In France, the first course is not a formality. It is a declaration of intent — the opening movement of a meal that will unfold over several courses, each building on the last. The French call it the entrée (starter / first course), and it is treated with the same seriousness as the plat principal (main course) that follows. A poorly conceived starter can undermine an entire dinner. A brilliant one sets the tone for everything to come.
The range of French starters is vast, from the simplest plate of crudités (raw vegetables) dressed in good vinaigrette to the luxurious excesses of foie gras served with Sauternes and toasted brioche. What unites them is a commitment to balance: a starter should awaken the palate, not exhaust it. It should intrigue, satisfy lightly, and leave you wanting more.
This guide covers the essential French soups and starters — the dishes you will encounter on menus across the country and the ones that every serious cook should understand.
Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée
The Late-Night Miracle of Les Halles
Soupe à l'oignon gratinée (gratinéed onion soup) is one of the most famous soups in the world, and its story is inseparable from the old market quarter of Les Halles in Paris. For centuries, the great central market — Émile Zola called it le ventre de Paris (the belly of Paris) — was the beating heart of the city's food supply, and its surrounding streets were packed with restaurants and cafés that stayed open through the night to feed the market workers.
Onion soup was the dish those workers ordered at three in the morning, after hours of hauling carcasses and stacking crates. It was cheap, warming, sustaining, and — crucially — it was believed to be an infallible cure for the effects of a late night's drinking. This reputation as a remède contre la gueule de bois (hangover cure) made it equally popular with the revellers who poured out of nightclubs and theatres in the small hours. The great and the rough rubbed shoulders over steaming bowls of onion soup, which gave the dish a democratic romance that persists to this day.
The Technique
The soup depends entirely on the onions. They must be sliced thinly and cooked slowly — excruciatingly slowly — in butter until they pass beyond golden, beyond brown, into a deep, mahogany caramelisation that can take forty-five minutes or more. There are no shortcuts. Rushing the onions will produce a pale, one-dimensional soup. Patience produces something extraordinary: intensely sweet, profoundly savoury, almost meaty in its depth.
Once the onions are caramelised, they are deglazed with white wine (or sometimes cognac), then simmered in a rich beef or veal stock. The soup is ladled into heavy, oven-proof bowls — the traditional bol à soupe (soup bowl) is a deep, lion-headed ceramic — topped with thick slices of stale bread and buried under a generous blanket of Gruyère (Gruyère cheese) (or Comté, or Emmental). The bowl goes under a blazing grill until the cheese melts, bubbles, and forms an irresistible golden crust that drapes over the edges of the bowl.
| Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin: Les Halles, Paris (though onion soups are ancient) | |
| Key technique: Long, slow caramelisation of onions (40–60 minutes) | |
| Stock: Beef or veal (never chicken — too light) | |
| Cheese: Gruyère, Comté, or a combination | |
| Bread: Stale country bread or baguette, thickly sliced | |
| Tradition: The classic 3am restorative after a late night out |
Where to Eat It
Les Halles itself was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by a shopping centre, but the surrounding streets still harbour restaurants serving the soup in its traditional form. In winter, every bistro in Paris has it on the menu. Look for versions that serve it in the proper deep bowls with the cheese crust intact — it should require a decisive spoon-thrust to break through.
Paris Neighbourhood Guide — Navigate the historic quarters of Paris, from Les Halles to the Marais, in our complete city guide.
Foie Gras
The Controversial Jewel
Foie gras (fat liver) is France's most celebrated and most contentious culinary treasure. Made from the liver of a duck or goose that has been fattened through gavage (force-feeding), it occupies a singular position in French gastronomy: revered as an irreplaceable luxury by its defenders, condemned as inhumane by its critics. No guide to French food can avoid the subject, and none should try.
Périgord vs Landes
The two great producing regions are the Périgord (Périgord (Dordogne)) in the north-east of the Aquitaine and the Landes (Landes department) further south. Périgord is the more famous name — foie gras du Périgord (Périgord foie gras) carries an IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) designation and is associated with the highest quality — but the Landes actually produces more foie gras by volume and is home to many of the most respected artisan producers.
