Dinner in Paris” Menu
Here’s a menu to evoke Paris at home:
Starter (Entrée): French Onion Soup Gratinée
Main (Plat Principal): Coq au Vin with Pommes Anna and Haricots Verts Amandine
Dessert (Dessert): Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis and Biscuit Breton
We’ll go through the main dish in exhaustive detail, and also include recipes for the starter, sides, dessert, etc.
Starter: French Onion Soup Gratinée
A warm, comforting beginning. Thinly sliced onions caramelized, deglazed with wine, simmered in stock, topped with toasted baguette and lots of melted Gruyère cheese. Classic, elegant, sets tone for the main.
Main Course: Coq au Vin with Pommes Anna & Haricots Verts Amandine
This is the heart of “Dinner in Paris” — Coq au Vin (“chicken in wine”) is a deeply flavorful, classic French dish. Paired with Pommes Anna (thinly sliced potatoes baked in butter) and Haricots Verts Amandine (green beans with almonds), you get richness, texture, and elegance.
I’ll detail the recipe for Coq au Vin and also provide side dish recipes.
Dessert: Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis
Light, airy, indulgent — perfect to finish. Smooth chocolate mousse, tangy raspberry sauce, maybe some crisp biscuit.
Now let’s get into detailed recipes: ingredients, step‑by‑step, tips, variations, time estimates.
Recipe for the Main Course: Coq au Vin
What Is Coq au Vin
Coq au Vin (literally “rooster with wine”) is a dish from Burgundy. Chicken braised in red wine with bacon/lardons, mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots, aromatics (herbs, garlic), yielding tender meat and a rich, glossy sauce. It takes some time, but the steps are mostly unattended simmering, so you can focus on other parts of the meal once set up.
Ingredients (for ~6‑8 people)
Item Quantity Notes / Alternatives
Chicken pieces (thighs & drumsticks preferable) 2.5‑3 pounds (≈ 1.2‑1.4 kg) Use bone‑in skin‑on for best flavor
Salt & pepper to season freshly ground pepper works best
Olive oil / butter 2 Tbsp olive oil + 2 Tbsp butter or use all butter for browning chicken & aromatics
Bacon or lardons 6 oz (≈ 170 g), diced smoked pancetta or smoked bacon works well
Pearl onions 12‑16, peeled or small shallots if pearl onions hard to get
Mushrooms 250‑300 g, button or cremini, trimmed optional but classic
Carrots 2 medium, sliced into thick rounds or large dice optional, but adds depth
Garlic 3‑4 cloves, minced more or less depending on taste
Tomato paste 1‑2 Tbsp helps enrich color & flavor
Red wine 1 bottle (≈ 750 ml, Burgundy / Pinot Noir ideally) or any dry red wine you like
Chicken stock or broth ~ 2 cups (≈ 500 ml) use homemade if you have it
Bay leaf 1‑2 dried is fine
Fresh thyme 2‑3 sprigs or 1 tsp dried thyme
Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Optional: mushrooms, pearl onions peeled in advance, maybe mushrooms sautéed separately
Equipment
Heavy‑bottomed Dutch oven or large deep skillet with lid
Wooden spoon or spatula
Knife, cutting board
Bowls for mise en place (prepping ingredients ahead)
Skimmer or tongs
Measuring cups / spoons
Oven (optionally for finishing)
Prep Steps
Mise en place: Peel and halve/trim onions; slice mushrooms; dice bacon; slice carrots; mince garlic.
Pat chicken dry with paper towels, season all over with salt & pepper. Dry skin = better browning.
Preheat Dutch oven over medium‑high heat.
Step‑By‑Step
Brown the bacon / lardons: Add the diced bacon or lardons to the pot, cook until fat renders and bacon is golden. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving the fat.
Brown the chicken: In batches, add chicken pieces to hot fat + butter/oil, skin side down first. Let them brown well (3‑4 min per side), don’t overcrowd. Remove, set aside.
Sauté vegetables: In same pot, add onions (if using pearl onions, or diced onion), carrots; cook until softened, slightly browned. Add garlic, cook another minute.
Tomato paste & deglaze: Push veggies to one side, add tomato paste, let it cook a minute to deepen flavor, then stir in mushrooms. Pour in red wine, scraping up browned bits from bottom (fond). Let wine reduce a bit (5 min) to intensify flavor.
Add chicken + bacon + stock & herbs: Return chicken and bacon to the pot. Add chicken stock so it's about ¾ covered. Throw in bay leaf, thyme. Bring to a simmer.
Simmer / braise: Cover, reduce heat to low‑medium. Simmer gently for ~45‑60 minutes until chicken is tender and sauce has thickened. Occasionally turn pieces so cooking is even. If liquid level drops too much, add small amount stock or water.
Finish the sauce: Remove chicken pieces to a platter. Increase heat to reduce sauce if needed, or stir in a knob of butter or a splash of cream for gloss. Adjust seasoning (salt, pepper). Return chicken gently to sauce to coat.
