Your spring trip to the French countryside may have been canceled due to COVID-19’s travel restrictions, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring French cooking to your kitchen. While chef and author

Mimi Thorisson

grew up in Hong Kong, she spent her holidays in Paris and the South of France at her French grandmother’s home—it was there that she discovered her passion for French-style cooking. Some might say her culinary pursuits manifested into her future; years later, in a move that led her from Paris to Médoc with her husband, eight kids, and many,

many

dogs, she has certainly mastered the art of cooking for a big family in the French countryside. “The essence of French cooking is butter, garlic, and shallots,” says Thorisson. “Otherwise, a must-have is a French cocotte from Staub to simmer for hours. And third, well, I just love butter; always add more butter!” Over the years, Thorisson has come to be known for

Manger

, her blog devoted to French cooking, and her cookbooks,

A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse

and

French Country Cooking: Meals and Moments from a Village in the Vineyards

. So who better to ask than the expert herself?

Below, Thorisson shares three easy recipes that’ll bring the French countryside to you.

Roast chicken with crème fraîche and herbs

“I roast a chicken at least twice a week. All the flavors take me straight back to France. This is actually the most loved and popular recipe from my cookbook

A Kitchen in France

. If you don’t have crème fraiche, try mixing Greek yogurt with mascarpone.”

Photo: Courtesy of Mimi Thorisson

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, approx 1.2 kg/3 lb
300 ml/ 11⁄4 cup crème fraîche (you can also use fromage blanc—alternatively, you can mix 2 tbsp buttermilk or sour cream with 1 cup heavy cream)
4 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 shallot, finely sliced
A large bunch of parsley, chopped
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea salt and black pepper


Ratatouille “croquant”

“I love this recipe because it’s so traditional—all about easy ingredients, and healthy, too. You can turn it into many different meals, but my favorite is with a fried egg on top with a dash of piment d’Espelette (Basque-syle chilli powder).”

Photo: Courtesy of Mimi Thorisson

Ingredients

5 tomatoes
2 aubergines/eggplant
2 zucchini
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
2 white onions
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
A few sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
Olive oil, for frying
Salt & black pepper


The Best Madeleines

“This is my can’t-live-without recipe. It’s everything. It’s all our childhood, it’s comforting, and makes anyone happy. So simple. My best tip: Leave the batter to rest in the refrigerator at least one and or, even better, two [hours] before baking. You’ll get that perfect bump for sure! And if you don’t have orange blossom water, no worries, just add an extra spoon of honey or rum.”

Photo: Courtesy of Mimi Thorisson

Ingredients

3 eggs
150 g plain flour
125 g butter or margarine (melted)
130 g sugar
20 g honey
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp orange blossom water
Madeleine cake molds (I have silicone ones)