26 French Recipes for Bastille Day, From a Fruit Tart to Steak Frites - Food & Wine (2024)

Bastille Day commemorates the 1798 Storming of the Bastille, a key turning point in the French Revolution. In France, it's celebrated much in the same way as Americans observe Independence Day — as an opportunity to savor summer with friends and family over a casual yet delicious seasonal menu. To get in on the festivities, start your morning with a buttery slice of toasted brioche or ham-and-cheese-filled buckwheat crêpes. Perhaps pack some pan bagnat for a picnic lunch along with a variety of dips and spreads. For dinner, keep things simple with steak frites made in the air fryer or quick-cooking branzino fillets. And for the finale, try an easy plum galette with ice cream or go all out with a grand strawberry-studded Fraisier Cake. These are our best Bastille Day recipes for a delicious celebration.

Pan Bagnat

Bastille Day is a fine occasion for a picnic — and this specialty from Nice is just the thing to load into your basket. Essentially a Niçoise salad in sandwich form, the real beauty of pan bagnat is that it can be made ahead and actually benefits from resting a couple hours so the vinaigrette can permeate all the layers.

Chicken Liver Pâté

Jacques Pépin's silky-smooth chicken liver pâté is simple to make. Also picnic-ready, it's perfect with a cocktail or glass of wine before a meal.

Grilled Onion Lyonnaise

This riff on a classic salade Lyonnaise takes the iconic dish from great to even greater. Top the finished salad of frisée; crisp, meaty bacon lardons; grilled red torpedo onions; and a mustard vinaigrette with poached eggs.

Air Fryer Steak Frites

Yes, you absolutely can use your air fryer to make restaurant-level steak frites with herbed compound butter. The tender steak browns on top as it cooks, while the fatty pieces around the edges cook down to be irresistible bites. While the steak rests, cook the fries, then top everything with the herb-packed compound butter.

Buckwheat Crêpes

Why not start Bastille Day with these nutty, savory crêpes from the Brittany region of France? They're topped with ham, Gruyére, and a sunny-side-up egg. To ease your workload in the morning, prepare the batter the night before or cook and freeze the unadorned crêpes in advance.

Vichyssoise

Topped with crunchy garlic croutons, shaved pecorino Romano cheese, and a scattering of sliced scallions, this chilled potato-leek soup deserves a spot in your summer rotation.

Socca with Zucchini and Olives

Socca, aka farinata, is a crisp, tender pancake made from chickpea flour. Unlike the versions in Nice, which are cooked in copper pans, this one is baked in a cast-iron skillet before it's topped with a summery marinated squash salad.

Fraisier Cake

If you want to go all out for Bastille Day, this classic French cake is the one to make. It typically consists of a genoisesponge cake, mousseline cream, strawberries, and amarzipantopping. In our version, we skip the marzipan and let the mousseline cream be the star. With its fluffy and creamy texture and vanilla flavor, the cake is the perfect foil to sun-ripened strawberries.

Ratatouille Slab Pie

The beautiful lattice top on this vegetarian showstopper encases vibrant summer squash, eggplant, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Precooking the vegetable filling is key to concentrating flavor and releasing moisture that could otherwise cause a soggy crust.

Radish Tartines with Green Butter

Radish and turnip greens are whipped with sweet butter, garlic, and lemon zest to create a delicious, silky spread for these tartines, while the spicy, paper-thin radishes and turnips make the ideal topping. Finished with crunchy sea salt, these are a great appetizer or light lunch.

Branzino with Mesclun and Tomato–Herbes de Provence Vinaigrette

The sweet, delicate flavor of branzino pairs beautifully with a summery tomato and mixed herb vinaigrette for a meal that comes together in just half an hour.

Midsummer Fruit Tart

Celebrate Bastille Day with summer's best fruit in this tart from Julia Child. Its sugar cookie-like base and tangy, creamy cheesecake filling make it the perfect vehicle for showcasing whatever peak-season fruit you fancy.

