- Flavor base
- Onion, carrot and celery; or onion, garlic, tomato and pepper
- Staple starches
- Bread, pasta, rice and potatoes
- Cooking fats
- Olive oil in the south, butter in the north
The flavor base
Many European dishes start with chopped vegetables cooked slowly in fat. Italian cooks call the onion, carrot and celery mix soffritto, and French cooks call it mirepoix. In Spain and Portugal, sofrito usually means onion, garlic, tomato and often pepper, cooked down in olive oil until sweet. Time is the key ingredient. The base should soften and color gently, never burn.
Spices to know
European cooking relies more on herbs than spices. Oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay, parsley and basil appear across the south. Saffron colors Spanish paella and Italian risotto alla milanese. Spanish pimentón and Hungarian paprika are central to their cuisines, and black pepper is everywhere. Nutmeg turns up in white sauces and some pasta fillings.
Signature dishes
| Dish | Where | What it is, in general terms |
|---|---|---|
| Paella | Valencia, Spain | Short-grain rice cooked in a wide, shallow pan with saffron. The Valencian version uses rabbit, chicken and beans; seafood versions came later. |
| Risotto | Northern Italy | Starchy short-grain rice stirred with hot broth until creamy, then finished with butter and cheese. |
| Ragù | Italy | A slow-cooked meat sauce for pasta. Each region has its own, and the Bologna version uses only a little tomato. |
| Moussaka | Greece and the Balkans | Layers of eggplant and spiced meat sauce, baked under a custard or white sauce in the Greek style. |
| Bouillabaisse | Marseille, France | A fish stew of several kinds of local fish, with saffron, fennel and orange peel, served with garlicky sauce on toast. |
| Bacalhau | Portugal | Dried salt cod, soaked for a day or more, then cooked in many ways: with potatoes, eggs, olives or cream. |
| Goulash | Hungary | A soup or stew of beef, onions and plenty of paprika. The Hungarian original is closer to a soup than many versions abroad. |
Region by region
Italian food is intensely regional. The north uses more butter, rice and polenta, and the south more olive oil, dried pasta and tomatoes. Spanish food shifts from the seafood of Galicia to the rice dishes of Valencia and the tapas traditions of many cities. Greek cooking centers on olive oil, lemon, oregano, vegetables and grilled meat or fish. French cooking ranges from the butter and cream of Normandy to the olive oil and garlic of Provence, and its techniques shaped professional kitchens worldwide. Portuguese cooks are known for salt cod, grilled sardines and custard tarts.
Further north and east, cooks use more potatoes, cabbage, rye, dill and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, and paprika runs through Hungarian cooking.
Respect the ingredients
Many European cuisines put simple dishes on a pedestal and judge them by the ingredients. A tomato sauce with only tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and basil depends entirely on good tomatoes and oil. Several products, such as certain cheeses, hams and vinegars, carry protected names in the European Union that tie them to a place and method.
Cooking these dishes at home
- Spend time on the soffritto or sofrito. Twenty minutes over low heat is common.
- Salt pasta water well and save a cup of it. Its starch helps sauces cling.
- Do not stir paella once the rice is in. The crust on the bottom, called socarrat, is prized.
- Choose canned whole tomatoes for sauce when fresh ones are out of season.
Five things to buy first
- Good olive oil
- Canned whole tomatoes
- Dried oregano and bay leaves
- A hard aged cheese
- Dried pasta or short-grain rice
More on storing and using these on the spices and pantry page.
Europe questions
Is the "Mediterranean diet" the same as Mediterranean cooking?
No. The Mediterranean diet is an eating pattern described by nutrition researchers. Mediterranean cooking is the far wider range of dishes cooked around the sea. For diet advice, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian.
Should pasta be cooked al dente?
Most Italian cooks cook pasta until it is tender but still firm in the center, then finish it briefly in the sauce. Follow the package time as a guide and taste a minute or two early.