Too haute to handle

French cuisine epitomises fine dining and style that have been perfected to an art.

Did someone call the UAE a melting pot of cultures? Well, this country is also brimming over with good food … the myriad delectable cuisines its diverse communities are bringing to the table.

So what is the food, the many people in the UAE eat at home, like? What are the recipes they cook on their special occasions? What are the secret ingredients that make their food exotic?

Where, if you want to savour them, will you find their dishes about town? And finally, what are the chefs saying about cooking up that storm?

Unwind takes you on a culinary journey across many mouth-watering preparations.

This week, food from France...

It seems like sacrilege to use the word ‘food' in connection with the French. It's always the more elegant ‘cuisine' that comes to mind when we think of the French and their penchant for eating in style. French cuisine is the epitome of fine dining perfected into an art by a nation that takes the business of eating very seriously.

Food affair

The French have an ongoing love affair with food, and spend as much time thinking about their meals as they do in creating them. You will never find them hastily putting together ingredients for a meal. They spend hours cooking a meal that tastes as good as it looks, whether it has to grace the table of an exclusive restaurant or cater to a traditional family dinner.

French cooking requires a certain flair. You have to create it with the nonchalant panache of a chef who knows what he is making is worth waiting for. Some of the techniques involved are extremely complicated, but the French will not tolerate shortcuts — and neither should you.

The first step is learning how to make the perfect pastry dough, add to that a repertoire of sauces and you are on your way to becoming a master chef. All that is required is an eye for detail and aesthetics.

A typical French meal will begin with hors d'oeuvre (starters), followed by soup, main course, salad, cheese and dessert.

Fascinating herbs

The French have a great fascination for herbs, both in the fresh and dried form, and liberally use oregano, thyme, basil, tarragon, chervil, chives and fennel for flavour.

Cheese, cream and butter figure predominantly in many dishes and yet the French people have the lowest incidence of heart disease compared to other western nations.

A typical French breakfast includes café au lait (coffee with hot milk) or hot chocolate, accompanied by a croissant, brioche or toast with jam. Lunch might be a quiche (egg pie), a croque monsieur (open-faced sandwich with meat and melted cheese), or a crêpe (filled pancake).

Lunch and dinner

Traditionally, lunch was the biggest meal of the day, but today many French families have their main meal in the evening. Snacking between meals is not common.

For dinner, a French family might begin with crudités (marinated raw vegetables) or charcuterie (cold cuts), followed by piece de résistance (main course), then salad and, finally, cheese and dessert. Bread, usually in the form of a long loaf called a baguette (literally meaning ‘wand') or a very thin loaf called a ficelle (literally meaning ‘string') accompanies the meal.

France is also noted for escargots (snails served in garlic butter) and truffles (mushrooms grown underground and harvested using hounds).

The French make some of the world's best mustard. This industry is centred in the town of Dijon, and the term à la Dijonnaise means served in a mustard sauce.

Mayonnaise (first developed in the Mayenne region) is another French invention.

In the 19th century, chef Marie-Antoine Carême created the term haute cuisine (high cooking) for the best

French cooking. He also invented the toque, the high, white hat that is part of the chef's uniform.

— Sana Zarrar Paloba is a UAE-based culinary writer

Trivia: Say cheese

A little about French cheese:

France produces almost 400 varieties of cheese; each one is as distinct as a finger print. This wide selection includes cheeses made from cow's, ewe's or goat's milk, or in combination.

Each region has its own specialty and cheese is made according to the tradition that has existed there for centuries. The professional cheese maker in these regions learns his craft painstakingly over a long period of time. France's reputation for being a paradise for cheese lovers is truly well deserved.

The classic cheese board:

Camembert is the national cheese. It is made of cow's milk and tastes much better when creamy. Keep it outside the fridge for a few hours before serving, so that it becomes soft.

Brie cheese could be served the same. Roquefort is the most famous among all the cheese prepared in France.

The flavour is authentic but sometimes too powerful for ‘non-initiated' people.

"Un repas sans fromage est comme une journée sans soleil." (A meal without cheese is like a day without sunshine.)

Matter of fact

The golden rule for cutting cheese is that each person should get his or her share of the centre of the cheese and also of the rind.

The vegetable drawer in your refrigerator is the best place to store cheese. Keep cheese in its original wrapping or cover it with aluminium foil or plastic wrap.

The French eat more cheese than any other people in the world; each person consumes approximately 20.4kg every year.

Some goat's-milk cheeses are sprinkled with charcoal ash. This gives the cheese an ash-grey colour and is intended to absorb surface moisture. This helps in preserving the cheese.

Tips: Local flavours

French eateries:

Boudoir French Restaurant and Lounge at the Dubai Marine Beach Resort and Spa is situated on Jumeirah Beach Road and its décor is inspired by the French Renaissance period. The culinary delights of this restaurant truly indulge the senses. The elegance and simplicity of this restaurant invite its diners to a memorable experience.

Café Chic at the Le Meridien Hotel, in Garhoud, is a notable addition to the Dubai gastronomic scene. The décor is sombre and stylish. Dishes on the menu are light and delicious. Diners might want to explore the range of cigars in the well-stocked cigar bar. Business lunches here carry good value.

Signatures Restaurant at the Jebel Ali Hotel, in Bur Dubai, is an authentic French restaurant and is well worth the trip out to Jebel Ali. Food served here is value for money. As far as the décor goes, candles add to the warmth and glow of the interior. It is the perfect place to take a loved one out for an evening of fine dining.

The French Connection is a popular coffee shop and restaurant situated off Shaikh Zayed Road. This restaurant has changed the meaning of the ‘working lunch' and ‘browsing the selection' — dining here has moved into the wireless age.

Guidelines: Do it the French way

How to plan a French meal for your guests:

Keep in mind the number of guests invited. Dinner for more than eight is a lot of work and time. It is better to choose the buffet option beyond this number.

While deciding the menu, try and keep it simple. You will have much more success with a simple dish you are used to cooking than with a complicated one.

Get to know beforehand, your guests' preferences and also if they are allergic to certain foods.

While deciding on the menu, consider the weather as well. Avoid a soup entrée when the climate is hot or a chilled sorbet dessert when the weather gets too cold.

Remember to match courses. All the courses have to be different and at the same time compatible. For example, avoid a meat entrée before a meat course; it might get heavy for your guests. Instead, try a large variety of tasty cheeses after a light fish preparation.

Serving coffee is another convivial moment with your guests. Choose the right time and try to make a strong coffee in a coffee maker. Try to avoid the instant variety. Ideally make an espresso, as a strong coffee helps digest a heavy meal. In France, the fashion is to serve a square of dark chocolate with coffee. The reason is dark chocolate is said to highlight the flavour and aroma of a good coffee.

What matters to the French is that the freshest ingredients are put together with care and presented with style. Food is to be savoured and the cook revered.