A Luxurious New Year's Eve Dinner for Two: French Style
We get it. It’s been a year and you want a nice meal but you want it at home, on your terms —in pajamas, maybe. This menu is for you. It’s simple. It’s elegant. It’s French.
New Years Eve for Two
Steak au Poivre with Cognac Cream
Thomas Keller’s Pommes Anna
Run of show:
4:30pm - Pommes Anna
6pm - hard boil eggs
6:30pm - Pull the steak out of the fridge, generously salt and let sit for 30 minutes before cooking.
6:40pm - Prep the rest of the Steak recipe
7pm - Prep & make the Asparagus mimosa recipe. Set oven to re-warm if Pommes Anna
7:15 - Throw Pommes Anna in oven to be re-heated and finish Steak recipe
7:30 - Eat & enjoy!
Cooking Notes
We love this menu because the Asparagus Mimosa provides a nice & bright break from the heaviness of the cream. Plus, it’s always good to have a splash of green on the table. The cognac cream is like velvet and the potatoes cut through the cream and pairs well with the pepperiness of the steak
Pommes Anna is like if au gratin potatoes had an older sister who happens to be a Princess or something. Pommes Anna is crispier, more delicate, and savory while au gratin potatoes is more of a cheesy, creamier, more dense dish. It’s the perfect dish for when you are feeling potatoes but want to make it fancy. So fancy, in fact, there are pans dedicated to the dish (for a steep price!).
This recipe can be found in Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry Cookbook as part of the ‘Yabba Dabba Do’ recipe. You will definitely want a mandolin to help with all the fine slicing, which is really the most time consuming part of the recipe. We recommend reading through the recipe a few times to get comfortable with what you need to do - it will certainly feel more overwhelming to make than it actually is.
If you feel like you are missing a dessert, you could shoot for a nice traditional crème brûlée dessert or a chocolate mousse. Or just have an extra glass of champagne — it’s New Years Eve after all!