How to choose more sustainably

Editorial

PHOTOGRAPHS: NAOMI LOWE, SIMON BROWN, NASSIMA ROTHACKER Bienvenue!

WHAT’S ON THE MENU?

Food editor Tom Shingler puts together some classic combos with a touch of Gallic flair

If you make one thing…

Savoury buckwheat pancakes are a northern French stalwart with good reason: they’re quick to make and heartily satisfying

APPETISERS

Inspiration, bite-size news, reviews & great stuff to do

OVER TO YOU

STAR EMAIL ★ Subject: Summer’s burning issue From:

The book list

As al fresco grazing loses its summery appeal

6 of the best threestar winners

The Great Taste Awards results are out, and we’ve rounded up some cracking items we reckon should be on your shopping list

FIGS The original fruit

These recipes show how versatile the hallowed fig (and its leaves) can be, whether pickled, baked, preserved, charred or, of course, simply served as is. There’s no better ingredient to work with during those first few days of autumn

FRENCH SPECIAL

The delicious. team share some of their all-time favourite French products from producers big and small

HOT LIST

What’s new, what’s great, what we rate – this month, keeping with the Francophile theme, items with a certain je ne sais quoi.

A glass of Suze with Raymond Blanc

The legendary chef and restaurateur on where to eat well in Paris, his early adoption of molecular gastronomy and the life message he tries to impart

Doing it the French way

My cooking year: September

Trish Deseine writes to Elisabeth Scotto

Letter to my food hero.

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

Discipline, technique, core values and distinctive ingredients… Classic French cuisine and kitchen protocol have their demands and rewards – and their impact is still felt around the world. How does it translate in today’s culinary landscape? Five chefs at the top of their game share their perspective

CUSTARD

It’s a cornerstone of French cuisine, with results ranging from something you can pour with aplomb to jiggly or set creams and patisserie fillings. Dedicated custard enthusiast Emily Gussin shows how to master the technique, creating recipes that put custard’s smooth, creamy velvety-ness centre stage

Gougères

These little golden boulders might not look it, but they’re light, cheesy, cloud-like and incredibly moreish. Gougères are France’s gift to cocktail parties the world over. They’re easy enough to make at home – just don’t open the oven before they’re ready

GRATIN DAUPHINOIS

No shortcuts. No cheat ingredients. Our best of the best series takes the view that if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. Each month we take a deep-dive into a classic dish and explain why it tastes so good, and how to get the best results with our ultimate recipe. This month: Tom Shingler takes on the dauphinois of dreams

DON’T BIN IT!

The French stick

A NEW DAWN FOR SUSTAINABLE WINEMAKING

You might be paying attention to the sustainable creds of the food you buy these days, but what about the booze? Wine writer Aleesha Hansel looks at the challenges producers are facing, what they’re doing to make their industry greener – and what you should look out for when buying wine. Plus... Emily Gussin has inspiring recipes for your bottle of choice

WHO DECIDED FRENCH FOOD WAS BEST?

It’s a long time since going to a high-end restaurant automaticallyally meant the menu would be in French. Food has moved on. Yet the influence of that cuisine persists: in chef training, in Michelin kitchens, in the names of dishes we love to cook and eat. Historian and writer Annie Gray looks at the origins of this influence – and how it became so far-reaching

C’est si bon!

Rooted in tradition they may be, but Manon Lagrève’s recipes are anything but stuffy. Inspired by her childhood in rural France, these French bakes are as doable as they are délicieux

Drinks

The best booze from the length and breadth of France

CIDER, FRENCH-STYLE

Normandy and Brittany have proud cider-making traditions. Here are three great examples

Make it every day.

Sprinkle weeknight dinnertimes with a little je ne sais quoi and serve up reimagined dishes that are as easy as they are irresistible

Bistro at home

If a trip to France isn’t on the cards, bring a taste of its regional cooking into your kitchen with these innovative updates

delicious.

COMING IN YOUR OCTOBER ISSUE OF

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September Recipe index

108 STARTERS, SIDES & SNACKS • Beef carpaccio

THE FOOD QUIZ

1 Bringing courses individually to the diner is

Why are the French healthier than we are?

Despite their love of cheese, sweet bakes and foods rich in saturated fat, the French are healthier than the British. It’s not the red wine that’s doing it, says Sue Quinn – so what’s their secret?

7 things to embrace from the French approach

1 TAKE YOUR TIME Leave your desk for

Felicity Cloake’s restaurant tour de France

The multi-award-winning cookery writer and avowed Francophile has, at one time or another, driven, cycled and TGV-ed her way through pretty much all of The Republic. Here she reveals the perfect places she’s found on the way, from shack to chateau and from crepes to crevettes… Bon voyage!

PUZZLES PAGE

There’s a prize to be won and food knowledge to be tested with Hugh Thompson’s crossword and food quiz. They’re what a cuppa and cake were made for

Pardon my French

It may be tough for Brits to swallow, says Les Dunn, but when it comes to the sensual language of food, French makes mincemeat of English