New Year’s dinner runbook

This menu is main + sides + dessert, not one oven anchor like Christmas. The chicken can sit gently while you finish beans and bread; tart is mostly make-ahead.

Shopping cheat sheet

Scale for your headcount.

• Poulet fricassée: 8–10 bone-in thighs (or adjust pack size), Chardonnay, stock, cream, mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme, parsley, butter, flour.
• Haricots verts almondine: 1½ lb beans, ~¾ cup slivered almonds.
• Baguette (stub): ~700 g bread flour if you’re baking — or buy good bread and skip the stress.
• Lemon tart: lemons (zest + ~½ cup juice), eggs, butter, sugar; blind-baked shell (leftover pie/tart crust is fine).

Before the party

• Tart: make curd, fill cooled shell, chill. (Sugar can be pulled back ~30% if you like it sharp — see recipe notes.)
• Chicken: thighs, wine, stock, cream, mushrooms — mise diced; you can pre-cut veg and store airtight.
• Beans: trim ahead; blanch early if you want, then shock and drain well so almondine is quick at service.
• Baguette: if you’re still on the beginner notes, pair with a full baguette recipe/video — the site file only has the first mix step right now.

Day-of — suggested flow

1. Bread — If baking: start early for proof + bake. If bought: warm gently before dinner.
2. Chicken fricassée — Sear and build the dish per recipe; it’s happy to hold covered on low for a short window while you finish sides (don’t let it boil furiously after cream).
3. Green beans almondine — Blanch if needed; toast almonds in butter, finish beans with garlic + lemon zest; hold warm short term.
4. Lemon tart — Slice from the fridge or pull ~20–30 min early if you want the curd a little softer.

Timing mantra

• Beans are more forgiving than bread timing if you’re baking from scratch.
• When in doubt: chicken simmering → beans → bread → tart last.