7 Super-Simple Jacques Pépin Recipes (2024)

According to legendary chef Jacques Pépin, a true chef knows how to take a basic, simple, unremarkable dish like a hamburger or hot dog and make it into something amazing. He is a man who practices what he preaches. Here, seven of Pépin's best and simplest dishes.

Jacques Pépin's Favorite Pound Cake

The French call pound cake quatre-quarts ("four-fourths") because it was originally made with equal parts flour, sugar, eggs, and butter. Jacques Pépin's mother, aunt, and cousin all have their versions. He likes to fold in candied citrus peels to make a French fruit cake; he also loves plain slices dipped in espresso.

Quick-Roasted Chicken with Mustard

For this delicious, mustardy chicken, Pépin splits the chicken and cuts between the leg and shoulder joints to halve the cooking time.

Country Apple Galette

Pépin loves to serve this delicate apple tart as a buffet dessert, since it's beautiful, easy to slice, and simple to eat, pizza-style, while standing. The miraculously easy and versatile pastry dough for this galette comes together in a food processor in less than 20 seconds and can be filled with all sorts of fruits or vegetables.

Crunchy Cabbage Salad

Sometimes Pépin makes this simple salad with just one color of cabbage; sometimes he arranges it in alternating rows of color. The salty-tangy dressing would also be delicious on other crisp salad greens.

Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Pépin uses leftover cooked meat from a roast, stew, or even steak to make these meatballs. They're topped with a quick-cooking tomato sauce dotted with tangy green olives.

Margherita Tortilla Pizzas

Pépin makes quick pizzas with pita bread, lavash, or flour tortillas. The possibilities for these quick pizzas are endless.

Maple-Baked Sweet Potatoes

The secret to these delicious sweet potatoes is to parboil them. It shortens the cooking time and keeps them moist.