For episode 9 of Around the World in 80 Dates, we’re heading to France for a cosy, restaurant-worthy date night at home. Think rich French onion soup topped with crusty bread and bubbling Gruyère, perfectly cooked steak frites with a homemade Café de Paris butter sauce, and crème brûlée with that satisfying crack of caramelised sugar on top.
This is the perfect menu for when you want to make a little more effort for date night without booking a restaurant. Each course feels a little fancy, but everything is made with simple ingredients and is absolutely worth the extra time. Light a few candles, pour a glass of wine and let’s bring a little Parisian bistro energy into your kitchen!
Starter: French Onion Soup for Two
Slowly caramelised onions are the secret to a really good French onion soup. They become sweet, golden and full of flavour, creating the perfect base for a rich beef broth. Finished with toasted bread and melted Gruyère cheese, this is such a comforting way to start your French date night.
Ingredients
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
100ml white wine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
500ml beef broth (I used bone broth)
2 bay leaves
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sliced crusty bread, for topping
Gruyère cheese, grated
Method
Caramelise the onions. Add the butter and olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced onions and stir to coat. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the onions to soften.
Remove the lid, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue cooking for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden, soft and caramelised. Take your time with this step, as the onions are what give the soup its signature sweetness and depth of flavour.
Build the flavour. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring it through the onions until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium, add the flour and stir well to coat the onions. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any flavourful bits from the bottom. Stir until the wine has mostly evaporated.
Pour in the beef broth and add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme and Dijon mustard. Stir everything together, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes to let the flavours develop.
Prepare the cheesy topping. Preheat the grill to high. Ladle the soup into two small ovenproof bowls and place them on a sturdy baking tray. Top each bowl with a slice of toasted crusty bread and a generous handful of grated Gruyère.
Place under the grill for 3–4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, golden and bubbling. Keep an eye on it, as the cheese can brown quickly. Serve immediately while the soup is piping hot.
Don't have ovenproof soup bowls? Simply grill the cheese-topped bread separately and place it on top of the soup just before serving.
Main: Steak Frites with Homemade Café de Paris Sauce
Steak frites is a French bistro classic, and the homemade Café de Paris sauce is what makes this version feel extra special. It's rich, buttery and packed with flavour from fresh herbs, anchovies, capers, Dijon mustard and a little cayenne pepper. Serve it over a perfectly seared steak with crispy fries for a date-night main that feels like something you'd order at your favourite steakhouse.
Ingredients
For the steak frites
2 ribeye or fillet steaks
Olive oil, for frying
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Butter, garlic and thyme for basting
Fries, enough for two, cooked according to the packet instructions
For the Café de Paris sauce (makes a bit extra than you will need)
150g butter
15g fresh parsley
15g fresh tarragon
15g fresh chives
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 anchovy fillets
1 teaspoon capers
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
A squeeze of lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
A little water, to loosen the sauce if needed
Method
Make the Café de Paris sauce. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Once it is melted and gently bubbling, add the chopped shallot and anchovy fillets. Stir for 2–3 minutes, breaking down the anchovies as they cook.
Add the garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper, then cook for another minute until fragrant. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice until combined.
Add the cooled butter and shallot mixture to a blender along with the capers, parsley, tarragon, chives and a good crack of black pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped and the sauce is mostly smooth, adding a little water if needed to help everything blend.
Bring the sauce together. Slowly pour the blended mixture into the egg yolk mixture in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously until everything is combined. This helps create a rich, emulsified sauce. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the meal.
Cook the fries. Get your fries cooking according to the packet instructions, timing them so they are ready around the same time as your steaks.
Prepare the steaks. Pat the steaks completely dry with kitchen paper and season generously on both sides with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. When the fries have around 15 minutes left, heat a heavy-based frying pan or cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot.
Add a small drizzle of olive oil, then carefully place the steaks into the pan. For a thick-cut steak, cook for around 3 minutes on each side, adjusting the timing depending on the thickness of your steak and your preferred doneness. Thinner steaks may only need around 1½ minutes per side.
Towards the end of cooking, add a knob of butter to the pan and spoon the melted butter over the steaks for the final minute. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Finish the sauce and serve. While the steaks rest, gently warm the Café de Paris sauce in a pan over very low heat, stirring continuously. If it becomes too thick, add a splash of water. Avoid boiling the sauce, as the egg yolk can scramble and the butter can separate.
Slice the rested steaks and serve alongside the crispy fries. Spoon a generous tablespoon or two of the Café de Paris sauce over each steak, with extra on the side for dipping your fries. Finish with a little flaky sea salt and enjoy!
Dessert: Crème Brûlée for Two (my recipe didn't turn out as good as others might)
No French date night would be complete without crème brûlée. This classic dessert combines a smooth, vanilla-infused custard with a thin layer of caramelised sugar that cracks beautifully under your spoon. I unfortunately over baked mine so you might want to play around with it or cook it for less than I did (it was still delicious just a bit thicker)
Ingredients
300ml double cream
3 egg yolks
A pinch of salt
Vanilla, to taste
60g sugar, plus extra for the caramelised topping
Method
Heat the cream. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Add the double cream, salt and vanilla to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, then let it simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Prepare the custard. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Slowly pour the warm cream into the egg mixture in a thin stream, whisking continuously to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Fill the ramekins. Divide the custard mixture between two ramekins. For an extra-smooth finish, you can strain the mixture through a fine sieve before pouring.
Bake in a water bath. Place the ramekins in a deep ovenproof dish and carefully pour hot water into the dish until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Transfer to the oven and bake for around 35 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centres still have a slight wobble.
Chill the custards. Carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath and leave them to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3–4 hours, or until completely chilled and set.
Create the brûlée topping. Just before serving, sprinkle a thin, even layer of sugar over each custard. Use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelise the sugar until melted, golden and crisp. Allow the topping to harden for a minute or two before serving.
No blowtorch? Place the sugared ramekins under a very hot grill for a few minutes, watching closely to prevent burning. Make sure the custards are thoroughly chilled first.
My French Date Night Tips
Give the onions time. Don't rush the caramelisation process for the French onion soup. Slowly cooking the onions develops their natural sweetness and gives the broth a much deeper flavour.
Make the dessert ahead. Crème brûlée needs plenty of time to chill, so prepare it in the morning or the night before. You only need to caramelise the sugar just before serving.
Rest your steak. Letting the steak rest before slicing helps keep it juicy and tender. Use this time to finish the sauce and get everything onto your plates.
Keep the sauce gentle. Café de Paris sauce is rich and buttery, so warm it over very low heat and avoid letting it boil. This helps maintain its smooth texture.
And there you have it, a French-inspired three-course date night made entirely at home! From the rich, cheesy onion soup to the steak frites with homemade Café de Paris sauce and the classic crème brûlée, this menu is perfect for bringing a little French bistro magic to your next date night.
