Christmas in France is all about food – the best of everything, beautifully cooked, prepared and presented.
It is a time to relax and linger over a delicious meal with friends and family, a time of indulgence and the finest of food and wine.
In France it is Christmas Eve when the big get together generally takes place. “Le réveillon” as it is called, can go on for several hours and into the next morning (hence its name which literally means the wake up).
For many French families, the Christmas Eve meal is more important than Christmas Day lunch.
In fact there are two meals called the le réveillon in France. If you haven’t over indulged enough on Christmas Eve, you can do it all again on New Year’s Eve! Another time for the family to get together over another long meal, seeing in the New Year with the best of French food and wine…
Start with an aperitif, a pre-dinner drink served with nibbles or an amuse-bouche, literally something that amuses your mouth. Champagne of course, or perhaps Kir or Kir Royale -
white wine or sparkling wine served with cassis, a liqueur which may be cherries, blackcurrant or even peach.
Work your way through the entrée (starter) which is often oysters or foie gras. Rich foods and the best that money can buy is the order du jour. Then its onto the plat principal (main dish) followed by dessert and possibly more. In some parts of southern France thirteen desserts are traditional!
Expect to have a different wine, paired perfectly with each course.
It is unthinkable for a French person to consider a meal without cheese.
At this time of the year some of the favourite
fromages include Camembert from Normandy,
blue cheese from the Auvergne, goats’ cheese from Poitou, Comté from Franche-Comté and a pungent Maroilles from Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Go overboard with a bit of cheese carving and decorating, serve with baguette or savoury biscuits and say cheese for those Christmas photographs…
Festive Cuisine of France
By Janine Marsh