[RPMcMurphy]

what would it look like?

Looking to cook a dinner tomorrow, and wanted to do a nice french, from soup to nuts (or rather starter to dessert) that would kind of be the most standard french menu at a decent french restaurant, but something I'd be able to whip up at home (ya'll know my lack of ability) You guys know I don't mind hard/long process, so as long as I can get it done by say 8pm if I start at say...noon....I'm all for it.

I got Mastering the art of French cooking and the new Robuchon book, but the way they are layed out it's hard for me to put together a nice menu...

I have a bottle of Bordeaux in the wine fridge....

[bbally]

Consommé with Classic Cut Vegetable garnish

consommé is tough to pull off correctly, but done correctly it is magic.

Romain salad with homemade classic vinaigrette, finished with goat cheese.

Coquilles St. Jacques

French scallops are always a good call!

Beef Bourguignonne

Another classic that is timeless. Don't be lazy you are cooking French, I want to see fluted mushrooms and pealed pearl onions for garnish!

French crêpes

Finish with this classic, flaming and oh so good, 'Nuff said!

[Suzanne]

bbally's sounds pretty "classic" to me -- but may I offer an alternate menu?

Onion soup -- not as reliant on clarification, but still needs good stock (which I'm sure you have )

Terrine de foies de volailles -- chicken liver terrine

Lobster à l'Américaine -- especially since lobster prices are down
or
Coq au vin rouge

Frisée or curly endive salad with the aforementioned vinaigrette and cheese, following the main rather than between soup and app, in its proper place as a palate clearer

Profiteroles

[shroomgirl]

Yummmmm....could not help but chime in......


Veal Banquette is also a rich heart warming dish...either Coq au vin or Beef Bourguignon are classics too.

I'm a cheese head and would opt for a cheese course.

Chocolate Moose (sp?)

The menus seem very rich.....guess that's old school cooking/eating.....

Some of the French dinners I've been to this past year were in the summer and much lighter......
Pinochine olives
crudite with bagna cruda (sp?)
cheesey gougere

Vegetable Soup, Robochon's I believe.....veg stock, large dice veg....

Chanterelle Terrine with loads of eggs cooked to sci fi raw/doneness...Robochon's again

Another meal had a wild shroom tart

Green Salad, vinagrette....so nice.....I learned to put the dressing at the bottom of the bowl with lettuces on top and mix at appropriate time.

Apricot and Walnut Breads (Robochon) to go with specific cheeses

Strawberry Cream Cake

These were prepared by a friend and his Parisian girlfriend, they transverse the atlantic living in both STL and Paris.....they met at a train station going on a wild mushroom foray.


If I were making a country French dinner tonight it'd look something like this....

Olives
Radishes, butter & salt
possibly gougere....



Daniel's soup is so simple and delicious, saute onion in pot, add cubed veg and pour water up to the veg line. Cover and boil (not hard boil but cooking) for approx 20-30 minutes until veg is tender.....puree and run through a fine mesh strainer (makes a difference in mouth feel and if you are making a nice dinner worth the effort).
Butternut Soup ala Daniel Boulud.....simple.....top with whatever suits your fancy..I serve with gouda biscuits and if handy sauted chanterelles, today I don't have any in the freezer nor are they looking good at the wholesaler so I'd top with toasted pumpkin seeds or a brittle. A buddy of mine makes his with duck cracklins and sauted duck breast....dang I love his soup!

Or Beet Soup Puree (again water base) with Sherry vinegar syrup and chevre

chicken liver with Grand Marnier and currants


Skate wings buerre blanc
green veg, soubise

Leafy salad no goo just good vinaigrette

Cheese Course, pull in some honey comb, nuts, pears

Chocolate Mousse or Caramel with fluer sel or both.......

[RPMcMurphy]

Geez, every Coq Au Vin recipe I find is pretty much completely different from the next. Anyone recommend one?

Thanks for the ideas. headed to the store in a few.

[bbally]

Originally Posted by RPMcMurphy

Geez, every Coq Au Vin recipe I find is pretty much completely different from the next. Anyone recommend one?

Thanks for the ideas. headed to the store in a few.

If you are serving it today you can not make Coq Au Vin as it requires a prior day prep. At least the classic does.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by RPMcMurphy

Geez, every Coq Au Vin recipe I find is pretty much completely different from the next. Anyone recommend one?

Thanks for the ideas. headed to the store in a few.

Can you deal with this?

First, go to Chinatown and get yourself a live chicken. Slit the throat and pump the heart to save the blood.

[RPMcMurphy]

"You guys know I don't mind hard/long process, so as long as I can get it done by say 8pm if I start at say...noon....I'm all for it."


always falls on deaf ears huh?

haha.

Perhaps Julias recipe, which is less than 2 days to make, will suffice.

[RPMcMurphy]

OK, so my menu that I'm making today...

Soupe a l'Oignon Gratinee

Moules A La Mariniere

Faux Au Vin (Faux because I'm only taking 1 day to cook it)

Brie

Crepes Suzette

I forgot I had a tupperware of delicious Onion soup I made a few weeks ago, and some Gruyere as well, so I just threw that in there.....Mussels were 99 cents a lb so 80cents for mussels.

[bbally]

Originally Posted by RPMcMurphy

[INDENT][I]Soupe a l'Oignon Gratinee
Moules A La Mariniere
Faux Au Vin (Faux because I'm only taking 1 day to cook it)
Brie
Crepes Suzette
....Mussels were 99 cents a lb so 80cents for mussels.

What are you doing to the brie? En croate

[Anneke]

Originally Posted by bbally

What are you doing to the brie? En croate

Argh! Please don't!!!!!! It's like putting the Mona Lisa in an Ikea frame!

What did you get? a 'proper' Brie de Meaux?

[RPMcMurphy]

Originally Posted by Anneke

Argh! Please don't!!!!!! It's like putting the Mona Lisa in an Ikea frame!

What did you get? a 'proper' Brie de Meaux?

just on some crackers. and just have some that I picked up on sale from the supermarket...nothing special, but still good.

[bbally]

Originally Posted by Anneke

Argh! Please don't!!!!!! It's like putting the Mona Lisa in an Ikea frame!

What did you get? a 'proper' Brie de Meaux?

May be so, but it puts money in the bank!

[boar_d_laze]

I hate to rain on your parade but you've got a soup, a soup/stew, and a stew as your first three courses. Too much liquid. You need something solid in there. Also, too heavy.

If it's not too late, you could start with a simple salad, follow with the moules, then a roast chicken with jus or perhaps a fanicer sauce, your cheese plate, the crepes Suzette and some serious coffee.

Hold off on the onion soup (a meal all by itself), and the coq au vin for other days. You've got all the ingredients to make the change -- hope this didn't get to you too late.

BDL

[RPMcMurphy]

too late but I did skip the onion soup. And the mussels came out horrible. The faux au vin came out awesome and. Ow we are finishing up the bottle of wine before crepes. Details to follow when I'm not typing from my iPhone.