Planning a French dinner party

Having the perfect French dinner party is not as hard as you might imagine. All of these recipes are special and not that difficult to prepare. Be sure that all your ingredients are the freshest possible. Plating is important so take the time to make sure that every dish looks as good as it tastes. Set your table with a crisp white cloth and use cloth napkins to add a perfect touch of class.

Menu:

• Potage de chataigne
• Banquette de Veau Francaise
• Pots du creme chocolat

Recipes:

Potage de chataigne- Chestnut soup

• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 6 oz cooked chestnuts
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped carrot
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Add all the ingredients except the heavy cream to a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in the half cup of heavy cream.

Get out the blender and process the soup in small batches. You can do this with an immersion blender if you have one. Spoon the soup into bowls and serve hot with a tablespoon of heavy cream on the top.

This recipe will make six servings.

Banquette de veau- French veal stew

• 2 lbs stewing veal
• 1 large onion studded with cloves
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 4 peppercorns
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1-quart boiling water
• 12 small peeled onions
• 5 Tbs. butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3 cups veal stock
• Juice of a lemon
• 2 egg yokes
• 1 6 oz can sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tbs. parsley

Cut the veal into bite size pieces, add the large onion, carrots, the bay leaf, the thyme, the peppercorns and the salt. Pour the boiling water over and bring to a boil then simmer for one hour or until the veal is tender.

Cook the small onions in 2 Tbs. butter in a small pan for 20 to 30 minutes until tender.
Drain the veal and retain 3 cups of the veal stock. Melt the remaining three Tbs. of butter and stir in flour to make a smooth paste then add the stock. Remove a little of the thickened stock and add the lemon juice and egg yokes, add back into the stock. Add the mushrooms, veal, and the parsley. Bring it back just to the boiling point.

Get a large platter and plate the stew and then place the onions on the platter with it.
Serve with rice and a good red French wine like Bordeaux. Have some crusty French bread cut up and placed on the table.

Pots du creme chocolat- Chocolate cream pots

• 2 cups milk
• 8 oz. sweet chocolate
• 6 egg yokes
• whipped cream

Break the chocolate up into pieces, pour milk over and cook on low heat, stirring continually. When it reaches the boiling point remove from the heat immediately. Beat the egg yokes until thick and lemon colored. Pour the chocolate in and stir. Pour into small custard cups. Makes six servings. When serving, add a dollop of whipped cream.

Using a French press make a pot of good strong French coffee to end the French dinner party. Sit back, relax and accept all the compliments.