Time Estimate for Coq au Vin
Step Time
Prep (chop, peel, season) ~15‑20 min
Browning bacon + chicken ~10 min
Sauté veg + deglaze ~5‑10 min
Braising simmer ~45‑60 min
Finishing sauce ~5 min
Total active time ~35‑40 min
Total including simmer ~1¼‑1½ hours
Side Dish Recipes
To complement Coq au Vin perfectly:
Pommes Anna (French Buttered Potato Layers)
Ingredients:
1.5‑2 pounds potatoes (Yukon Gold or other waxy kind)
4‑6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted + clarified if possible
Salt & pepper
Optional: a little thyme or rosemary
Instructions:
Preheat oven to ~190 °C (375 °F).
Peel potatoes; slice very thin (1–2 mm) with mandoline if possible.
Butter a round or square oven dish. Layer potatoes in overlapping concentric circles, brushing each layer with butter, seasoning with salt & pepper, maybe herbs.
Once layered, pour over remaining butter; cover dish and bake for ~30 min covered, then uncover and bake another 20‑30 min until top is golden and edges crisp. Let rest few minutes then slice like cake.
Haricots Verts Amandine (French Green Beans with Almonds)
Ingredients:
300‑400 g haricots verts (thin green beans), trimmed
1‑2 Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
2‑3 Tbsp sliced or slivered almonds
Optional: squeeze of lemon
Instructions:
Blanch beans in salted boiling water for ~2‑3 min until bright green & just tender. Drain and shock in ice water to stop cooking; drain well.
In a skillet, melt butter + olive oil over medium heat. Toast almonds until lightly golden, remove and set aside.
Add beans to skillet, sauté gently for 2 min, season with salt & pepper. Add almonds, toss. Finish with a squeeze of lemon if desired.
Starter & Dessert Recipes (Short Versions)
French Onion Soup Gratinée
Ingredients:
4‑5 large onions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp oil
Salt & pepper
1 tsp sugar (to help caramelize)
1‑2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry white wine or sherry (optional)
~1 liter beef or vegetable stock
Thyme sprigs + bay leaf
Baguette slices, toasted
Gruyère or Comté cheese, grated
Instructions:
In heavy pot, melt butter + oil. Add onions + salt + pepper + sugar. Cook over medium‑low heat slowly, stirring often, for ~30‑40 min until deep golden & caramelized.
Add garlic, cook a minute. Deglaze with wine, reduce. Add stock + thyme + bay leaf. Simmer ~15 min.
Adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls, top with baguette slice(s), cheese. Broil until cheese melted & bubbling.
Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Coulis
Ingredients:
200 g good dark chocolate (70% if you like more bitter)
3 large eggs, separated
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch salt
For coulis: 200 g raspberries (fresh or frozen), 2‑3 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions:
Melt chocolate gently (double boiler), let cool a bit.
Beat egg yolks + sugar until pale, fold into chocolate.
Whip cream until soft peaks, fold gently into chocolate mixture.
Beat egg whites + pinch salt until stiff peaks, fold gently. Chill in individual glasses for several hours.
For coulis: Blend raspberries + sugar + lemon juice, strain to remove seeds. Chill. Serve mousse topped with coulis.
Complete “Dinner in Paris” Preparation Plan & Timing
Here’s a suggested plan so all courses finish nicely, without stress.
Time Before Dinner Tasks
~3 hours Make the chocolate mousse; chilling in fridge. Also prepare the coulis.
~2½ hours Start Coq au Vin: prep ingredients, brown bacon & chicken, begin braising.
~2 hours Prepare Pommes Anna; have potatoes sliced; begin baking (might bake partly when Coq is halfway).
~1½ hours Prepare haricots verts, but blanch just before serving.
~1 hour Make French Onion Soup; have soup ready to warm.
~45 min Finish Coq au Vin, adjust sauce; rest. Prepare side dishes fully.
~30 min Bring dinner table together; start starter; bread ready; wine poured.
Dinner time Serve Onion Soup, followed by Coq au Vin + sides; finish with mousse & coulis.
Tips & Tricks for That First-Class Feel
Use fresh herbs (thyme, parsley) — they elevate a dish visually & taste‑wise.
High‑quality wine for cooking (good enough to drink) makes a difference in Coq au Vin.
Butter is your friend in Pommes Anna & Haricots Verts; clarifying butter helps.
Crusty French bread or baguette on side is essential (for soup & main).
Choose good chocolate for dessert; let mousse chill well so texture is light but stable.
Set table simply but elegantly: white linen, candlelight, a small flower or rosemary sprig. Soft background French music helps atmosphere.
Variations & Substitutions
If you don’t eat chicken, you could substitute with duck or poultry of choice.
If red wine not available, a good rosé or light red works, or mix wine & stock.
Use mushrooms variably: porcini, button, shiitake for more flavor.
For vegetarian version: skip Coq au Vin, do Mushroom Bourguignon or a rich lentil stew.
Pommes Anna could be replaced by Gratin Dauphinois if you prefer creamier texture.
Dessert swap: instead of mousse, do Tarte Tatin or Crème Brûlée.
If you like, I can write out the full recipe “Dinner in Paris” in printable format, or adapt it using ingredients you already have, or make a simpler version. Do you want me to send one of those?
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