The Flavorful Fixings For a French Christmas Feast

As the holidays approach the City of Lights sparkles even more than usual. Beautifully decorated shopping centers and decked out window displays line the streets - but the best part about Christmas time in Paris is the food. Typical meals vary from region to region and many families disregard tradition altogether, but one thing is sure - the French know how to spend the holidays indulging in their national passion for food.

In France, “Le Reveillon de Noel” is celebrated on Christmas Eve. Dating back to the 19th century and rooted in Catholic tradition this late-night feast took place after midnight or whenever people returned home from mass. Today, many families eat earlier in the evening but the classic menu items have more or less remained the same. The reveillon is often a long and elaborate event consisting of several courses being served one after the other with plenty of breaks in between for conversation and drinks. Typically the meal starts with aperitifs, a variety of bite-size amuse-bouches accompanied by champagne or wine followed by the proper sit-down meal (and of course an impressive range of more wine). Gourmet from start to finish, this feast is one of the biggest culinary celebrations of the year.

If you’re curious to know more about classic French Christmas foods, here are seven festive favorites.

Caviar

Seeing as le Reveillon is a truly decadent affair it’s the prime time to splurge on food items reserved for special occasions. To get the party started caviar is served as an aperitif, intended to help line the stomach and wet the palette. While most believe caviar is best simply prepared, it often served on top of small buckwheat pancakes, known as blinis, with a dollop of sour cream.

Oysters

It may seem odd to have seafood at Christmas but the French, especially Parisians, are very fond of slurping up chilled oysters as an appetizer. Maybe these aphrodisiacs help diners get in the mood for more food. Fun fact - around half of all oysters eaten in France are consumed between Christmas and New Year’s.

Foie gras

For ethical and taste reasons foie gras is not everyone’s cup of tea. Nevertheless, it is seen as a special treat that is synonymous with Christmas in France. Rich and buttery in flavor, foie gras pairs well with sweet wine and tends to be served with slices of toast alongside fig or onion confit.

Escargots

Contrary to popular belief snails aren’t eaten as often in France as the stereotype leads us to think. However, during Christmas and particularly in the Burgundy region, escargot is likely to make an appearance. Typically they are enjoyed as an appetizer with a clove of melted garlic and parsley butter sauce.

You can try authentic French food like escargot on one of our Flavors of Paris food tours!

Coquilles Saint Jacques

Another popular seafood starter for the Reveillon feast are scallops. Although there are hundreds of options when it comes to preparing coquilles Saint Jacques, the most classic recipe is made with winter vegetables and cream sauce. For a real flavor blast, scallops are occasionally sautéed with a foie gras sauce.

Roast Turkey or Capon

Similar to other Christmas feasts around the world, roast turkey with a chestnut stuffing is perhaps the most traditional hearty meat dish. You won’t find monster-sized turkeys in France as you do in North America though. Flavors of Paris founder, Lisa Rankin, recounted chatting with a wine-maker in Bordeaux a few years ago. Lisa remembers the vintner telling her about a visit to Canada during Thanksgiving, how astonished she was at the size of the turkey, and how she couldn’t believe it actually fit into the oven!

Capon, or castrated rooster, is also often used as it is extremely tender, juicy and flavorful. Sides can include green beans wrapped in bacon, roasted vegetables and potatoes.

Bûche de Noël

Literally translating to Christmas log, bûche de Noël is the quintessential holiday dessert. This delicious Swiss roll cake is usually chocolate flavored and layered with silky buttercream. Shaped to look like a real wood log some choose to make it more naturalistic by topping the cake with adorable meringue mushrooms, almond-paste holly leaves and snow-like confectioners sugar.

Feeling Inspired?

