French Cuisine

utensils

Copper pots and pans

They should have a heavy base which holds and spreads heat well. Enameled cast iron is also good. Iron and aluminum are poor heat conductors and tend to discolour food.

Casserole dishes

They should be heavy based with a lid that is also ovenproof.

Fry pan

A fry pan has sloping sides for browning and tossing small food.

Saute pan

A saute pan has straight sides and is used for browning meat.

Crepe pan

A crepe pan is a very shallow, almost flat fry pan specially designed to make crepes. A must in all French kitchens.

Knives

Knives should be ultra sharp. It’s recommended to have 3 main types: a cook's knife, a paring knife and a chopping knife.

Moulds

Souffle moulds made from porcelain; also used for creme brulee, creme caramel, chocolate mousse. There are numerous dessert moulds. Coeur e la creme uses a heart shaped porcelain mould with holes in the base to drain the moisture from the cream and cheese mixture. Other moulds include those for Brioche, croquembouche and babas au rhum.