How to Make a French Menu

Anyone can prepare a classic French menu.

Gastronomy has been a central part of daily French life for centuries, and nothing celebrates good food like a classic French menu. French cooking has long had a reputation for being haute cuisine, but anyone can prepare a tempting menu for dinner guests by following the set courses in a traditional French menu.

Instructions

1. Offer an aperitif to your dinner guests as they arrive. A Kir is a common choice; this cocktail of crème de cassis (black currant liqueur) mixed with dry white wine is enjoyed all over France. Use Champagne in place of regular wine to make it a Kir Royale. Or simply serve a glass of Champagne -- it's perfect for special occasions.

2. Begin the menu with the entrée, or first course. This can be a hot or cold dish. Typical French starters include cheese soufflé, beef carpaccio, salmon mousse, goat cheese salad or onion soup.

3. Present the main course of your menu -- "le plat principal." This is usually a meat, poultry or fish dish served with a sauce and a selection of vegetables. "Filet mignon," tenderloin of pork cooked with onions and white wine, is a classic French main course. Serve it with string beans and "gratin dauphinois," potatoes cooked with cream.

4. Offer a simple green salad to your guests after the main dish. This is to cleanse the palate. Green salad is never served as an accompaniment to the main course in France.

5. Continue the menu with a board of cheeses for your guests to choose from. Try to make sure you have a soft cheese like Camembert or Brie, a hard cheese like Comté, a blue cheese like Roquefort and some goat cheese "crottins" to offer a variety to your guests. Cheese is eaten with crusty bread in France, not crackers.

6. Finish your menu with dessert. Crème brûlée, baked custard topped with caramelized sugar, is a classic French dessert dish as is chocolate mouse or Tarte Tatin, a kind of upside-down apple tart.

7. Serve coffee to finish your menu along with a digestif such as Cognac or Calvados to aid digestion.

References

• French Food and Cook
• French at a Touch: Gourmet French Food and All About French Cuisine
• French Cooking Food