Duck liver (foie gras de canard (duck foie gras)) accounts for the vast majority of production and has a robust, earthy flavour. Goose liver (foie gras d'oie (goose foie gras)) is rarer, more expensive, and prized for its subtler, more delicate taste and smoother texture.
Mi-Cuit vs Cuit
The terms matter enormously when buying or ordering foie gras:
- Mi-cuit (semi-cooked) is foie gras cooked at a low temperature (around 70–85°C), giving it a silky, custard-like texture and a shelf life of a few weeks. It is considered the superior form — the one you will find in the best restaurants and épiceries fines (fine food shops).
- Cuit (fully cooked) or en conserve (preserved / tinned) is sterilised at a higher temperature and sealed in tins or jars. It keeps for years and develops a more muted, rounded flavour. This is the foie gras of Christmas hampers and airport duty-free shops.
- Foie gras entier (whole foie gras) is made from one or two whole liver lobes. Bloc de foie gras (foie gras block) is reconstituted from pieces — less prestigious, less expensive, but still excellent.
The Pairing
The classic accompaniment is a glass of Sauternes (sweet Bordeaux wine) — the unctuous sweetness of the wine cuts through the richness of the liver in a pairing so perfect it feels inevitable. Other sweet wines work beautifully: Monbazillac, Jurançon, late-harvest Gewürztraminer from Alsace. The foie gras is served with lightly toasted brioche or pain d'épices (spiced bread), and sometimes a compote of figs or a sprinkle of fleur de sel.
The Ethical Debate
The practice of gavage — feeding ducks or geese through a tube inserted into the oesophagus to enlarge the liver — is banned in several countries and remains deeply controversial. France's position is unambiguous: foie gras was declared part of the "protected cultural and gastronomic heritage of France" by the National Assembly in 2005. The debate continues, and thoughtful travellers should inform themselves before deciding where they stand.
| Foie Gras Classifications | Detail |
|---|---|
| Foie gras entier: Whole lobe(s) — the highest grade | |
| Foie gras: Pieces of lobe reassembled — excellent quality | |
| Bloc de foie gras: Reconstituted from emulsified liver — good for everyday | |
| Mousse / parfait de foie gras: Contains minimum 50% foie gras, blended with other fats | |
| Pâté de foie gras: Contains minimum 50% foie gras in a pâté matrix | |
| Mi-cuit: Semi-cooked (70–85°C), silky texture, short shelf life | |
| En conserve: Fully sterilised, long shelf life, mellower flavour |
Périgord & the Dordogne Guide — Explore truffle markets, foie gras farms, and the extraordinary food culture of the Dordogne.
Pâté & Terrine
Understanding the Difference
The terms pâté (paste / forcemeat preparation) and terrine (earthenware dish / forcemeat cooked in one) are used almost interchangeably in casual conversation, but there is a distinction. Strictly, a terrine is a preparation cooked and served in a terrine (rectangular earthenware mould). A pâté was traditionally enclosed in pastry (pâte (pastry dough)) — hence the name — though the pastry-wrapped version is now more precisely called pâté en croûte (pâté in a crust).
In modern usage, "pâté" has become the generic term for any coarsely or finely ground meat preparation served cold, and "terrine" tends to refer to the same thing when it is presented in slices from the cooking vessel.
The Country Classic
Pâté de campagne (country-style pâté) is the workhorse of the charcuterie (cured meat craft) board: a rustic, coarsely textured preparation made from pork shoulder, liver, fat back, garlic, herbs, and a generous measure of cognac or Armagnac. It is lined with crépine (caul fat) or bacon, packed into a terrine, and baked in a bain-marie (water bath) until just set. Served cold, sliced thick, with cornichons, mustard, and crusty bread, it is one of the great pleasures of a French picnic.
The Pâté en Croûte Revival
Pâté en croûte (pâté in pastry crust) has experienced a remarkable renaissance in recent years. Once dismissed as old-fashioned, it is now the subject of international competitions (the Championnat du Monde de Pâté-Croûte, held annually in Lyon since 2009) and has become a darling of young chefs seeking to revive classical techniques.