Bacon, Cheddar, and Onion Quiche

While bacon, onions, and cheddar aren’t exactly surprising ingredients in a classic quiche, the addition of crème fraîche and chopped dill make this recipe from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten feel entirely fresh and elegant.

Salmon Niçoise Salad

Tender salmon, briny olives, crisp-tender green beans, and satisfying potatoes all soak up the zippy, perfectly balanced dressing in this variation on a classic tuna Niçoise. Don't skip the anchovy garnish — it provides pops of umami saltiness that take this salad over the top.

Scallop Grenobloise

Beautifully seared scallops with a golden crust are served in a classic French sauce popping with acidity from lemon, brininess from capers, and slight warmth from mildly piquant jalapeños.

Ham-Jam Sandwiches

Full of concentrated fruit flavor and bright acid from the Gamay grape-based wine, homemade Blueberry-Beaujolais Jam provides the perfect contrast to the goat cheese and butter here. Slathered on a baguette and topped with ribbons of salty prosciutto, this summertime all-star is both easy and elegant.

Plum Galette

Embrace the rustic charm of a galette to showcase seasonal fruit. The dough in this recipe is buttery, flaky, and very forgiving — and it comes together in 10 seconds in a food processor. Don't forget the ice cream!

Blackberry Kir Royale

It's not a celebration until the Champagne flutes come out. With just two ingredients plus a garnish of fresh blackberries, this party-ready cocktail comes together in minutes.

Bouillabaisse

Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s bouillabaisse starts with a quick-cooking, but deeply flavored, seafood broth. Layering a base of aromatics with fresh snapper, scallops, shrimp, and a mix of Pernod and dry white wine creates a long-simmered flavor in under an hour.

Le Grand (Saffron) Aïoli

This make-ahead poached vegetable and shrimp spread is both gorgeous and refreshing on a summer day. Garlicky aïoli infused with saffron provides a pop of flavor and color as a delicious dip for those crisp-tender veggies and succulent bites of shrimp.

Almond, Elderflower, and Lime Travel Cakes

These sweet bites are easy to pack up for parties and picnics. Enriched with almond paste and bathed in lime icing that's laced with St-Germain, pastry chef William Werner calls his creation "gussied-up pound cakes."

Extra-Rich Brioche

A slice of brioche is satisfying any time of day. Enriched with buttermilk, eggs, and lots of glorious butter, this tender loaf is pure luxury. Enjoy it on its own slathered with more butter and jam or use it to make French toast or sandwiches.

Poulet au Vinaigre (Chicken in Vinegar Sauce)

Chef Paul Bocuse's irresistible chicken boasts big, bold flavor with a focus on overall lightness; it comes together with just a handful of ingredients and simple directions. This version swaps fresh tomatoes for tomato paste, uses lower-acid rice wine vinegar in place of red wine vinegar, and significantly reduces the amount of butter.

Black Olive Tapenade with Figs and Mint

Jacques Pépin’s tasty tapenade combines two types of olives with dried figs and mint. This goes well as a sandwich spread, a side for crudité, or a topping for crostini.

Provençal Vegetable Soup

This vegetable-packed soup from star chef Eric Ripert gets exceptional flavor from pistou, the pesto-style basil puree that’s served with it. To make a vegetarian version, omit the ham and substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

My Merguez with Pork and Grilled Tortilla Bread

"Along with other North African dishes, merguez is very popular in France. That little lamb sausage is a classic at any backyard barbecue or picnic there, as popular as the hot dog is in the U.S.," says Jacques Pépin. He forms his sausages into small patties to serve as an appetizer, but they can also be layered onto a toasted baguette along with bell peppers and onions for a typical Bastille Day offering.

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26 French Recipes for Bastille Day, From a Fruit Tart to Steak Frites - Food & Wine (2024)

FAQs

What special foods are eaten on Bastille Day? ›

Some of the “traditional” Bastille Day foods you might see people eating around France include (but are certainly not limited to!) crepes, croissants and other pastries, brioche, bread and cheese, quiche, and maybe some nice wine with dinner.

