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In the 17th century, cooks improved gastronomic techniques, reducing the consumption of meat and sugar. Fattier sauces stood out, highlighting butter, eggs and cream. The introduction of roux, a broth thickening technique, was crucial. Emulsified sauces such as beurre blanc and hollandaise sauce emerged. Innovations included improved meat broths, featured vegetables, and the court of Louis XIV enjoying salads and fruit in abundance, marking the development of gardening and fruit cultivation.

In the sophisticated 17th century, the trend of mousses emerged, providing an elegant way to "consume without the sudden spectacle of chewing". During this period, jams, jellies and marmalades emerged, elevating the status of tea, coffee and chocolate to elegant drinks. The technique of laminating with butter, developed by LaVarenne, results in the creation of puff pastry. The influence of haute cuisine goes beyond the aristocracy, also transforming the tables of the bourgeoisie. The profession of butler, centered on hygiene and table service, is formally established. The individual use of a knife, fork and spoon becomes common, as does the napkin. Until 1750, tableware reached its definitive form, including the incorporation of the teaspoon. Metal dishes predominate, while the ceramics introduced by Catherine de Medici remain discreet.

Onion soup, known as "poor man's soup" since ancient times due to its simplicity and accessibility, became famous for its gratin version. A legend attributes its origin to King Louis XV, who, during a hungry night, improvised the recipe with onions, butter and champagne in his hunting lodge. Another theory suggests that the soup was originally a peasant dish due to the ease of growing and storing onions. The highlight of onion soup au gratin occurred in Les Halles, Paris, in the 19th century, when restaurant owners added grated cheese and grilled bowls of soup, making it more substantial for the neighborhood's workers and night owls. The dish became known as "Gratinée des Halles".

Since ancient times, the ability of migratory birds to accumulate energy reserves in liver cells before migration, transforming it into "foie gras" through the accumulation of fat, has been recognized. This gastronomic method is more than two thousand years old, being recorded in Egyptian bas-reliefs that show the fattening of cranes with corn. This technique was also employed by the Greeks and Romans, who used figs to fatten geese. Thus, "foie gras" is not a French invention, but rather rediscovered by them centuries later. "Foie gras" consists of the fattened liver of goose or duck, served as an appetizer or as an ingredient in various recipes, such as Turkey in foie gras sauce. Only in the 16th century did it become a noble and famous product, standing out for the "pâté en croûte" recipe invented by royal cooks and served to King Louis XVI.

The traditional version uses filet mignon, tender and tasty meat, chopped and stored on ice until just before serving. The seasonings include egg yolk, red onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, chives, pepper, pickles, among others, according to the chef's recipe. The Tartars had the custom of salting raw meat and placing it under the saddle of their horses, with the purpose of softening the meat fibers and removing excess blood. During meals, they removed the salt, ground the meat and consumed it raw, highlighting the flavor of the meat. Its possible origin is associated with the German city of Hamburg, where raw ground meat was already served with onions and bread crumbs. Regardless of origin, steak tartare became popular in France.