French Themed Friendsgiving, What Should I Cook?

On Sunday I’m attending a large potluck that I go to every year. This year is French themed. I’m a pretty competent cook, but drawing a blank. Leaning towards Artichokes à la Barigoule or something savory with choux pastry? Lots of vegetarians in attendance–but can do meat. What is the most wowing French food to feed many? Here is the invite:

Thanksgiving Without Angst XII (The French Connection)
Come one, come all to the most decadent, most delicious, and most strict annual potluck west of the Scioto, and our 12th year edition dedicated to all foods that have as little to do with America as possible.

This year, we turn our culinary eyes to France, and all the “creole” style food cultures that came about as a result of France illegally and immorally invading and colonizing them. From Ban Mih to Poutine, there is an incredible swath of cultural appropriation to choose from.

PRIZES: This year, in honor of our “theme francais”, we will finally be giving out an award to the person, or team, who bring the best food display. This honor, which will be known as the “Goden Captain” or “Capitaine d’Or”, will be selected by an elite team of judges who have attended at least 9 past x-giving events.

RULES:

1. Bring at least one item to share per 2 people.
2. We ask all items be easily shareable by at least 8 people.
3. Food, wine, and illicit drugs are all acceptable.
4. VEGANIZE or VEGETIZE (if it can easily suit the nature of your dish)
5. NO ANGST. NO PETS. BYOPlate.

EXCEPTIONS: Because it’s France, we’re going to allow Red and White wines this year.

SCHEDULE: Dinner/Speech at 5:30. Awards at 7:00.

Casserole de haricots verts.

Pomme dauphinois.

In all seriousness, roast goose and pomme dauphine (deep fried potato puffs) would both be awesome.

Everything sounds better in French.

I’m legit having it at my dinner this year. Just from scratch.

Potée Normande (AKA Pot au feu)

Cassoulet.

Or if you want to riff off TG theme something like tartiflette de citrouille
(Disclosure I’ve never made this it just popped up from Chef Google).

I might do braised or roasted mixed root vegetables spiced with a Moroccan flavor.

Cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, paprika???

French onion soup.

I’d tell them to go @#$% themselves, and then eat all my gnocchi à la Parisienne myself.

French toast…french fries

One thing I’m considering is make choux pastry and filling them with French onion.

Thanks all.

Escargot

I do own a pond that is full of large, supposedly edible, snails. At least that is what I was told by a friend from Vietnam.

Wouldn’t that be Moroccan then? I suppose France did colonize all kind of places. I do like a good banh mi.

That’s actually great. An old coworker of mine would catch snails in his garden and then feed them oatmeal to clean them out before cooking them.