In this article we’ll take you through the ten basic recipes and preparations you need to know and master in the kitchen.
Learning to cook is a bit like learning a language : you must first understand its foundations before you can express yourself freely.
These 10 must-have preparations form the foundation of all home cooking.
By mastering them, you’ll acquire essential technical gestures, a better understanding of textures and flavors, and the freedom to create your own dishes with confidence.
1. Shortcrust pastry
Indispensable for tarts, quiches or pies, pâte brisée simply consists of flour, butter, water and a pinch of salt.
The secret lies in working quickly and lightly to preserve its crumbly texture.
🖐️ What you learn
- Sanding a dough without heating it
- Managing texture and hydration
- Roll out and darken a mold without tearing the dough
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Apple pie, quiche lorraine, savory pie, vegetable pie
- Variants : pâte sablée, pâte sucrée, pâte à foncer
2. Pancake batter
Here’s a classic recipe that everyone loves!
pancake batter is made with flour, eggs, milk and a pinch of salt (or sugar for the sweet version).
A resting time allows to obtain a soft and homogeneous texture.
🖐️ What you learn
- Avoid lumps for a smooth paste
- Control baking and gilding
- Adjust texture according to use
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Sweet or savory pancakes, galettes, pancakes, homemade wraps
- Crepe lasagnas, crepe cakes, cannelloni
3. Béchamel sauce
Onctuous and mild, béchamel is a white sauce made with butter, flour and milk.
It is a mainstay of French cuisine, used as a binder or base for many recipes.
🖐️ What you learn
- Make a red (butter + flour mixture)
- Incorporate liquid without lumps
- Control the texture of a sauce
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Lasagnes, gratins, croque-monsieur, soufflés
- Derivatives : Mornay sauce, curry sauce, mustard sauce
4. The homemade broth
A homemade broth is an aromatic base obtained by simmering vegetables, herbs or also poultry carcasses, meat bones or fish.
Broth, whether fish, meat or vegetable, is the ideal foundation for adding flavor to many preparations.
🖐️ What you learn
- Mastering long, gentle cooking
- Extract flavors from ingredients
- Filtering and preserving a culinary liquid
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Soups, risottos, sauces, stocks
- Variants : vegetable, poultry, fish broths
5. The vinaigrette
Simple but essential, vinaigrette balances fat and acidity to sublimate your salads and crudités.
It adapts to all tastes and seasons.
🖐️ What you learn
- Balancing acidic, fatty and salty flavors
- Cold emulsify a sauce
- Create your own variations
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Compound salads, marinades, grilled vegetables
- Derivatives : honey, lemon, shallot vinaigrette
6. Mashed potatoes
Creamy, sweet and comforting, homemade mashed potatoes rely on just the right amount of cooking and the right balance of milk and butter.
🖐️ What you learn
- Choose the right variety (mealy flesh)
- Work on texture according to equipment (potato masher, whisk, blender)
- Master the bond between butter and hot milk
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Hachis parmentier, brandade, gnocchi, croquettes
- Various vegetable purées (carrots, parsnips, celery…)
7. The omelette
The omelette is a simple, quick and universal dish. The basic preparation, once mastered, allows for an infinite number of combinations.
Successful omelette is fluffy, lightly browned, and works well with any topping.
🖐️ What you learn
- Cooking over medium heat
- Obtain ideal texture (slobbery, firm, rolled)
- Use eggs as a versatile base
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Omelette plain, with herbs, mushrooms, cheese
- Frittata, tortilla Spanish, scrambled eggs
8. Rice pilaf
The rice pilaf is cooked gently in a fragrant broth, giving it softness and flavor.
This is an excellent way to sublimate cereals.
🖐️ What you learn
- Browning the rice to develop its aromas
- Steam-cook
- Use broth as cooking liquid
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Vegetable rice, curry rice, risotto, paella
- Adaptations : bulgur, quinoa, spelt
9. Homemade tomato sauce
Tomato sauce is an essential staple of Mediterranean cuisine, prepared with tomatoes, onion, garlic and olive oil.
Long simmered, it develops rich, balanced flavors.
🖐️ What you learn
- Reduce a sauce to concentrate flavors
- Correct acidity with a touch of sugar
- Create an aromatic base (garlic, onion, herbs)
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Pasta, pizza, dumplings, stuffed vegetables, ratatouille
- Derivatives : arrabiata, bolognese, Neapolitan sauce
10. The yoghurt cake
Yogurt cake is a classic homemade pastry, easy to make and foolproof.
The yogurt pot serves as a measure, making the recipe accessible to all.
🖐️ What you learn
- Understand the proportions of a cake (fat, yeast, moisture)
- Work on dough texture
- Master baking
🍽️ Recipes you can make
- Lemon cake, marble cake, fruit cake, muffins
- Layer cake bases, cupcakes or rolled cakes
🌟 In summary
These ten basic preparations represent some of the main foundations of culinary know-how.
By mastering them, you’ll be able to cook balanced dishes without recipes and while improvising. You’ll also be able to understand the gestures that make a dish successful, and above all, cook with confidence and pleasure.
Thus, these basics are not just simple recipes: they are the keys to your freedom in the kitchen.
Thanks to these 10 basic recipes to master in the kitchen, you’ll turn your cravings into tasty creations 😋!
Pour aller plus loin, venez découvrir toutes les recettes des préparations fondamentales en cuisine !
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