French Meal for 2 for under 20 quid

Well this is my first request on this blog, and a great challenge it is too. A french meal for 2 with wine and cheese for under 20 quid.

I am going to assume a few "store-cuboard" staples (*) so i apologise if you do not have these items in the house. 

OK so a Brief overview of the Menu - I will provide a link to a Tesco shop i have done to show the cost of this meal.

Caramelised red onion and goats cheese tart

Slow roast duck legs with dauphinoise potatoes

Poached Pears with Chantilly Cream

Starter:

2 red onions  - Finely sliced

2 Cloves of garlic - Smashed*

3-5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar*

2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar*

Thyme

Salt and pepper*

Ready rolled puff pastry

Decent knob of butter*

Goats cheese

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onions and the garlic and gently soften the onions for about 10-15 minutes. Once they are soft add the sugar to the onions and then the balsamic vinegar and thyme and let cook until sharp and sticky. Season and taste, if you think the onions need more sweetness or vinegar then add a little extra. Remove the garlic.

Lay out the pastry and give it 5 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees. After 5 mins remove from the oven and put the onions on the pastry, crumble the goats cheese over the top and place back in the oven for 15-20 mins until the pastry is puffy and crispy.

n.b, The pastry onions and goats cheese can all be pre-pared then popped in the oven 15 mins before serving.

I hate it when people tell you how to serve things so i will let you be the judge of that.

Main:

Duck and Sauce

2 Duck legs - skin on

1 Orange

Wine

Beef/lamb stock

1 clove of Garlic - smashed

Thyme

Potatoes

Potatoes

Double cream - 250ml

Milk* - 250ml

Garlic

Ok.

Take your duck legs and season them with salt and pepper, place them in a roasting tray and cover with foil and place in the oven at about 140 degrees for 1hr 30 mins. Remove the foil and any excess fat, turn up the oven to 220 and cook for another 25 mins. The meat should fall of the bone and the skin should be lovely and crispy. 

For the potatoes - peel them and then slice them as finely as possible (like a crisp) sometimes the long slot on the grater works well. Rub garlic over an ovenproof dish (individual ramekins are nice too) and place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Having mixed the cream and milk poor over the potatoes continue to do this layering techniques until the dish is full. Place in the oven at 180-200 for at least an hour. See if a knife goes through the potatoes easily and if not place back in the oven. Different thickness of potatoes will take different amounts of time to cook.

For the Sauce - Take a smashed clove of garlic and soften in the pan. Add a glass of red wine and the juice of an orange with half the zest and a couple of twigs of thyme, add 100 mls of stock and let it reduce down to a sticky sauce.

Poached Pears With Chantilly Cream

A lovely light dessert after a relatively heavy first 2 courses.

2 Pears peeled but whole - (comice are probably the best)

Water - 1L

Caster Sugar* - 300g

Cinnamon Sitck*

Knob of ginger

Whipping Cream 

Icing Sugar*

In a sauce pan boil the water and sugar until the sugar has dissolved, add the spices and pears and cook for 30 minutes, or until the pears are soft and cooked through.

Let the pears cool in the liquid.

Chantilly cream - Whip up some cream add icing sugar until it is sweet enough for your taste, add vanilla extract/pod if you have any in.

Recommended Wine

Wine on a budget means only 1 thing for me. AUSTRALIAN SHIRAZ. Any will do it has big flavours (and big alcohol content) and should stand up well with all these courses. I have included a McGuigan GOLD Shiraz at 7.99 which is very nice and will certainly do the trick. But to be honest with Shiraz you don't even have to pay this much.

And that will go perfectly with any remaining Goats cheese you have left.

Total Price: 18.39

	Basket quantity:		Tesco Cut Thyme 30G You have missed a promotion. Any 2 for £1.50.	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£0.80
	Basket quantity: 0.3kg		Tesco Root Ginger Loose	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£0.63
	Basket quantity:		Tesco Fresh Whipping Cream 300Ml	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£1.00
	Basket quantity:		Green Pears Loose Class 1	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£0.68
	Basket quantity:		Elmlea Pot Double 284Ml	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£0.83
	Basket quantity:		White Potatoes 2.5Kg Tray	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£1.35
	Basket quantity:		T.Welsh Goat's Cheese 125G	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£1.25
	Basket quantity:		Gressingham Duck Legs 462G	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£2.50
	Basket quantity:		Tesco Ready Rolled Puff Pastry 375G	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£1.00
	Basket quantity:		Loose Red Onions Class 2	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£0.36
Drinks
	Basket quantity:		Mcguigan Gold Shiraz 75Cl	Find a suitable alternative	Enter note to picker	£7.99