Ellie and Sam Studd raise a flute to a cheese just made for Champagne, giving it a starring role in a recipe ideal for special occasions.

Good pâté, such as this recipe by Darren Robertson and Magdalene Roze, starts with great quality liver, very minimal cooking and a high-speed blender to whiz until super smooth and silky.

“Fromage fort (which translates literally to ‘strong cheese’) is a traditional French recipe. Historically, it was made from a mixture of cheese odds and ends mashed together in a ceramic pot with whey, milk or broth and left to ferment. Once the desired stank profile had developed and the cheesy mush had expanded to double the size, a fortified wine was added to stop or slow the fermentation. As you can imagine, it was often an acquired taste. Thankfully, we have a modern recipe that is not quite as offensive on the nose. There are no strict rules regarding fromage fort, but it is best to stick to the cheeses and tastes you like.” – Ellie and Sam Studd

Enjoy the sweet flavours in this easy seafood dish, pairing classic pan-fried scallops with chef Alex Prichard's signature cafe de Paris butter. Share plates will never be quite the same again.

Sebastien shares The Charles' terrine recipe – a classic French 'meatloaf'.

“This unctuous snack will have you spreading leftovers on your toast for breakfast. Begin this recipe 2 days ahead. I like to put it on before I go to bed and finish preparing it in the morning.” – Anna Mortimer.

“Gougères are part of a classic Burgundian apéritif, served with a glass of bubbly or wine. Our recipe was mastered at La Varenne and is adapted from Anne Willan’s classic version. These airy little cheese puffs are made from savoury pâte à choux dough, utilising the same technique used to make sweet eclairs and profiteroles.” – Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini from The Cook's Atelier, France

"Like all good art, Gimlet’s steak tartare is limited edition. We serve it with fries, slices of grilled baguette and a vinaigrette-dressed butter lettuce salad, so it’s the perfect classic weekday power lunch dish, really. But it’s also brilliant to serve your guests at a dinner party, particularly if you want to add a little theatre." – Andrew McConnell.

“In France, rillettes have regional variances with a wide range of ingredients and textures. Some have a fine texture; others are coarser, and somewhat rustic. Our preference is a mixture of both.” – Andrew McConnell.

"I keep a jar of this fennel frond pistou on hand always…it’s so useful to spread quickly onto a sandwich, stir through pasta or dollop into an omelette, but it is delicious spread on a slice of fennel & spelt bread that has first been generously spread with a slather of cow’s curd, chevre or labneh!" - Micky Robertson. This recipe is by Micky Robertson.

“Our autumn market is full of crisp chicory, endive, frisée and escarole. We prefer to select small tender heads, as the flavour is less bitter. As lettuce becomes scarce in the cooler months, chicory makes for a beautiful salad, especially when paired with sweet pear and toasted hazelnuts. We like to make this salad with a white wine shallot vinaigrette.” Recipe by Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini from The Cook's Atelier.

“This is one of my favourite summer salads to make – it’s light, but also pretty filling, as lentils are chock full of carbs. As supermarket beetroots can vary in size, the cooking time will vary, so test them with a skewer for tenderness.” – Andy Hearnden. Recipe from Andy Cooks: The Cookbook (Oriana Press).

“The leek is the king of the allium, in my opinion. Leeks are a seasonal treat here at The Agrarian Kitchen – at each stage of the year, we have some sort of allium in the garden, and autumn is leek’s time to shine. When treated with reverence, leeks reveal sweet subtle flavours, and there’s no better way to coax it from them than a gentle braise.” Recipe by Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet of Tasmania's The Agrarian Kitchen.

The whole family will enjoy this easy to make creamy potato and leek soup with croutons. A cosy and comfort food for dinner on cool nights, this French classic is also elegant enough to serve at your next dinner party.

The best thing to know about French onion soup mix is that French onion soup made without it tastes even better.