Week 5: French Bistro — Market Basket Series

This week brings the quiet confidence of the French bistro to your weeknight table. One strategic shop. One whole roasted chicken. Five dinners that move from rustic to refined — all built around the same core ingredients, with almost no waste. 🛍️ The Strategy: Shop Once, Cook Five The Five-from-One approach works because every item on the shopping list earns its place across multiple meals. This week’s anchor is a whole roasted chicken (5–6 lb) paired with French green lentils, two baguettes, and a short list of bistro staples — Dijon, crème fraîche, Gruyère, lardons, and fresh herbs. One trip to the market sets you up for the entire week. 🖨️ Print the Master Shopping List 🐔 Chicken Allocation Strategy Family of 4: 1 whole chicken (5–6 lb) yields approximately 4–4.5 cups of cooked meat. A larger bird gives you a generous Night 1 serving while leaving enough shredded meat to carry the rest of the week. After Night 1, shred all remaining meat and divide immediately into labelled airtight containers — this two-minute step is what makes the rest of the week effortless. The carcass, along with the roasted lemon and shallots from the cavity, goes into a pot with celery and a bay leaf for 30 minutes to produce a deeply flavoured broth that anchors Night 2. Night 1 (Poulet Rôti): Serve fresh — both legs and one breast with crispy potatoes, roasted zucchini, and blistered cherry tomatoes. Reserve the carcass for broth. Night 2 (Soupe au Pistou): 1.5 cups shredded chicken + carcass broth Night 3 (Warm Lentil Salad): 1 cup shredded chicken, fanned over warm lentils Night 4 (Croque Monsieur Skillet Bake): 0.5 cup chopped chicken folded into the béchamel — optional but excellent Night 5 (Oeufs en Cocotte): Egg-forward — no chicken required 🍽️ This Week’s Five Dinners Night 1 — Poulet Rôti with Herbes de Provence & Crispy Potatoes The anchor of the week. A butter-herb rubbed whole chicken roasted over baby potatoes, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes until the skin is deeply golden and the vegetables have absorbed every drop of the drippings. Simple, stunning, and the engine that powers the next four nights. Night 2 — Soupe au Pistou with Chicken & White Beans A Provençal vegetable and white bean soup built on the Night 1 carcass broth, finished at the table with a bright parsley pistou. Hearty enough for dinner, even better the next day. Night 3 — Warm Lentil Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette, Lardons & Chicken The French bistro salad at its finest. Warm Puy lentils over spinach, smoky lardons, soft-boiled eggs, sliced chicken, and a sharp Dijon vinaigrette. A complete dinner that feels like a restaurant. Night 4 — Croque Monsieur Skillet Bake A weeknight-friendly take on the French café classic. Baguette slices blanketed in a Dijon béchamel, scattered with Gruyère and Comté, and baked until bubbling and golden. Deeply satisfying with almost no effort. Night 5 — Oeufs en Cocotte with Crème Fraîche & Herbs The most elegant five-ingredient dinner in the French repertoire. Eggs baked in a bain-marie over wilted spinach and crème fraîche, finished with fresh tarragon. Silky whites, warm flowing yolks, toasted baguette for dipping. The perfect end to the week. One shop. Five dinners. The French way.

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Week 5: French Bistro — Market Basket Series

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