Photo: The evening winds down at a friend’s home in Burgundy
Since Burgundy is the wine and food capital of France, dinner parties are not a matter to be taken lightly. They are great fun but they can be a marathon for the host. Here’s the deal: It will be a sit down affair. At the very least there will be a light nibbles, a first course, a main course, a cheese course, and a dessert course. This is followed by expresso and chocolates. There are various wines, of course. When you’re done, you’ve used a mountain of plates and platters and all the glasses in the house, maybe twice.
So how’s a cook to cope? I love to entertain, but I invariably find it takes me most of the day (or maybe two) to pull this all together.
I’ve learned some tricks along the way to make it plus facile. My latest: when we’re really behind in entertaining and we’ve got 6 or 7 couples on the invite list who have been sorely neglected, I divide them into two groups. Then I do one group one day, and the other group the next! This was Ron’s brilliant idea. You simply cook twice as much, same menu both days, and the flowers you put out will last the week. I only resort to this when we’re in serious entertaining debt—but haven’t you been there?
But here's another idea for a fast dinner party. Last week we were invited to dine at the home of our French friends Mireille and Michel, and Mireille taught me a thing or two with her fabulous menu. It was quick and easy to put together, and perfect for a chilly winter day. She shared her recipes with me–you don’t even need to measure anything. Merci Mireille, and happy entertaining to all!
RECIPES: Mireille’s Dinner Party, Fast and French
First course: Mireille steamed some fresh green asparagus and served them tiède (room temperature) with a vinaigrette on the side. It was the famous French dressing #1 but with a twist: she added lots of finely minced cilantro (she used a mincer, but you could pulse it all briefly in a blender), so it was a pretty, fresh green color. You could also use parsley, or other fresh herbs.
Wine: a chardonnay such as Saint-Véran or a Pouilly-Fuissé is nice with this.
Main course: A slow cooked lamb roast with a tian of vegetables (this would work with with a pork or beef roast, too).
For the tian she cut regular baking potatoes into slices about ½” (1.25 cm) thick. Then, in a heavy stoneware baking dish (like Le Creuset or Emile Henry), she layered the potatoes with thick sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, rosemary sprigs, and olive oil. She placed the roast, sized to serve 6, right on top of the veggies and cooked it in a slow oven (350F, 175C), uncovered, for about 2 hours. (My note: check your roast and vegetables for doneness after an hour; you can always pop the roast in a separate pan and continue cooking either veggies or roast longer as needed).
To serve she put the veggie dish right on the table, then carved the roast and served it separately. Dinner done, and delish.
Wine, for this and the cheese course: we would choose a red Côtes de Rhône or a Pinor Noir.
Cheese course: two French cheeses, served with a sliced baguette.
I brought the dessert, which was: Dori Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies (made ahead, and frozen) served with caramel ice cream and a garnish of fresh raspberries.
As usual, I’m always learning something from the clever French. And if anyone else has an easy dinner party menu to share, I’m all over it!
FAVORITE READS: Foodies, you'll be interested in a new book by John Baxter called The Perfect Meal: In Search of the Lost Tastes of France. You can read an interview with the author over at Barbara Redmond's blog, A Woman's Paris. Barbara says "I couldn't put it down. It's a wonderful romp from cuisine to cuisine through the French countryside."
14 thoughts on “An Oxymoron? A Fast French Dinner Party”
Totally delicious. I do love the tian made with any selection of vegetables. And cilantro in the vinaigrette? I’m all over it. Thanks, Lynn. And thanks to your hostess.
Chris
Nice post, Lynn! As a mom with no time, and a pile of social obligations to fulfill, I love your quick menu suggestions….I usually do roasts, but the idea of placing the roast on top of the veggies: brilliant. Wish I could invite you over when I make this…
Kelly
Sounds delicious and wonderful! Thanks for the time management cooking tips too.
Oh my, what a lovely menu. And so simple that it gives the host or hostess more time with the guests–perfect!
