Because every showstopper needs an opening act.

A simple butter lettuce salad with a vivid green vinaigrette, chicken rillettes with mustard glaze, and a stunning radish & butter terrine make for a lovely French apéro spread before the showstopper: herb crusted rack of lamb.

Butter Lettuce Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
serves 4

This salad pairs beautifully with a rack of lamb as the bright tarragon vinaigrette cuts through the richness. Serving a simple dish before or alongside a showstopper is a little trick to make hosting easier. Simple doesn’t mean any less delicious, nor does it mean you’ve phoned it in:)

To make a bright green vinaigrette, blanch and shock the herbs before making the vinaigrette. A little parsley helps boost the color without overpowering the flavor. If you’re short on time or herbs, feel free to skip the blanching and just finish the vinaigrette with freshly minced tarragon.

Shopping List —

2 heads butter lettuce, either Boston or Bibb
1 fennel bulb
picked tarragon
thinly sliced chives
fennel fronds

for the tarragon vinaigrette

25 grams picked tarragon
25 grams picked flat-leaf parsley
52 grams champagne vinegar
20 grams Dijon mustard
10 grams salt
15 grams lemon juice
45 grams sugar
325 grams neutral oil
15 grams roasted garlic puree optional

Equipment —

knife and cutting board
immersion blender or blender
small saucepan
small sieve
ice water bath
salad spinner or clean towel
mandoline

Steps —

for the vinaigrette

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the herbs and blanch for 10 seconds. Immediately shock in an ice bath.
Drain the herbs and wring out as much water as you can.
Blend the herbs, champagne vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, lemon juice, and sugar.
Slowly stream in the neutral oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified and the consistency you prefer.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with acid, salt, and sugar.
Store in a jar or deli container in the refrigerator.

to serve

Pick the lettuce leaves from the stem. Wash gently, then dry in a salad spinner.
Thinly slice the fennel bulb on a mandoline.
*Chef tip: Slice fennel ahead of time and store in a deli container with water in the refrigerator. It will stay crisp and won’t oxidize
Pick the herbs and slice the chives.
Stack the lettuce on salad plates, starting with the larger leaves and building upward with the smaller ones. Top with the shaved fennel and a sprinkle of herbs. (It’s okay if the lettuce topples over a little!)
Right before serving, generously spoon tarragon vinaigrette over the lettuce until it pools a little on the plate. Finish with a twist of black pepper and a few flakes of finishing salt.

Chicken Rillettes with a Mustard Glaze
serves 4-8

Rillettes are a traditional French savory spread typically made from shredded duck confit or pork. They’re lovely on a charcuterie board with cornichons, among an apéro spread, and would also make a charming jarred gift for friends and family.

The technique is the same for duck rillettes, so feel free to substitute duck legs for the chicken legs (I like adding orange zest if doing so!)

Shopping List —

for the chicken confit and rillettes

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
salt
peppercorns
small handful of thyme
small handful of parsley, stems on, sliced in half
2-3 bay leaves
garlic cloves, crushed
schmaltz, duck fat, or neutral oil
optional aromatics: minced garlic, Dijon mustard, picked thyme, cracked black pepper, minced shallot, chives, etc

for the mustard glaze

240 grams heavy cream
60-80 grams Dijon or Savora mustard (or to taste)
about 3 sheets of gelatin, depending on the final quantity of mustard cream

Equipment —

parchment-lined sheet tray or a non-reactive dish
oven-safe dish with high sides
stand mixer or hand mixer
offset spatula
small saucepan
whisk

Steps —

for the chicken confit

Cure the chicken by heavily seasoning both sides of the legs.
Strew half the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, garlic cloves, and peppercorns in a small casserole dish or parchment-lined sheet tray.
Place the chicken legs over the herbs and spices. Layer the remaining herbs and spices over top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
Discard the herbs. Rinse the chicken legs, massaging the skin to remove the salt. Pat the legs dry.
Place the chicken legs in an oven-safe dish. If using schmaltz or duck fat, heat the fat slowly until it’s liquid. Pour the fat over the chicken legs until they’re completely submerged.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and cook for about 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender.
Remove from the oven. Carefully pull the chicken legs out of the fat and allow to cool slightly.

for the rillettes

Remove the skin and pull the meat from the bones using your hands.
*There’s a tiny pin bone (the fibula) in thighs that can easily be missed. Be sure to remove from both thighs.
Once slightly cooled, pour the fat through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois and reserve.
*After adding some of the fat to the rillettes, you can save the remaining fat for another batch of confit if desired. We typically use the fat 2-3 times and discard when it becomes too salty or too dark.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the warm picked meat. Mix on low speed to break up the chicken, but don’t over-shred.
Add a few tablespoons of the melted fat with the chicken, any aromatics you’re using, and mix on medium speed. The mixture should look and taste moist, but the fat shouldn’t pool at the bottom. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Pack the rillettes into ramekins, jars, or small serving vessels, leaving room for the glaze. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Chill in the refrigerator.

for the mustard glaze

Heat the cream in a small saucepan until hot. Remove from the heat and add the Dijon mustard and a sprinkle of salt to taste.
For every 100 grams of mustard cream, add 1 sheet of gelatin (be sure to bloom the gelatin in ice water). Whisk the bloomed gelatin into the hot mustard cream until dissolved.
Cool slightly, then pour the glaze over the chilled rillettes, just enough to cover. Chill again in the refrigerator to set the glaze.
Serve with crackers and/or baguette.

Let us do the work.