Eve's Favourite French Dishes

This archive report was first published on 9 July 2021.

Entrecôte Bordelaise: A Classic French Dish ¶

Entrecôte Bordelaise, a classic French dish, is a staple in many French restaurants. It consists of a tender steak served with a rich red wine sauce.

According to Eva Njeri, head of sales at a local hotel, Entrecôte Bordelaise is a must-try for anyone who loves French cuisine. 'It's a dish that never fails to impress,' she says.

Here's a simple recipe to make Entrecôte Bordelaise at home:

• 2 small rib-eye steaks
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. red wine
• 1/3 cup beef stock
• Fresh parsley, chopped (to garnish)

Instructions:

1. Generously season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat until it's smoking then add 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-high.
3. Once the butter has melted, add the steaks onto the pan. Brown the steaks for three minutes on each side, or until cooked as desired—it takes three minutes for a medium-rare steak.
4. Once done, remove the steaks from the pan and add the chopped shallots to the same pan. Sauté for about a minute then add the wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the steak bits and juices from the bottom of the pan.
5. Keeping the heat to just medium, add the beef stock.
6. Cook until the liquid has reduced to half. Stir in the remaining butter until it is melted.
7. To serve, slice up the steaks and pour the sauce over the slices. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with your choice of side dish.

Sole Meunière: A Delicate French Dish ¶

Sole Meunière, another French classic, is a delicate dish that consists of pan-fried dover sole served with a lemon-butter sauce.

Here's a simple recipe to make Sole Meunière at home:

• 2 fillets of dover sole
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 4 tbsp. milk
• 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Parsley, to garnish

Instructions:

1. Rinse fish under cold water, then pat dry. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Pour the milk into a large, shallow bowl and pour the flour onto a large dinner plate. Dip both sides of the fish fillets in the milk, then transfer to the flour.
3. Rub flour onto both sides of the fish. Shake off excess flour.
4. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium high heat.
5. Cook the fish on the first side for 2 1/2 minutes. Then flip over and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes.
6. Remove the fish from the pan. Pour out the butter and rinse the pan under water before adding into it the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Allow the butter to melt over medium heat.
7. Add the lemon juice and give the pan a swirl.
8. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the lemon-butter sauce over the fish.
9. Garnish and serve.