The challenge is formidable: a delicate pastry shell must be baked to a golden, flaky perfection while the filling — a mosaic of different forcemeats, sometimes studded with pistachios, truffles, or foie gras — cooks to exactly the right temperature. Too hot and the pastry burns while the filling weeps; too cool and the pastry stays soggy and pale. The gap between the pastry and the filling is filled with a savoury jelly (made from reduced stock and gelatine), which is poured through the steam holes once the pâté has cooled. Cutting through that first slice to reveal the mosaic interior is one of the most satisfying moments in cooking.
Regional Variations
Every region of France has its own pâté traditions. The pâté de Chartres (Chartres-style pâté) is a celebrated partridge pâté en croûte from the Beauce region. Pâté de Pézenas (Pézenas pâté), from Languedoc, is a small, sweet-savoury pastry filled with spiced lamb — said to have been introduced by Lord Clive of India's personal cook in the eighteenth century. Brittany produces excellent pork rillettes, Touraine its famous rillettes de Tours (Tours-style potted pork), and the Ardennes its pâté of wild boar.
Gougères
Burgundy's Cheese Puffs
Gougères (cheese choux puffs) are the aperitif snack of Burgundy — light, airy choux pastry balls enriched with Gruyère or Comté cheese, baked until golden and puffed, and served warm from the oven with a glass of Chablis or Crémant de Bourgogne. They are found on every café counter and wine-tasting table in the region, and they are dangerously easy to eat in quantity.
The technique is straightforward choux pastry: water, butter, flour, and eggs beaten together over heat to form a smooth, glossy dough, into which grated cheese is folded. They are piped or spooned onto baking sheets and baked at high heat until they have risen dramatically and turned a deep golden brown. The interior should be slightly hollow and custard-soft, the outside crisp and fragrant with cheese.
Beaune & the Côte d'Or Guide — Wine tastings, gougères, and the gastronomic heart of Burgundy await in our Côte d'Or guide.
Quiche Lorraine
The True Original
Quiche lorraine (Lorraine-style tart) has been so thoroughly adopted by the world that its origins have become blurred. The authentic quiche lorraine, as made in the Lorraine (Lorraine region) of north-eastern France, is a revelation compared to the versions most people know.
No Cheese in the Original
The original quiche lorraine contains no cheese. This is the fact that surprises nearly everyone. The true recipe is a simple, elegant combination of pâte brisée (shortcrust pastry), lardons (smoked or unsmoked, from the local charcuteries), eggs, and cream. Nothing else. The beauty of the dish is in that simplicity: the rich, savory custard, the salty bite of the pork, and the buttery, crumbling shell.
Cheese was introduced in later variations — quiche alsacienne (Alsatian-style quiche) adds Gruyère, and the ubiquitous "quiche lorraine" sold in British supermarkets is really a hybrid of the two. True Lorraine purists regard the addition of cheese as heresy on a par with adding Gruyère to a gratin dauphinois (which is to say: technically a different dish from a different place).
Technique Notes
The pastry must be blind-baked until truly set and lightly golden before the filling goes in — a soggy bottom is the cardinal sin of quiche-making. The custard ratio is typically three eggs to 200ml of cream (or a mix of cream and crème fraîche), seasoned with nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. The lardons are blanched briefly to remove excess salt, then scattered over the pastry base before the custard is poured in.
The quiche bakes at a moderate temperature until the custard is just set — it should still have a gentle wobble in the centre when removed from the oven, as it will continue to cook from residual heat. Overcooked quiche is dry, rubbery quiche, and no amount of salad on the side will redeem it.
Escargots de Bourgogne
The Snail, Elevated
Escargots de Bourgogne (Burgundy snails) in garlic-parsley butter are one of those dishes that divide the world into people who find them irresistible and people who cannot understand why. For those in the first camp, there is nothing else quite like them: the yielding texture of the snail, the sizzling, fragrant compound butter pooling in the shell dimples of the special plat à escargots (snail plate), the ritual of extracting each one with the dedicated tongs and tiny fork.
