A French Bistro Menu for Your Next Dinner Party
So often we save French food for special nights out. There is something about the cuisine that feels indulgent (maybe it’s the loads of butter and cheese?) and it seems like it would be hard to prepare IMO. For my last dinner party, I challenged myself to compile a menu that was about 98% gluten-free – so, healthy-ish – and able to be whipped up in under a few hours of prep time. my eye is now open to adding more of this to my weekly meal planning as I found it’s all about the dressings which are so easy to make. Obviously, there is nothing like a trip to the City of Lights. A meal at Raoul’s might hold you over for a bit but if you’re truly craving Paris on the regs this is a small start to have it whenever your heart desires. If you sneak a Gauloises after all of your hard work in the kitchen I won’t tell a soul.
TO START
- Charcuterie Board with//
- French cheese assortment
- Pate de Campagne
- Marcona Almonds
- Olive Tapenade
- Cornichon
- Fresh Baguette
MAIN
- Roasted Chicken from Poulet Sans Tête in NYC
SIDES
- Lentil Salad [RECIPE]
- Wild Arugula Salad inspired by Tartine Restaurant, NYC [RECIPE]
- Herbed French Fries
- Sauteed Mushrooms
DESSERT
- Pear Tart from Patisserie Claude in NYC
WINES
- Beaujolais
- White Burgundy
- Champagne
If you’ve never thrown a dinner party and creating your own dinner party menu feels daunting, don’t stress! Some ways I get inspired are to think of my favorite travels or of the dishes I love locally and think about how I can make them my own. I did that here with one of the salads. Another great resource for recipe ideas is Pinterest. So many great ideas that you can replicate or spin to make your own. Friends will be impressed when they find out it’s your own recipe and I guarantee they will be asking for it!