How is Bastille Day celebrated in France? ›

Celebrating Bastille Day is a way to honour the fight for democracy and the rights and freedoms of citizens. The festivities, including parades, fireworks, parties, and public gatherings, foster a sense of unity and patriotism among the French people.

What to drink on Bastille Day? ›

14 French Wines To Drink For Bastille Day
  • Langlois Brut Réserve.
  • Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve.
  • Hubert Brochard Sancerre 2023.
  • Domaine Chanson Chablis 2022.
  • La Chablisienne Chablis Le Finage 2020.
  • Roseblood Blanc 2023.
  • Château Minuty Rosé
  • La Fête du Rosé 2022.
2 days ago

What food is eaten on the 14th of July? ›

However, people in France and all over the world celebrate the 14th July Bastille Day by indulging in French food to honour France. Bastille Day food and Bastille Day dishes may include delicacies like pastries, crepes, brioche, and croissants in the breakfast followed by quiche for lunch, pâté, and onion soup.

What do you say to celebrate Bastille Day in France? ›

Notes, Further Reading, and Resources. There is no French equivalent to "Happy Bastille Day" – all you can say is, generically, Bonne fête !

What is Bastille Day in a nutshell? ›

The day marks the symbolic start of the French Revolution, which brought down its powerful monarchy. In 1789, France was under the tyranny of its king, bishops, and nobles. The corrupt monarchy spent lavishly, while the people suffered in poverty.

What do the French wear on Bastille Day? ›

The French wear the colors blue, red, and white on Bastille Day. These are the colors of the flag of the 'tricolore,' which is the name of the French flag. On Bastille Day, the French celebrate with fireworks, parades, and other patriotic events.

What is the best way to celebrate Bastille Day? ›

Many French people opt for low-key Bastille Day celebrations, spending their day off enjoying the warm weather with friends and family. For a relaxed celebration at your own home, invite friends and family over after work and host a backyard picnic or barbeque with French foods and decorations.

Why did the French storm the Bastille? ›

On July 14, 1789, fears that King Louis XVI was about to arrest France's newly constituted National Assembly led a crowd of Parisians to successfully besiege the Bastille, an old fortress that had been used since 1659 as a state prison.

What do French people drink in the morning? ›

The favourite drink at the French breakfast table is, of course, coffee. If it's au lait, expect it to come in a large bowl (not mug). Perfect for dipping your tartine (lashings of jam included) or croissant into. However, most French prefer their coffee as black as it comes in the espresso form.

What should I bring to Bastille Day? ›

All you need is a fresh baguette, a bottle of wine, a wheel of cheese and some charcuterie. Pâté and mousse are picnic-ready; add Saucisson Sec and Jambon de Bayonne for a proper spread.

What are the colors of Bastille Day? ›

Paris is at the centre of Bastille Day celebrations. Revellers fill the French capital and blue, white and red tricolour flags flutter in the streets. The highlight of the day is the Défilé militaire du 14 Juillet (14 July military parade).

What fruit is July known for? ›

July is an abundant month for berries, melons, and stone fruits. And since we'll start to see less of them after the month's end, be sure to also enjoy the pineapple, strawberries, and rhubarb you find this month.

What did the Bastille serve? ›

Bastille, medieval fortress on the east side of Paris that became, in the 17th and 18th centuries, a French state prison and a place of detention for important persons charged with various offenses.

What do people wear on Bastille Day? ›

The French wear the colors blue, red, and white on Bastille Day. These are the colors of the flag of the 'tricolore,' which is the name of the French flag. On Bastille Day, the French celebrate with fireworks, parades, and other patriotic events.

What do families do on Bastille Day? ›

Are there family-friendly activities during Bastille Day in Paris? The parade and the fireworks are both family-friendly. During the day, families often picnic in parks.

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