Fun and French menu for a dinner party
I'm trying to come up with a fun French menu for a dinner party. I don't mind complicated dishes as long as they come out good. So far I'm thinking a champagne course, a salad, an entree with 2 sides, a cheese board, and then I'm thinking of doing a cafe gourmand (with a cannele, Dorie's butter break ups, Dorie's jammers, and something with chocolate). And ideas would be greatly appreciated! All together I'm looking for ideas for munchies to serve with champagne, an interesting salad, entree and sides, and a chocolate dessert.
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16 Comments
ktmarblil, be sure to let us know what you make. And if you thought it was fun, come back and ask for advice for specific regions--we've let a lot of them run together here, and that's not really very French. In fact, when Patricia Wells was testing recipes for a general French cookbook, her friends in Provence were very confused. Then one of them thought she got it and said, "Oh, now I understand! You've been serving us California cuisine!"
Champagne and gougeres are lovely together....you could serve a simple soup as an entrée (the 1st course)- something pureed like cauliflower soup or a clear soup. The advantage also is that you can cook this ahead of time.
Then the meat course, perhaps with potatoes of some kind and a vegetable on the side.
Salad
Cheese plate
Dessert
Espresso.
That would be the traditional French order of a menu, anyways.
Oh, and asparagus is a great idea, but it would be better as an entree (the 1st course) White asparagus with a butter sauce is a classic start to a Spring menu. Prosciutto is Italian, not French....but still delicious of course.
Escargot on baguette slices with garlic butter would make a nice French canapé .
A glass of dubonnet would be nice with the cheeses.
For the cheese course; a stinky, runny, smells like the Feet of God Camembert. Or a washed rind epoisses.
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