The brilliance of Julia Child was her ability to make French cooking accessible (and appetizing) for American home cooks. Child had the tremendous ability to smooth out the stuffier, more rigid French recipes that she worked magic with, to create simpler adaptations that appealed to busy households across the Western world. Even now, if you are interested in learning to cook French cuisine, or looking to get back in touch, Julia Child’s recipes are the first place to go!
Her supreme skill of educating and motivating, combined with her amazing – some would say eccentric – personal style, made Child one of the earliest cooking stars of the television era and a cultural icon in print. In 2001, her iconic kitchen was removed from its seat in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was reinstalled at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History Kenneth E. Behring Center located in Washington, D.C.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking was first published in 1961 – the well-made 2021 documentary Julia, details Child’s difficulty in getting her most famous work published – and has never been out of print since.
Some ingredients, kitchen tools, and preparation methods have come and gone, yet Child’s French recipes have stood the test of time. Below are some of Child’s best French recipes and hacks, developed by the 12 Tomatoes staff.
1. Julia Child’s Ground Beef Patties (Bifteck Haché A La Lyonnaise)
Julia Child’s Ground Beef Patties are the ultimate in simple, yet indulgent French style. The centerpiece are savory seasoned patties of beef with a crisp crust, smothered by a buttery, beefy sauce. These beef patties are a brilliant yet economical way to use ground beef that feels a little more elevated than a simple burger on the grill, plus they require little time to come together!
2. Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin
“Rooster with wine,” is one of Child’s greatest recipe adaptations, even featuring in season 1 of the HBO tv show, Julia. Child is able to take the seemingly difficult and laborious dish and streamlines the process to create a stunningly flavorful meal known for its elegance, grace, and taste. Creating a classic like Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin may seem like a difficult task, yet with her to guide you the recipe yields little stress and some truly delicious results!
3. Julia Child’s Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a nostalgic side dish for many Europeans because it brings the flavors of the garden to any table. Matching it with the protein of your choosing creates a wholesome and delicious meal the whole family will enjoy. Julia Child’s Ratatouille recipe has been a staple in the cooking community for decades, and was popularized before Disney released their much loved film version, with the French chef and his little mouse maestro! Ratatouille is very simple in terms of ingredients, but packs a huge amount of flavor into one extremely stylish casserole dish.
4. Julia Child’s Spaghetti Marco Polo
Julia Child once said, “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” Pasta is one food that can be made to expensive tastes or to cheap ones, whether it’s simple butter noodles or delightfully hand-crafted sheets filled with luxurious ingredients. Child’s Spaghetti Marco Polo is one of the rare ‘super easy’ recipes from her catalog, but no less delicious than something from the most decadent restaurant! Her Marco Polo is quick and easy to pull together, yet tastes extremely lush thanks to flavor rich ingredients such as toasted walnuts, black olives, garden herbs, and parmesan cheese.
5. Julia Child’s Zucchini and Rice Gratin (Tian de Courgettes au Riz)
Simple ingredients prepared well is the mantra for Julia Child cooking. This Zucchini and Rice Gratin is no different, it manages to be comforting but not heavy while using a bounty of zucchini and a bushel-full of taste. It tastes filling and delicious, yet is ‘fluffier’ than most gratins because it’s not weighed down by heavy cream or stodgy potatoes.The zucchini and rice end up almost blending together – it has a ton of flavor but is simple and elegant!
6. Julia Child’s Fluffy Pumpkin Pie
Julia Child’s Fluffy Pumpkin Pie is a must try recipe, whether you are a Child acolyte or just someone wanting to up their pie game. The pie is as creamy and velvety as you could want it to be, but has a beautiful fluffy texture that you won’t find in many other home style pies. Pumpkin pie is an occasional delight, so don’t you want it to be the very best version there is?
7. How To Make Julia Child’s Famous 14-Second Omelette
Using a Julia Child recipe during the pandemic was a great way to bring people together during the toughest of times. The Instagram #JuliaChildChallenge was started by New York Times food editor, Emily Fleischaker, as a way of making one of Child’s specialties: the French omelet. It helps people connect and get creative in the kitchen during the worst days of the Covid pandemic.
In the challenge video, Fleischaker teaches us How To Make Julia Child’s Famous 14-Second Omelette. Fleischaker cooks the omelet in the exact same manner as Child used to, in just a few heartbeats of time. Learning this recipe and doing the challenge is a great way to battle yourself (or friends on social media), while learning a legendary Julia Child recipe!
Conclusion
Julia Child was a legendary, trailblazing American icon, whose success paved the way for today’s ‘famous foodies’ we see on our screens every day. This fantastic collection of Julia Child recipes is a testament to her love for French cuisines, cooking moxie and educational skill.