Writing a recipe in French is a great exercise: short sentences, precise verbs and everyday vocabulary. It also comes up often in class and in exams such as the DELF A2. Here is how a French recipe is organised, which verbs to use and how to avoid the measurement traps.
Key points
- A French recipe has four sections: ingredients, equipment, preparation and cooking times, and the steps.
- Steps are written in the infinitive (mélanger) or the imperative with vous (mélangez).
- Measurements are metric: grams, centilitres, degrees Celsius.
- A cuillère à soupe is about 15 ml (a tablespoon), a cuillère à café about 5 ml (a teaspoon).
The sections of a French recipe
- Les ingrédients (ingredients), with quantities for a number of people: pour 4 personnes.
- Le matériel (equipment): un saladier (a mixing bowl), un fouet (a whisk), une poêle (a frying pan), un moule (a baking tin).
- Le temps de préparation et le temps de cuisson (preparation and cooking time): préparation 15 min, cuisson 30 min.
- Les étapes (steps), numbered in chronological order.
Infinitive or imperative?
Both are correct. The infinitive is more neutral and very common in cookbooks: Éplucher les pommes de terre. The imperative with vous speaks directly to the reader: Épluchez les pommes de terre. Pick one and keep it for the whole recipe.
Tip: recipe sentences are short and start with the verb. One action per sentence is the rule.
French cooking verbs to know
| French verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| éplucher | to peel |
| couper, émincer, hacher | to cut, to slice thinly, to chop finely |
| mélanger, remuer | to mix, to stir |
| fouetter, battre | to whisk, to beat |
| faire fondre | to melt (butter, chocolate) |
| faire revenir | to brown, to sauté |
| faire cuire, laisser mijoter | to cook, to simmer |
| préchauffer, enfourner | to preheat, to put in the oven |
| égoutter | to drain |
| laisser reposer | to leave to rest |
French weights and measures
France uses the metric system: grams (g) and kilos (kg) for weight, centilitres (cl) and litres (l) for liquids. Family recipes also use everyday measures:
- une cuillère à soupe (c. à s.): a tablespoon, about 15 ml
- une cuillère à café (c. à c.): a teaspoon, about 5 ml
- une pincée de sel: a pinch of salt
- un verre: a glass, about 20 cl
- une noix de beurre: a knob of butter
Oven temperatures are given in degrees Celsius, sometimes with the thermostat number of older French ovens: thermostat 6 is 180 °C (about 350 °F). To convert, multiply the thermostat number by 30.
Example: crêpe batter
Pour 4 personnes. Préparation : 10 min. Repos : 1 h. Cuisson : 2 min par crêpe.
Ingrédients : 250 g de farine, 4 œufs, 50 cl de lait, 2 cuillères à soupe de sucre, 1 pincée de sel, 50 g de beurre fondu.
- 1. Verser la farine dans un saladier et faire un puits au centre.
- 2. Ajouter les œufs, le sucre et le sel, puis mélanger.
- 3. Verser le lait petit à petit en fouettant pour éviter les grumeaux.
- 4. Ajouter le beurre fondu et laisser reposer la pâte une heure.
- 5. Faire cuire les crêpes dans une poêle chaude légèrement beurrée, une minute de chaque côté.
In English: make a well in the flour, add the eggs, sugar and salt, whisk in the milk gradually to avoid lumps, add the melted butter, rest the batter for an hour, then cook each crêpe for about a minute per side.
Going further
Want to talk about food with a teacher? Our French conversation lessons follow your interests. If you are preparing an exam, see our French exam preparation or take our free French level test.
Frequently asked questions
Should a French recipe be written in the infinitive or the imperative?
Both are correct. The infinitive (mélanger) is more neutral, the imperative (mélangez) speaks directly to the reader. Just keep the same choice throughout the recipe.
How much is a cuillère à soupe?
A cuillère à soupe is about 15 ml, like a tablespoon. A cuillère à café is about 5 ml, like a teaspoon.
What does thermostat 6 mean in a French recipe?
It is the old French oven scale. Thermostat 6 equals 180 °C: multiply the number by 30 to get degrees Celsius.
What are the sections of a French recipe?
Ingredients with quantities, equipment, preparation and cooking times, then the numbered steps.
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