An inspirational cookbook from a pioneering duo in Paris reveals the power of travel and sideways culinary thinking
Shirley Garrier and Mathieu Zouhairi are the founders of The Social Food, a creative studio specialising in food design, styling, and photography.
Known for their immensely popular Instagram account, where they share recipes and explore the world of cooking, they work in collaboration with the most acclaimed chefs and restaurants in Paris.
With their unique approach to tweaking and improving French classics by adding a soupçon of exoticism or creative flair thanks to ingredients and recipes discovered on their wide-reaching travels, they are viewed by some as the most exciting duo in the Parisian culinary scene.
Their book The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired By The Flavors Of The World will appeal to discerning epicureans, and is the must-have guide for anyone looking to master their unique take on shopping for, preparing –and most importantly – enjoying tasty food. Inspired by their love for travel, their contemporary approach to cooking is enhanced by ingredients and techniques brought back from their numerous adventures.
Blending French, Japanese, Vietnamese, Italian, and Spanish culinary traditions, each recipe packs complex flavours while requiring minimal effort using simple, everyday ingredients that anyone can source.
With sandwiches, rice, soups, fish, desserts, pasta, cocktails, and more, the dynamic plates radiate freshness and vibrancy.
In this recipe from the book, spot the unique twist they give some French classics: nuoc mam (fish sauce) to add a special flavour to caramelised onion soup.
Caramelized Onion Soup
Preparation: 10 min
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Cooking: 40 min
Serves: four people
Ingredients
4 yellow onions
2.5 teaspoons sugar
4.25 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon nuoc mam
1 teaspoon white pepper
3.5oz grated Emmental cheese
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
12 slices baguette
4 sprigs thyme
This recipe calls for four yellow onionsNUM LPPHOTO / Shutterstock
Method
1. Thinly slice the onions.
2. In a pot, dissolve the sugar in 1 tablespoon cold water over low heat.
3. As soon as it begins to foam, add the onions. Stir to combine, and cook over low heat for 4 minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth, the nuoc mam, and the white pepper. Continue cooking over low heat for 30 minutes, until the liquid cooks down.
5. In a bowl, combine the grated Emmental cheese with the crème fraîche. Spread the mixture over the bread slices.
6. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, and bake at 350F (180C) for 5 minutes. Serve the soup in bowls topped with the cheesy bread slices and the thyme.
Extract from The Social Food: Home Cooking Inspired By The Flavours Of The World. Text and Photographs by Shirley Garrier and Mathieu Zouhairi. Foreword by Julien Dô Lê Pham; Rizzoli New York, £29.95