How They Are Farmed
The preferred species is Helix pomatia (Roman snail / Burgundy snail), a large, herbivorous land snail native to the chalky soils of Burgundy. Wild populations have declined due to overcollection, and most snails are now farmed — héliciculture (snail farming) is a modest but established agricultural sector in France. The snails are purged (starved) for several days to empty their digestive tracts, then blanched, removed from their shells, and cooked in a court-bouillon. The shells are cleaned, the snails are returned to them with a generous plug of beurre d'escargot (snail butter) (butter blended with garlic, parsley, and a pinch of shallot), and the whole assembly is baked until the butter is furiously bubbling.
| Escargots: What to Know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species: Helix pomatia (Burgundy snail) or Helix aspersa (petit-gris) | |
| Serving: Typically 6 or 12, in a dimpled snail plate | |
| Butter: Softened butter + garlic + flat-leaf parsley + shallot | |
| Tools: Snail tongs (to grip the shell) and a small two-pronged fork | |
| Accompaniment: Crusty bread (essential for mopping up the garlic butter) | |
| Wine: Chablis, Bourgogne Aligoté, or any crisp white Burgundy |
Crudités
The Deceptive Simplicity of Raw Vegetables
A plate of crudités (raw vegetables) sounds like the most basic starter imaginable, and in unskilled hands it can be dreary. But in a good French restaurant or a careful home kitchen, an assiette de crudités (plate of raw vegetables) is a quietly brilliant first course: small mounds of grated carrot dressed with lemon and a touch of cumin, celery rémoulade (celeriac in mustardy mayonnaise), sliced tomatoes with shallot vinaigrette, beetroot with walnut oil, and perhaps a tangle of finely shredded red cabbage.
The key is that each element is dressed individually and thoughtfully — not dumped on a plate with a pot of hummus and some breadsticks, but composed as a series of small salads, each one a distinct combination of flavour and texture. In the bistrot (bistro) tradition, crudités are often offered as a choose-your-own starter: a trolley or a counter display from which you select three or four preparations. They are fresh, clean, and appetite-sharpening — exactly what a first course should be.
Velouté
The Velvet Soup
Velouté (velvety soup or sauce) is both a mother sauce and a soup technique, and its place in the French starter repertoire is fundamental. As a soup, a velouté is made by sweating an aromatic base (onions, leeks, celery) in butter, thickening with a roux, then adding stock and the principal ingredient — asparagus, mushrooms, cauliflower, watercress, pumpkin, or any number of vegetables — and simmering until tender. The whole thing is then blended until absolutely smooth, strained through a fine sieve, and finished with cream.
The result should be exactly what the name promises: velvety. No graininess, no lumps, no separation. The colour should be vivid and true — a velouté d'asperges should be a vibrant, almost electric green; a velouté de champignons a warm, earthy taupe. The texture should coat the back of a spoon in a thin, even film.
The Cream Finish
That final addition of cream is critical. It is not stirred in carelessly — in classical technique, the cream is added off the heat and the soup is brought just back to temperature without boiling, to preserve the silky emulsion. A knob of cold butter, swirled in at the very end (monter au beurre (finish with butter)), adds a final glossy richness.
| Classic French Velouté Soups | Detail |
|---|---|
| Velouté d'asperges: Asparagus — spring favourite | |
| Velouté de champignons: Mushroom — earthy, deep, autumnal | |
| Velouté de châtaignes: Chestnut — served around Christmas | |
| Velouté de cresson: Watercress — peppery and vibrant green | |
| Velouté Dubarry: Cauliflower — named for Madame du Barry | |
| Crème de potiron: Pumpkin — enriched with nutmeg and crème fraîche |
The Art of Beginning
The French understanding of starters is built on a principle that applies to every aspect of their cooking: nothing should be arbitrary. The choice of first course is governed by what follows — a rich foie gras demands a lighter main; a delicate velouté can precede something substantial. The starter sets the rhythm, establishes the mood, and signals to your guests (or to yourself, dining alone with a book and a glass of wine) that this meal matters. It is not fuel. It is an occasion.
That conviction — that every meal, however simple, deserves a thoughtful beginning — is one of the most distinctive and admirable qualities of French food culture. A plate of well-dressed crudités and a bowl of onion soup are not lesser achievements than a terrine of foie gras. They are all, in their own way, declarations that eating is one of life's great pleasures, and that it deserves to begin well.