A much beloved figure in our culinary history, Julia Child ignited many a home cook's Francophilia, so much so that her name is practically synonymous with French cuisine in America. Many classic dishes were introduced to the masses by Child, who is virtually unparalleled in her influence. From Caesar salad to sole meunière, we’ve rounded up our favorite Julia Child recipes.
At nine years old, the closest I’d come to cooking was upending a box of Cap’n Crunch into a bowl. One Sunday, I found myself glued to The French Chef; Julia Child was making Caesar salad. It seemed like the best thing I could possibly eat. I asked my dad for permission to make it. As luck would have it, we had the ingredients. With my chicken-scratched notes, I assembled it. By God, it was good: the tang of the Parmesan and lemon, the sweet flash of the Worcestershire, the mellow egg, all draped upon an interplay of romaine and crouton crunches. It’s been 40 years since, and I could eat it every day; Caesar salad is that perfect. &mdashJames Oseland Get the recipe for Caesar Salad »
Julia Child's Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Thirty cloves of garlic go into this creamy side dish. Get the recipe for Julia Child’s Garlic Mashed Potatoes »
Sole Meunière
Dover sole is a remarkable fish—meaty and succulent, but with a delicate flavor. When it comes to cooking it, the simplest way is the best, as in classic sole meuniere, where butter and lemon subtly enhance the taste and texture.
Lobster Thermidor
The signature dish at the Cape Cod Room in Chicago’s famed Drake Hotel features chunks of tender lobster and mushrooms swathed in a mustard–cream sauce, placed in a lobster shell, and broiled under a Gruyère crust.
Turbot aux Beurre Blanc (Grilled Turbot with White Wine and Butter Sauce)
Turbot, a flatfish found in the North Atlantic, is grilled and generously sauced with a classic accompaniment of beurre blanc in this dish. If you can’t find turbot, you can substitute filets of sole, fluke, or flounder.
Joues de Boeuf Confites
At Le Bistrot Paul Bert, chef Thierry Laurent transforms beef cheeks, a humble, relatively tough cut, into a meltingly tender entree by first marinating the beef in a heady mixture of red wine and aromatic herbs and then braising it for four hours in the marinade until the meat becomes supple and fork-tender.
Vegetable Ragout with Pesto (Ragoût de Légumes au Pistau)
Pairing pistou, an herb sauce made with fresh basil, with tender spring vegetables makes for a bright-tasting seasonal entree.
Use good-quality canned snails and store-bought snail shells to make this timeless garlic-and-herb-flavored dish.
Oeufs Cocotte aux Girolles (Coddled Eggs with Chanterelles)
Frederic Thevenet of Restaurant Aux Lyonnais uses garlic three different ways to build depth of flavor in this dish of eggs, spinach, and mushrooms gently baked in a luxurious bath of cream. See the Oeufs Cocotte aux Girolles recipe »
Shortbread Cookies (Punitions)
Traditional French shortbread cookies taste best using a good salted butter with a high butterfat content, such as Kerrygold.
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