Thank you thank you. I want to entertain more when we’re in France, but I’m trying to be realistic about stocking all the cooking tools. Although I could shop and shop in all the kitchen stores in Dijon, I’m trying to resist the desire to buy one of everything for our apartment. This dinner sounds simple and delicious and wouldn’t require me to run out and buy more pots and pans for a kitchen I use only 3 or so months a year (for now).
Well you’ve done it again. Much thanks Lynn.
Hi Lynn, I love the menu, we are planning the baptism of our 7 month old son in April and I had no Idea what to cook, thank you for those great ideas!
How are you doing with your book? Are you going to publish soon?
XOOXO Ido
I love the idea of the roast on top of the veggies. I don’t have the sort of baking dish called for; would an iron skillet work, or a roaster?
I love your idea for coping with entertainment debt. Inspired!
OH! I want to go to a dinner party with you!
I think your choice of dessert is brilliant! Anything with ice cream works for me. I’m currently re-reading an old favorite: Samuel Chamberlain’s “Bouquet de France: An Epicurean’s Tour of the French Provinces”, originally published in 1952 and reissued in 1966. He had written these articles for Gourmet Magazine and they really focused on post-WWII France’s efforts to restore and recover their cuisine and culture. If you can find a copy on Amazon, do read it. It’s not a cookbook, but there are lots of recipes, and the tour of France can no longer be done in quite the same way. Very nostalgic with beautiful illustrations by the author.
Lynn, what a heavenly menu!!! WOW!!!
We don’t now entertain as much as we did (troiseme age),but one of my favorites was to serve Beef Wellington (is this retro or what?)
Like you, for two parties,tonight and tomorow.Cook the beef fillets (enough for the next night as well);cool (refridge the others for tomorrow).
Then top tonight’s with pate,wrap in puff pastry,brush with egg glaze and bake till golden.(repeat tomorrow)
I’d sautee some potato slices to serve along side, and also a small salad.
Oh,my. Drooling at the thought of so much good stuff!
What a way to start the weekend!!
THANK YOU!!
Lynn…I enjoyed your coments on perfune. Today a friend and I stopped at the perfume counter at a very exclusive shop and I explained to the professional sales lady that I have lost my sense of smell and hesitate to wear perfume now for fear of over-doing it. She suggested that I wear (use) only perfumed cream…
like cream that you would put on after a shower. I am delighted to know that most well known fragrances are repeated in a soft hand or body cream so one can slather it on without fear of getting too “scented”….. Ta dah ..problem solved. .
Dear Lynn,
As promised sometime ago, I’m sending my Louisiana French great-grandmother’s “Oh-So-Good (or Osgood) Pie recipe that is always a hit at my dinner parties.
OSGOOD/OH-SO-GOOD RECIPE
2 DEEP DISH PIE SHELLS
5 EGGS
5 TBS. VINEGAR
4 TBS. BUTTER
1/4 TSP. CINNAMON AND ALLSPICE OR CLOVES
1 TABLESPOON FRESHLY GROUND NUTMEG (MUST BE FRESHLY GROUND!)
1 CUP GOLDEN RAISINS
1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS
DIVIDE EGG YOLKS FROM WHITES INTO 2 MEDIUM LARGE BOWLS. BEAT EGG WHITES UNTIL FLUFFY. MIX YOLKS, SUGAR, VINEGAR,BUTTER AND SPICES. ADD RAISINS AND CHOPPED PECANS AND MIX WELL. FOLD WHITES INTO MIXTURE UNTIL BLENDED. POUR EVENLY INTO TWO DEEP DISH PIE SHELLS. PROTECT EDGES WITH FOIL OR PASTRY RING. BAKE IN PREHEATED OVEN AS YOU WOULD A PECAN PIE, APPROXIMATELY 400 DEGREES. WATCH CLOSELY. WHEN DONE (WHEN FIRM AND GOLDEN BROWN) REMOVE FROM OVEN AND COOL COMPLETELY. SERVE WITH WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP. KEEPS WELL AT ROOM TEMPERATURE OR IN FRIDGE.