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It’s hard to think of a food-world persona more iconic, more influential, more beloved than Julia Child. In addition to writing seminal cookbooks, starring in paradigm-shifting television shows, and contributing to this magazine over many decades, she also became the subject of documentaries, SNL sketches, and even a Nora Ephron movie. (Surely, if a film like Julie & Julia does not represent the zenith of public affection, what would?) Yes, we’re talking about the Julia Child here.
If you’ve ever made a Julia Child recipe, you know it’s not for the unprepared, or the rushed, or the shortcut seeker. (Though all home cooks fit within those criteria at least some of the time.) But for the time and attention and extra effort at hunting down the right ingredients that her recipes occasionally demand, I have never made a dish of hers that was not worth it. Many of her recipes for F&W are actually quite simple — Child’s roast chicken, her quiche lorraine, to say nothing of omelets or beans — though all require what she called “a greed for perfection.” Take up that spirit as you explore these recipes, as well as the quality for which we loved her best: her infectious joy in the kitchen.
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Niçoise Salad
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Stylist Barrett Washburne
Julia Child’s take on the Provençal classic layers tender green beans, tomatoes, oil-packed tuna, anchovies, capers, and olives around dressed potatoes for a salad that is hearty enough to be a meal. Tossing the warm potatoes with a shallot-vinegar dressing means they absorb flavor as they cool. Serve with hard-boiled eggs and a punchy mustard vinaigrette.
Beef Stew
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
A signature from her first Food & Wine column, this long-simmered stew builds depth by marinating beef with aromatics and red wine, then browning in batches for a fond-rich base. “I love stews of all kinds, particularly those made with beef since I think that of all meats, it marries best with other flavors,” she wrote. “Beef also gives off appetizing aromas as it simmers away, filling the kitchen — if not the whole house — with the promise of good food.”
Midsummer Fruit Tart
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Kelsey Moylan / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
Julia Child’s free-form tart uses a rich, cookie-like dough and a thin cheesecake-style layer to anchor peak-season fruit. Lacking a quiche ring, her longtime assistant Stephanie Hersh devised a clever substitute made out of aluminum foil in order to maintain the dough’s shape. This reicpe works with any ripe fruit; once arranged, brush with a jam-rum glaze for sheen.
Quiche Lorraine
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling Debbie Wee
Julia Child’s definitive quiche balances a flaky pastry shell with a silky custard enriched by crisp bacon and nutty Gruyère. The technique relies on blind-baking the crust and careful timing for the custard to ensure it sets without overcooking. Serve warm with a simply dressed green salad.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
This celebratory four-layer cake contrasts the crunch of poppy seeds with tart lemon curd and lemon buttercream. The rum syrup, which the cake layers are brushed with, can be made well in advance. Child liked to sprinkle the finished cake with poppy seeds for extra crunch — and to hide any imperfections in her frosting technique.
Home Fries
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee
Inspired by James Beard’s diner-style method, Julia parboils potatoes, then crisps them in a mix of butter and oil for a browned, craggy crust with a creamy interior. The key is to dry the spuds well and resist the urge to stir so a crust forms before flipping.
Perfect Sandwich Bread
Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
This everyday white loaf uses a preferment for deeper flavor and a better ability to keep fresh. Mix the dough just to elasticity, then test to ensure proper gluten development before shaping. Once baked, it toasts beautifully and stands up to juicy fillings.
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne
A tender, velvety classic with a hint of coffee and dark rum, this gluten-free mousse cake achieves a texture somewhere between a cheesecake and flourless chocolate cake. Rich enough to not require frosting, it’s delicious served warm with a dollop of whipped cream.
Julia Child’s Favorite Roast Chicken
Julia Hartbeck
Julia Child seasons the bird inside and out, stuffs the cavity with sautéed aromatics, lemon, and herbs, then rubs the skin with butter, and trusses the legs for even cooking. Once the chicken is out of the oven, a quick reduction of its pan juices with stock yields a fragrant, deeply savory sauce.
Mashed Potatoes with Garlic
Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell
Julia Child melts garlic into butter then bulks it up with flour, milk, salt, and pepper. The potatoes are boiled and passed through a ricer, then cooked briefly over medium heat and flavored with butter, salt, and white pepper. Stir the garlic sauce into the hot potatoes just before serving, then add a hint of cream for an extra smooth (but not too thin) final product.
Bûche de Noël
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
This gorgeous holiday centerpiece is a project bake, no doubt about it. Made of Italian merinque mushrooms, an orange-almond sponge swiss roll, and a chocolate-coffee buttercream that fills the cake and forms the Bûche de Noël’s gorgeous bark. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary for a snowy, woodland finish.
Ham Steaks in Madeira Sauce
Inspired by the Burgundian jambon à la morvandelle popularized by famous French chef Alexandre Dumaine, this recipe was named one of F&W’s 40 best-ever recipes in 2018. On the table in under a half hour, this weeknight-friendly entrée bathes seared ham steaks in a Madeira-mushroom pan sauce enriched with cream and butter. Child called it one of her “fast entrées for fancy people.”
Molly McArdle
2025-11-04 16:58:00