How to Plan a French Meal

Dietary restrictions and needs of guests should be taken into account before planning any kind of meal.

France is renowned all over the world by gastronomes for its delicious cuisine. Traditionally, dinner is the longest meal of the day and, in some cases, can last up to five hours. Preparing a proper French meal involves some planning ahead due to the numerous courses involved.

Instructions

1. Serve light alcoholic drinks, or "les apéritifs," such as champagne to stimulate the appetite before the meal. This can be done in the living room and served with small appetizers such as crackers, olives or cheese. Remember to serve non-alcoholic drinks, as well. This part of the dinner gives the guests an opportunity to relax, and mix and mingle.

2. 

   Terrine is forcemeat served at room temperature.

   Serve the appetizers, or "les hors d'oeuvres" or "les entrées," in the dining room. This course marks the start of the actual dinner, and can vary from soup to cold dishes. Popular choices are French onion soup or terrine.

3. 

   Wine is an important element of a French meal.

   Serve the main course, or "le plat principal". The third course is generally meat or fish, served with side dishes such salad, vegetables, pasta or rice. Select the wine according to the main dish. If serving red meat, select red wine. For white meat or fish, opt for white wine.

4. Serve cheese, or "le fromage". Choose a variety of cheese, along with fruits and baguette bread. You can choose to serve yogurt instead of cheese.

5. Serve dessert. It can be hot or cold, but should be light. Examples of popular desserts are chocolate mousse or crème brûlée.

6. 

   You can serve tea to any guests who do not drink coffee.

   Serve coffee to your guests, with a small piece of chocolate. It is ideal to have this course in the living room, where the dinner started and is finally brought to a close.

Tips & Warnings

• Let your guests know in advance that they should be prepared for a long evening, as the meal can last a few hours.

• Find out in advance whether any of your guests do not drink alcohol or are lactose intolerant, so that you can make alternatives to wine and cheese. Also make note of any allergies and other dietary restrictions to take into consideration.

• When planning to use a new recipe for the meal, remember to test it out in advance to see how it turns out.

References

• A Typical French Menu

Resources

• French Recipes