“French Tacos” are All the Rage. They aren’t French & They aren’t Tacos.
“French Taco” is the very definition of an oxymoron. The French do not do Mexican food. They are about as likely to serve you a Mexican dish as they are to offer up a bowl of buttered grits.
The one and only time we ate in a Mexican restaurant in France, they were offering margaritas with sugar around the rim. Only just recently has my grocery store started carrying canned black beans; I found them on the international isle, specifically the Middle Eastern section, next to the tahini. But I have just discovered that French Tacos, which are not tacos and have little French connection, are le fast food du jour, in big cities in France.
I have actually never seen these in the wild, but there are plenty of recipes out there. They really have little to do with anything Mexican, but they have to do with really down and dirty fast food. Which is probably why I haven’t seen them here. No proper Bourgundian would stoop so low.
The weak Mexican connection is a large tortilla wrap used as the base. They are more burrito than taco. Wrapped inside the tortilla, there are three essential ingredients. You may make other additions, but you must not vary from the big three: chopped, sautéed meat, preferabley Meurguez sausage but beef or chicken can also be used; french fries; and the French touch, a gruyère cheese sauce. The whole thing gets grilled in a panini press, eaten with the fingers (also very un-French) and dipped in a spicy sauce. It sounds fabulously unhealthy and possibly delicious.
So in Paris and the South especially, they apparently are a thing. Is it still fast food if you make it from scratch at home? Let’s decide not, and give them a spin. I tried them you don’t have to, though if you were spotted in your kitchen at midnight munching on a french fry and sausage sandwich, who’s to judge?
I don’t have a Panini press, so I pressed them down with a heavy skillet. If I made them again (I will not be making them again), I would skip this step, which makes the fries mushy. Also stuffing them with meat is a step too far for me, much to the disappointment of my carnivore husband. So I subbed in a savory mix of sautéed mushrooms. But feel free to pursue your fast food dreams in any way you would like.
Lest you think this is an all day project, let’s talk about those french fries. Go in any French grocery store these days, and you may find a whole aisle full of frozen french fries of various types. And if done right, they are actually very good, better than most french fries you can get in a bistro. So I am not above using this shortcut.
On-line reviews of the French Taco ranged from “best thing I’ve ever tasted” to “bland and boring”, though the dipping sauce helps with that. Below, the results of our French Taco experiment, ready for you to try chez vous.
RECIPE: French Tacos
Get the biggest wraps you can find. You might want to get the spinich or tomato ones, to add flavor.
Start by putting your frozen fries in a hot oven or air fryer (*see tips below).
While they cook, sauté some meat of your choice, chopped up fine. (I used shitake mushrooms instead of meat). Add garlic and onions if you like. You will want to season this agressively. Toward the end of cooking, sprinkle on your favorite flavors. Smoked paprika, chipolte chili powder, cumin, soy sauce, whatever makes you happy.
Stir together some grated gruyère and creme fraîche or sour cream, thinning it with a bit of milk or wine to make a sauce. Put the meat in the center, top with french fries, and smother it with the sauce. Fold all four sides over, like a burrito. Sauté them in a bit of oil, 3 or 4 minutes per side. Or use a panini press, if you have one. Cut in half and serve.
A dipping sauce is recommended, and some version of the easy-to-whip-up Pink Sauce is the go-to choice (my recipe is here), but spice it up with some hot sauce or harissa.
*To make frozen french fries good and crispy: If you have an air fryer, you know what to do. If like me you do them in the oven: I put them on a large sheet pan, and drizzle them lightly with olive oil and toss. Not too much oil, just enough to lightly coat them. Be sure they are well spread out; otherwise they will steam, instead of crisping up. I cook them a tad hotter than the instructions on the package, and I cook them quite a bit longer than they suggest, like 5 or 10 minutes longer, until they just start to brown around the edges.
And if you’ve had these, or if you make them, do tell!
In the COMMENTS: Anne, French TV becomes understandable for me with French sub-titles, it’s that little bit of help I need. But my other half needs the English ones, though he’s working hard on his French these days. And what a BRILLIANT idea, to put on the sub-titles for all young readers! I never thought of that.
Chris, good question. I’m a vegetarian (sometimes pescatarain), on ethical grounds, but I try not to make a fuss about it. So I eat meat when it’s served to me. It doesn’t actually happen often (as we age, most of our friends avoid a lot of meat). That doesn’t work for everybody, but it’s a decision I’ve made. And yes, the French villagers really pull togehter and work hard for these fêtes, it’s impressive.
Natalia, haha I think our pole dancing days are over! And thank you, as always, for recommending great books for us. See Natalias book-of-the-week below.
Favorite READS: Natalia’s book this week is Meet Me in Paris, by Kristin Harmel. Goodreads says it’s “Love Actually meets The Notebook”. Sounds like the perfect escape from the world’s current unpleasantness. I’ve just finished The Story of Arthur Truluv, by Elizabeth Berg, which will warm your heart.
