Author: paris-bistro

French fries, frites in french, also called pommes frites, patates frites, are thin slices of potato cooked in oil. They accompany several dishes of the bistro, notably meat (rib-steak, steak, pave…), sausages, chicken… they are particularly appreciated by tourists and certain bistros also propose simply a plate of “frites”. Some bistros make their own french fries, and it is indicated on the menu by “frites maison”. But many used frozen. It has to be said that in order to have home frecnh fries, you need a lot of staff to peel the potatoes and cut into sticks.

This is a refined dish often found on all menus in brasseries and bistros. The scallops in Parisian bistros come from Brittany and Normandy (Trouville sur Mer, Fécamp). They are served in their shells having been lightly warmed in the oven or only the white parts of the scallop fried in butter, garlic and parsley and accompanied with ratatouille for example.

Haddock, like cod, is a saltwater fish. It needs to be rinsed in cold water and milk for several hours before cooking. It is then lightly cooked in boiling water and served with steamed potatoes. It is often seen on the bistro menu even though it’s as popular in England, as it’s the fish often eaten when you order “fish and chips”.

Bass, which is called “Loup” in the Mediterranean, is a coastal fish. It is present on the menus of many bistros because it can be cooked in many different ways and dressed with vegetables of all colours.

The Quenelles de brochet is a typical dish of Lyonnaise cuisine. The word « quenelle » comes from the German « knödel” meaning ball of paté. In fact it’s a mixture of pike (fresh water fish) and flour or wheat presented in the shape of a rugby ball. They are placed on a dish and baked in the oven, accompanied with a prawn sauce called Nantua sauce.

Salmon is a fish often served in bistros. It can be proposed as a starter like “tartare de saumon”. But it’s often as a main dish that it is found on the menu. It is thus proposed as a square lightly cooked but is often served with a sorrel sauce.

The pig’s trotter is a popular dish of Parisian bistros. It’s pig trotters covered with breadcrumbs bought from the butcher. He grills them with butter in a hot oven before serving.

White pudding is a specialty from the North of France, notably from Rhetel in the Ardennes region. Since the middle ages, at Christmas, women prepared cette mixture in a cauldron over the fire a milk broth, bread, fat and pieces of white meat (poultry, veal) that is then put into a gut. Unlike black pudding, it doesn’t contain blood. This dish warms everyone after the midnight mass. One’s can make it more festive truffles or morel mushrooms are added.

Black pudding is one of the oldest forms of known charcuterie. It is made from the blood of pork, the throat of pork, spiced pork fat and can be found in most French regions. In the middle ages, black pudding was eaten in all the taverns. It can be found on the menus of bistros. It can be very spicy. That’s Creole black pudding. The black pudding of Christian Parra, from the Basque Country served in the Noces de Jeannette ( Paris 9)

As its name indicates, this sausage comes from Lyon. It is sometimes strewn with grains of pistachios. It is plunged into a saucepan of cold water with onion and olive oil for 20 minutes. During the cooking time potatoes are added and left to cook for a further 30 minutes. This authentic French regional dish is often served in bistros where the owner comes from Lyon. These bistros of Lyon are called “bouchons”. They are real gastronomic restaurants. The dish can be served as a starter with slices of “saucisson” or as a main course (whole sausage served with potatoes).