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🛒 Shopping List — Block 23–26: French Classics

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Plan ahead: Cassoulet (Saturday Block 27) requires dried whites beans soaked overnight. Duck confit (Tue Block 28) is better if started a day ahead. Plan accordingly.

⚠️ Equipment Check

  • [ ] Large Dutch oven / cocotte — essential for cassoulet
  • [ ] Blender — for foolproof hollandaise (Tue Block 27)
  • [ ] Soufflé dish (6-cup) — for cheese soufflé (Wed Block 28)
  • [ ] Fine-mesh strainer — for sauces
  • [ ] Heat-proof bowl — beurre blanc and béarnaise work

🥩 Proteins — Block 25

  • [ ] Duck confit — store-bought legs × 4 (Sat cassoulet; or make your own from Block 14 technique)
  • [ ] Toulouse sausage or garlic sausage — 1 lb (Sat cassoulet)
  • [ ] Salt pork or pork belly — 8 oz (Sat cassoulet)
  • [ ] Steak — strip or sirloin × 2 (Wed béarnaise + Fri frites)
  • [ ] Canadian bacon — 4 slices (Tue eggs benedict)
  • [ ] Bacon lardons — 4 oz (Fri bistro salad Block 28)

🥩 Proteins — Block 26

  • [ ] Halibut or salmon — 2 fillets (Mon beurre blanc)
  • [ ] Whole duck, 4–5 lb OR 2 duck breasts (Tue à l'orange)
  • [ ] Salt cod, if available — 8 oz for grand aioli (Sat Block 28; optional — other protein works)
  • [ ] Eggs — 2 dozen (hollandaise, poached eggs, soufflé, aioli, salad Lyonnaise)

🥦 Produce — Block 25

  • [ ] Russet or Yukon gold potatoes — 2 lbs (Fri steak frites — separate from aioli platter potatoes)
  • [ ] Onions — 5 lbs (Mon French onion soup — ~3 lbs per pot)
  • [ ] Garlic — 3 heads
  • [ ] Shallots — 6
  • [ ] Butter lettuce — 1 head (Session 122 salad with herbs and Dijon vinaigrette)
  • [ ] Fresh thyme — 2 bunches
  • [ ] Bay leaves
  • [ ] Gruyère cheese — 6 oz (Mon gratinée + Wed soufflé)
  • [ ] Lemons — 6
  • [ ] Dried cannellini or Great Northern beans — 1 lb (Sat cassoulet — soak Fri night)
  • [ ] Canned tomatoes — 1 can (cassoulet)

🥦 Produce — Block 26

  • [ ] Oranges — 4 (Tue duck à l'orange: juice + zest)
  • [ ] Asparagus — 1 bunch (Mon beurre blanc)
  • [ ] Frisée lettuce — 2 heads (Fri salad Lyonnaise)
  • [ ] Red cabbage — ½ head (Session 127 braised red cabbage)
  • [ ] Apples — 2 (Session 127 braised red cabbage with apples)
  • [ ] Mâche — 2 heads or 1 bag (Session 128 mâche salad with shallot vinaigrette)
  • [ ] Assorted vegetables for grand aioli (Sat): carrots, green beans, radishes, cauliflower, beets, potatoes
  • [ ] Garlic — 1 additional head (aioli)
  • [ ] Cherry tomatoes — 1 pint (Sat aioli platter)
  • [ ] Fresh tarragon — 1 bunch (béarnaise + various)

🧂 Pantry

  • [ ] Beef or chicken stock — 2 quarts (onion soup)
  • [ ] Cognac or brandy — small bottle (cassoulet + various)
  • [ ] Dry white wine — 2 bottles (beurre blanc, mussels, soufflé)
  • [ ] Dry red wine — 1 bottle (cassoulet)
  • [ ] White wine vinegar (béarnaise reduction)
  • [ ] Dijon mustard — large jar (vinaigrettes + various)
  • [ ] Walnuts — ½ cup (Service 31 frisée salad with walnut vinaigrette)
  • [ ] Raisins — ¼ cup (Session 127 braised red cabbage)
  • [ ] Unsalted butter — 2 lbs (beurre blanc eats butter; hollandaise, soufflé)
  • [ ] Heavy cream — 1 pint (soufflé béchamel + various)
  • [ ] Parmesan — 4 oz (soufflé)
  • [ ] Baguette — multiple (soufflé croutons, onion soup croutons, aioli platter)
  • [ ] English muffins — 1 pack (Tue Block 25 eggs benedict)
  • [ ] Dark chocolate (70%+) — 4 oz (chocolate mousse — classic French bistro dessert)
  • [ ] Olive oil — extra-virgin (aioli + dressings)
  • [ ] Duck fat — small jar if making duck confit vs. buying
  • [ ] Orange marmalade — small jar (à l'orange backup if juice not enough) | Whole black peppercorns — for gastrique