11 basic recipes you absolutely must know by heart

The key word: emulsion. Mayonnaise is a heterogeneous mixture between oil and egg yolk, composed of 75% water. These two elements, normally immiscible, finally mix under the effect of your fork. It is therefore essential to add the oil little by little, and above all to never, ever change the direction of rotation. For one egg, there are approximately 50 cl of oil. And to give flavor to the mayonnaise, we think about adding mustard, lemon juice, or even a touch of vinegar.

The basic ingredients for a bowl of mayonnaise in no time: 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp. teaspoon of mustard and up to 50cl of oil.

The recipe to learn by heart: mayonnaise

Ah crepes… The dish that everyone agrees on. But do you know by heart the recipe that is unanimously loved by young and old alike? However, there is a very simple way to memorize the recipe for good homemade pancake batter: the rule of 3.

In fact, for around fifteen pancakes, you need around 300g of flour, ¾ liter of milk (75cl), 3 whole eggs and 3 tbsp. oil soup.

The recipe to learn by heart: classic pancake batter

With its infinitely customizable garnish, here is a recipe that will come in handy when you run out of inspiration. Indeed, shortcrust pastry is available as desired, in savory or sweet tarts, in pastries or even as appetizers. It is very simple and quick to make, and it is therefore extremely practical to always have some in stock at home. Ingredients-wise, we use double the amount of flour as butter (for 200g of flour, we use 100g of butter). Simply sand everything by hand before gradually adding water, while mixing until you obtain a soft but not sticky dough.

The ingredients needed for a shortcrust pastry the size of a pie for 6 people (24 cm in diameter): 200g flour, 100g butter, and around 2 to 3 tbsp. tablespoons of water (to be measured according to the state of the dough).

The recipe to learn by heart: shortcrust pastry

Gratins, lasagna, croque-monsieur or even mac and cheese, do you know what these four recipes have in common? It is in fact the famous ultra-creamy white sauce, which makes all these dishes so comforting and tasty. But then, how can you be sure that you never mess up your homemade béchamel sauce again? The answer is simple: you must always use the same quantity of butter as flour, as well as milk (this time measuring in centiliters). In practice, this gives 50g of butter and 50g of flour, for 50cl of milk. In order to make the sauce smooth, it is also necessary to create a thermal shock between the roux – formed by the butter and flour – and the milk which must be at opposite temperatures when joining them (hot roux / cold milk) .

For 50 cl of sauce, you need 50 g of butter, 50 g of flour and 50 cl of milk.

The recipe to learn by heart: béchamel

We all know that a good puree has the unique gift of lifting our spirits in an instant. To do this, after cooking the potatoes, mash them using a vegetable mill before adding hot milk. We mix everything using a pastry whisk, and finally we add a little butter, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper.

For 500g of cooked potatoes, you need 100g of butter and 15cl of whole milk.

The recipe to learn by heart: Joël Robuchon’s mashed potatoes

An essential part of Italian cuisine, it is undoubtedly the most famous sauce to date. So it's high time to get started and make a Bolognese sauce that suits you! On the menu: ground beef, coulis and tomato paste, onions, garlic, carrots, spices and herbs. In Italy, our neighbors also add a little sugar to soften the acidic side of the tomatoes.

In terms of quantities, in order to obtain 500g of sauce (around 4 plates of pasta), you need around 400g of ground beef, 200g of tomato sauce, 1 small can of tomato paste (135g), 2 onions, 3 pods of garlic, 2 tbsp. tablespoon of oregano, 1 sprig of basil and 2 pieces of sugar.

The recipe to learn by heart: spaghetti bolognese

As its name suggests, this soft cake is characterized by the four ingredients that compose it, all used in equal quantities (i.e. a quarter of the cake). It's hard to make a mistake, but what does that look like in practice?

For a pound cake measuring 24cm in diameter (around 6 people), you need 4 eggs, 250g of butter, 250g of flour and 250g of sugar.

The recipe to learn by heart: pound cake

How can you resist this famous Italian recipe that warms your heart? The principle of risotto is very simple: the rice (special risotto) must cook directly in a flavored broth according to your desires: mushrooms, vegetables… Without forgetting to add fried onions and parmesan at the end, for deliciousness! You can also garnish it with mushrooms or seasonal vegetables. In terms of quantity, you need to provide approximately 2.5 times more volume of water than volume of rice.

For 300g of risotto rice, count around 3 stock cubes diluted in around 75cl of water, as well as 1/2 onion, and 30g of grated parmesan.

The recipe to learn by heart: spring risotto

Very simple to make, carbonara sauce is a comforting recipe, the ingredients of which are often already in your cupboards. In a bowl, simply mix egg yolks, grated parmesan, and fried bacon. Buon appetito!

The basic ingredients for around 500g of carbonara sauce (around 4 plates of pasta): 6 egg yolks, 75g of grated parmesan, and 200g of bacon.

The recipe to learn by heart: pasta alla carbonara

It's the ideal, simple and delicious solution for recycling stale bread. We delicately dip the pieces of bread in a bowl containing milk and beaten egg yolks, then in a second container with sugar. Finally, brown everything in the pan.

For 6 slices of bread, you need 2 eggs, 2 glasses of milk (around 50 cl), and around 150g of sugar.

The recipe to learn by heart: French toast

Once the chicken pieces are prepared, we coat them in flour, before dipping them in beaten eggs and breadcrumbs. Finally, fry everything in a pan in hot cooking oil. And for even more flavor, you can also marinate the chicken in a sauce of your choice before moving on to the breading stage.

In terms of quantities, for 350g of chicken escalope, there are 2 eggs, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of flour, and 100g of breadcrumbs.

The recipe to learn by heart: Korean fried chicken, hot sauce