If you have ever had the chance to spend April in Paris, you know how fabulous it is. 

Perfect weather, coupled with trees and grass bursting in bright shades of green.  Strolling the boulevards and eating French cuisine — there is nothing like it.

Why not create a French-themed meal and invite two couples for an evening of French-inspired foods and scintillating conversation.  

Start with a Kir Royal, follow with very easy to make-ahead Onion Soup.  

An entree of chicken with wild mushrooms, poached asparagus and French fries captures Parisian spring bounty all in one meal. 

 If you are really feeling French, have a salad course after your entree.  

Make your dinner party easy on yourself by purchasing a Fresh Fruit Tart from your favorite local French patisserie and you have a feast fit for any Parisian.  

Sante.

Menu

Serves 6

Kir Royale

Soupe a L’Oignon 

(Onion Soup)

Chicken with Wild 

Mushrooms

Poached Asparagus*

Oven Baked “French Fries”*

Salad with Vinaigrette 

Dressing*

Fruit Tarte*

*Recipe Not Given

Kir Royale

1 bottle of champage 

plus cassis will make 

approximately 7 cocktails

1   bottle Champagne, chilled

14 oz. Creme de Casis, chilled

1.  Place 2 oz of cassis in the bottom of a champagne flute.

2. Top with champagne and serve.

Onion Soup

3 onions, thinly sliced

3 shallots, thinly sliced

3 tblsps. butter

1 tblsp. oil

4 tblsps. sugar (helps the 

onion to brown)

3 tblsps. Wondra

1 1/2 qts. homemade beef 

stock, boiling (or store 

bought)

1/4 cup dry white wine or 

dry white vermouth

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tblsp. cognac

Rounds of hard-toasted 

French bread

1 cup grated Swiss, 

Parmesan, Gruyere, Gouda 

or Edam cheese

1.  Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed, covered

saucepan for 15 minutes.

2.  Uncover, raise heat to moderate and stir in the sugar.  Cook for 30 to 40 minutes stirring frequently until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown.

3.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Cook for 15 more minutes. 

4.  Add the boiling beef stock.  Add the wine and season to taste.  Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally.  Correct seasoning.  (Set aside uncovered until ready to serve.  Then reheat to simmer.)

5. While the soup is simmering. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place french bread rounds on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with grated cheese and heat in oven until hot and bubbly, approximately 15 minutes.

5.  Just before serving, stir in the cognac.  Pour into a soup tureen or individual soup crocks, top with  the rounds of bread and pass the additional cheese on the side.

Chicken with Wild Mushrooms

2 tblsp. olive oil

6  4-oz chicken breasts

1 1/2 cup chopped, 

assorted mushrooms

1 shallot, chopped

1/2  cup Marsala wine

1/2 chicken broth

1.  Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium flame.  Add chicken breasts and cook ten minutes, turning at halfway point.  Remove from pan and tent with foil.

2.  Add mushrooms to pan and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in shallot and cook for one additional minute.  Pour in wine and broth and bring to a boil.

3.  Reduce heat and simmer over low flame for twenty minutes.  Use a spatula to scrape browned bits from the surface of the pan and mix with liquid.

4.  Place chicken back in skillet and cook for five minutes in the mushroom sauce. Serve chicken with a heaping portion of mushrooms and jus.

Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 33-year old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties.  For more photos and presentation follow Culinary Architect Catering on Facebook and culinaryarchitect.com.