Food & Drink

Frozen food gets a fancy French upgrade at new uptown shop

In an era — and a city — obsessed with all things seasonal and local, opening a store devoted to frozen foods might seem counter-intuitive, but Elisabeth de Kergorlay insists it isn’t. On Wednesday, she is opening Babeth’s Feast (1422 Third Ave.) on the Upper East Side, a 1,700-square-foot emporium inspired by Picard, a popular chain of frozen food stores in France, that will stock 360 high-end frozen foods. Have a look at what’s for dinner:

Coq au vin

A French classic, de Kergorlay says her in-house team has perfected this chicken braised in red wine with vegetables, mushrooms and bacon. Invite some snobby friends over and let them be the judge. ($19.99, serves four to five people)

Chocolate lava cakes

“In France, most restaurants that don’t have a pastry chef use frozen chocolate cakes,” says de Kergorlay. “They come out perfect every time.” ($8.99 for two individual portions)

Coquilles St. Jacques

This traditional French dish of scallops and mushrooms in a white wine sauce even comes with the scallop shells for presentation. ($34.99 for two individual portions)