Check out these recipes to add some French flair to your Christmas meal:

• 10 Classic French Christmas Recipes

• Pain d’Epices – French Spice Bread
  
  

13 Spooky Things To Do In Paris

Pere La Chaise Cemetery

Halloween is approaching and in a city as old as Paris there’s no escaping the darker side of its past. After all, a city full of history is a city full of ghosts. If you’re looking for something fun to do this spooky season (or anytime of the year) here are 13 ways to celebrate the occasion.

1. Get your thrill on in the catacombes

Buried 20 meters underneath Paris is a labyrinth of tunnels holding the remains of more than six million people. Formerly used as mining tunnels the ossuary known as the catacombes was created during the late 1700’s as an effort to reduce the overflowing cemeteries. It took the city 12 years to transfer all the bones and during the French Revolution the dead were directly buried in the catacombes.

The city no longer uses the ossuary as a burial ground and a little more than a mile of the catacombes is open for the public to explore today. Expect to spend about an hour on the visit with the option of having a guide, audio guide, or braving it solo.

 https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en 

2. Go ghost hunting in Paris’ cemeteries

Located in the 20th arrondissement, the Pere Lachaise cemetery is the largest and most visited necropolis in Paris. Named after King Louis XIV’s confessor, Father François d’Aix de La Chaise, Pere Lachaise is the final resting place of some of history’s greatest writers, musicians, artists and politicians - including Frédéric Chopin, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison.

Brimming with winding paths, ornate tombs and religious statues you might just stumble upon something unexpected. Admission is free and guided tours take place on the weekends.

Other noteworthy cemeteries to check out: Montparnasse and Montmartre.

https://pere-lachaise.com/

3. Take a stab at The Paris Manor

Somewhat of a combination between a haunted house and museum the Manoir de Paris is an immersive theatrical experience drawing inspiration from Paris’ most frightening tales. Each room of the house is dedicated to a different legend brought to life with proper decoration, music, and actors. Open year-round, Manoir de Paris offers special limited-run shows during the holiday season as well as an escape room.

 http://www.lemanoirdeparis.com 

4. Explore the collection at the Museum of Vampires

Run by self-proclaimed “vampirologist” the Musee des Vampires is a private institution on the outskirts of Paris, far from most tourist hot spots. Reservations are required and you must book an appointment with the owner himself, Jaccques Sirgent.

Potentially the only vampire museum in the world, monsieur Sirgent’s one-room collection includes an anti-vampire kit, a mummified cat, crossbows, and an assortment of paraphernalia that he has obtained from several sources over the years. This eccentric attraction is sure to bring goosebumps and chills to all who dare enter.

http://artclips.free.fr/musee-inscrire/reservation-visit.htm

5. Take part in the immersive Live Thriller

Actively participate in a live police investigation staged in the center of Paris. Whether you’re exploring abandoned basements, analyzing crime scenes, interrogating, or taking part in street surveillance expect to be on edge as you hunt down a mysterious serial killer. Guided by professional actors you will face various scenarios leading you to one of four possible outcomes. The experience lasts over two hours and is designed for groups of two to six people.

 https://borderliveconcepts.com/en/thelivethriller/

6. Venture into the Crypt of the Pantheon

In the center of the Latin Quarter, the Pantheon is located just a few steps away from la Sorbonne. Originally a royal church, the Pantheon is now a memorial for many well known french writers, philosophers, and politicians. If the gruesome religious paintings in the entry aren’t enough to spook you head to the corridors that lead to the crypts. Pay homage to the likes of Voltaire, Rousseau, and Marie Curie as you visit the tombs that played a part in shaping the history of France.

 http://www.paris-pantheon.fr/en/ 

7. Brave it at the “Ghosts, Mysteries and Legends Night Walking Tour”

Discover the macabre side to the city of lights on a sinister night-time walk of Paris’ most eerie spots. Gain insight into the violent history as you learn about the murders, executions, plagues, and war that ravaged the capital. This two-hour guided tour starts at Pont Neuf and finishes at Hotel de Ville taking you on a journey of the city’s famous landmarks as well as its tucked-away streets off the beaten path. Embark on this spine-tingling tour to see a side of Paris that isn’t advertised on postcards.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g187147-d11449787-Ghosts_Mysteries_and_Legends_Night_Walking_Tour_of_Paris-Paris_Ile_de_France.html 

