Vive la France: a Gallic-inspired menu for Bastille Day

French onion soup. Photo / Babiche Martens

French onion soup

Serves 4

25g butter

6 large onions, sliced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

2 litres beef stock

1 cup red wine

100g gruyere cheese, grated

½ baguettes, sliced 2cm thick

Parsley, to garnish

1. In a large pot, melt the butter. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves and thyme.

2. On a low heat, soften onions and cook until they start to caramelise; this will take 20-25 minutes. If they start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a small amount of water.

3. Add the stock and wine, then simmer for 15 minutes until the flavours infuse. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Just before serving, slice the baguette, place on an oven tray and top with gruyere. Grill until the cheese is bubbling.

5. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with cheesy croutons. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve extra croutons on the side.

Recipe / Angela Casley

Boeuf bourguignon. Photo / Babiche Martens

Boeuf bourguignon

Serves 4

1kg chuck steak, beef, cut into 3cm chunks

Flour, to dust

3 Tbsp oil

12 baby onions

150g bacon, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

150g button mushrooms

1 Tbsp flour

½ bottle red wine

Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

1. Preheat an oven to 160C.

2. In a plastic bag or bowl dust the meat with the flour.

3. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a frying pan, brown the meat in batches and place in a casserole dish.

4. Add the rest of the oil to the pan, and brown the bacon, onions, and garlic. Place in the casserole dish.

5. Add the carrots, thyme, bay leaves and mushrooms. Toss through the flour.

6. Add the wine, salt and pepper. Stir well, cover then cook for 1 hour. Check the meat is tender. It may need another 15-30 minutes. Garnish with plenty of chopped parsley, and serve with fettuccine.

Recipe / Angela Casley

Tarte fine aux pommes. Photo / Tamara West

Tarte fine aux pommes

Serves 6

400g puff pastry, flaky

4 large apples, cored, cut into thin wedges

300ml apricot jam, melted over a gentle heat

300ml cream

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Icing sugar, to dust

1. Heat oven to 210C.

2. Roll the pastry out into a 30cm diameter disc. Brush the edge of the pastry with water and fold the edges in all around at 2cm. Prick the inside of the tart with a fork.

3. Place the apple wedges evenly inside the raised edge of the tart. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until very well cooked.

5. Remove from the oven and generously brush the jam over the tart, leaving no gaps. Place the tart back into the oven for a few minutes until bubbling and browned.

6. Meanwhile put the cream into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, don’t stir, but reserve for 10 minutes then stir slowly. The cream will have thickened.

7. Remove tart from the oven and serve hot or warm, dusted with icing sugar and with the cream.

Recipe / Ray McVinnie