Book review: Classic French Recipes by Ginette Mathiot

She doesn’t just understand what the French cook at home, her books have inspired three generations (and counting) to the stove.

Since the publication of Je Sais Cuisiner or I Know how to Cook in 1932, Mathiot’s debut has sold more than six million copies. She went on to write more than 30 books, drawing on her skills as a teacher and home economist. In Classic French Recipes Phaidon has drawn together more than 170 recipes from Mathiot’s works: from beef bourguignon to ratatouille and crème brûlée to leek pie. In compiling this tome (which spans more than 350 pages) it has created a home-cooking bible that will allow Francophiles of all abilities to create classic dishes.

It’s been put together with accessibility at the forefront,opening with guides to basic techniques including broths, marinades, pastry and sauces, which provide a foundation for the dishes that follow. The clue to the recipes is in the book’s name. They are unadulterated classics, including sautéed frog’s legs, quiche Lorraine, lobster bisque, veal blanquette, stuffed cabbage, lentils with mustard, Anna potatoes, crêpes and French toast.

None are reimagined, embellished or deconstructed. Each recipe opens with an introduction to the dishes’ history, when it would typically be eaten and the best times of year to source ingredients. Methods are then simply described with just the occasional note on sourcing or adaptations to taste. The recipes have minimal ingredient lists and frequently showcase secondary cuts of meat and offal, making them great for cooking sustainably, seasonally, and frugally.
The photography is beautiful and has been reshot for this collection with retro tableware, adding a nod to Mathiot’s original works.

Classic French Recipes is a great starting point for home cooks wanting to try their hand at French cuisine, as well as for chefs looking for a bible of the classics for reference or to act as a starting point for inspiring their teams.

Classic French Recipes by Ginette Mathiot (Phaidon, £39.95)