8. Visit the inspiration for Phantom of the Opera

Among the most beautiful monuments in Paris, the Palais Garnier is also one of the most mysterious. Adventure through one of the largest performing stages in Europe and discover where the inspiration for Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera was born (be sure to stop by vacant box #5 as it is reserved for the resident ghost). It can be quite hard to tell where myth and reality overlap in this decadent venue full of mirrored walls and hidden passages.

Guided, self-guided and virtual tours are available.

 https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/visits/palais-garnier 

9. Walk along rue des Chantres

Known among many as the most haunted street in Paris, rue des Chantres is tucked away behind Notre Dame along an easily missed side street. During the beginning of the 20th century disease and tuberculosis ravaged the city and apartments often served as makeshift care facilities when hospitals became overcrowded. The ground-floor apartments on this street were converted to house quarantined children that were free to play outside in the day but locked inside for security measures at night. One evening an abnormally large storm passed causing the Seine to flood and the children tragically drowned. Rumor has it that their ghosts can be seen playing in the courtyard.

10. Explore your senses at “Dans le Noir”

Dans le Noir might not be scary in the traditional sense but they do offer an unusual dining experience to guests who aren’t afraid of the dark. Dinner or lunch is served in pitch black with little information given in regards to the dishes and wine being brought out. The idea is that through limiting sense of sight, other senses are intensified (apparently even relations between people). Dans le Noir is also currently offering wine and aperitif tastings as well as perfume workshops.

 https://paris.danslenoir.com/en/

11. Wander the dark sewers at “Musée des Égouts”

If you’ve ever been curious about the sewers in Paris, Musée des Égouts is a unique way to discover the history and see the city from an underground perspective. You can learn about the evolution of the sewage system while wandering it’s dark, narrow (slightly creepy) passages. Found beneath the Quai d’Orsay, keep in mind that the museum is located in the actual sewer and is often damp and odorous. Currently under renovation, Musée des Égouts plans to reopen late October 2020.

 https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71499/Musee-des-egouts-de-Paris

12. Become spellbound at the Museum of Magic

Showcasing anything and everything that has to do with the art of magic this private museum located in the Marais is filled with optical illusions, antique props and a number of other curiosities. Learn about the history of magicians and the world of illusionists from the 18th century until today as wizards guide you through your visit.

Every tour concludes with a magic show fun for people of any age. In addition to workshops throughout the year, during the summer the museum even offers magic courses for children.

 https://www.museedelamagie.com

13. Do some spooky shopping

One of the magical things about Paris is that you can stumble onto a wonderfully eccentric store on almost any street. From curiosity cabinets to exterminator shops, Paris’ oddest stores can make you feel like you’re entering a different time period.

In the district of Les Halles you can find Aurouze Deratisation, the famous exterminator shop that made an appearance in the Disney film Ratatouille. The shop itself is not groundbreaking but the way they have chosen to do their advertising is. In the window you can see actual stuffed mice and rats wearing clothes and posing in bizarre ways.

Founded in 1831, Deyrolle is an institution and cabinet of curiosities situated in St-Germain-des-Pres. Animals ranging from tigers to giraffes to birds and insects preserved through taxidermy are displayed among every nook and cranny. Dedicated to maintaining a responsible taxidermy business the majority of animals in the collection were not hunted and killed.

Rumour has it that film director, Wes Anderson is a regular visitor!

https://deyrolle.com/#:~:text=46%2C%20rue%20du%20Bac%20-%2075007%20Paris%20%2B33,et%20presse%20%3A%20adele%40deyrolle.fr.%20Contact%20Boutique%20%3A%20contact%40deyrolle.fr