance seafood stews such as […]

Ragoût, which comes from the French verb, ragoûter, meaning `to stimulate the appetite', does exactly that in this dish.

There are usually 22 sheets of pastry in a 375g (12-ounce) packet of fillo pastry. Dried lavender flowers are available from spice shops and online. Note

A rich, slowcooked French casserole with lamb, white beans, streaky bacon and crushed tomatoes.

A French main-dish stew with tender veal and creamy mushrooms from Australian Women's Weekly.

The secret to this recipe is the amount of olive oil used. Perfect as a second course or as the main course for a light summer lunch, served with salad and crusty bread or with chips (frites). The moules in France are small and sweet. This recipe is not suitable for those large green New […]

Don’t have the oil too hot or they will brown too quickly before cooking all the way through. The oil should be between 175°C (350°F) and 190°C (400°F) for deep-frying (a small cube of bread should turn golden in about 30 seconds). You can also pipe the dough over the hot oil, using a small, […]

If you can’t buy char-grilled zucchini, you can make your own; use a mandoline or vegetable peeler to thinly slice one large zucchini lengthways, then cook the slices on a heated oiled grill plate until browned lightly and tender. Pizza bases can be bought at any regular supermarkets. Note

Friands are small French cakes, also known financiers. Note

You could use frozen ready-made crepes, or freeze your own. The filling needs to be made on the day of serving. Note

If plums are not in season, use a 1kg (2-pound) jar of whole plums. Drain, halve and seed them before using. Note

Treat yourself this morning with gorgeous French-style spelt crêpes with poached pear and blueberries.

This is a quick version of making a soufflé as the base is not made on a flour-thickened cheese sauce. Note

You need half a 1kg (2-pound) can plums for this recipe. You can use fresh plums when in season. Fill pastries up to an hour before serving. Note

Light and delicious French-style passionfruit and raspberry eclairs from Australian Women's Weekly.