French Starters for a Dinner Party: 14 Classic Entrées

In France, the starter is the entrée: the dish that opens the meal. French starters tend to be small, precise and full of flavour, designed to wake up the appetite rather than fill people up. For a dinner party, they have another advantage: many of the classics are served cold or at room temperature and are better made in advance.

Chicken liver parfait with toasted brioche

Make-ahead French starters

These can be finished before your guests arrive, which is exactly what you want from a dinner party starter.

Chicken liver parfait or pâté

Chicken livers cooked briefly with shallots, garlic, thyme and a splash of brandy or port, then blended with butter until silky. Set it in small jars or ramekins under a layer of clarified butter and serve with toasted brioche, cornichons and a sharp chutney. It keeps for several days in the fridge.

Terrine de campagne

A coarse country terrine of pork, liver and herbs, baked, pressed and sliced. It needs at least a day in the fridge, so it's made for planning ahead. Serve with cornichons, pickled onions and good bread.

Leeks vinaigrette

Poireaux vinaigrette is one of the great French bistro starters: young leeks cooked until soft, dressed while warm with a sharp mustard vinaigrette and finished with chopped egg and chives. It's cheap, quick and elegant. The recipe is below.

Leeks vinaigrette, a classic bistro starter

Céleri rémoulade

Finely shredded raw celeriac dressed in a mustardy mayonnaise. It's crisp and fresh, takes minutes, and pairs beautifully with a slice of ham or smoked fish.

Salmon rillettes

Poached and smoked salmon flaked and mixed with crème fraîche or butter, lemon, capers and dill. Serve in small jars with toast. It can be made the day before.

Oeufs mayonnaise

Hard-boiled eggs halved and coated in a proper, thick homemade mayonnaise. Simple, and a reminder of how good a classic can be when it's done well.

Hot French starters

These need you in the kitchen, so pair them with a main course that looks after itself, such as a braise or a slow roast.

Moules marinière

Mussels steamed open in white wine with shallots, garlic, parsley and a little butter or cream. They take about five minutes to cook. Serve with bread to soak up the juices.

Moules marinière takes about five minutes to cook

French onion soup

The soup can be made a day or two ahead. On the night, ladle it into ovenproof bowls, top with toasted bread and Gruyère and grill until bubbling. A smaller portion makes a generous starter. See our guide to classic French dishes for more.

Twice-baked cheese soufflé

The dinner party solution to soufflé nerves. Bake the soufflés in ramekins the day before, turn them out and chill them. On the night, put them in a dish, spoon over a little cream and grated cheese and bake for around 15 minutes until puffed and golden.

Twice-baked cheese soufflé: made the day before

Warm goat's cheese salad

Salade de chèvre chaud: rounds of goat's cheese on toasted baguette, grilled until soft and golden, served on dressed leaves with walnuts and a little honey.

Salade lyonnaise

Bitter frisée lettuce with crisp lardons, croutons, a warm vinaigrette and a soft poached egg on top. Poach the eggs in advance, keep them in cold water, and warm them for a minute in simmering water before serving.

Gougères

Little cheese choux puffs from Burgundy, made with Gruyère or Comté. They're perfect with an apéritif and can be frozen unbaked and baked straight from frozen.

Escargots de Bourgogne

Snails baked in their shells with garlic, parsley and butter. A true classic, though not for every guest. Check before you serve them.

Coquilles Saint-Jacques

Scallops served in their shells, either seared with a little butter or baked in a creamy sauce with a crust of breadcrumbs or piped potato.

Which French starters can you make ahead?

Easy leeks vinaigrette recipe

Serves 4 as a starter.

• 8 young, slim leeks, trimmed and washed
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp light olive oil or sunflower oil
• 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• A small bunch of chives, finely chopped
• Salt and black pepper

1. Cook the leeks in a large pan of boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, until a knife slides through them easily. Drain well and pat dry.
2. Whisk the mustard, vinegar and a pinch of salt, then slowly whisk in the oil to make a thick vinaigrette. Stir in the shallot.
3. Lay the leeks on a plate while still warm and spoon over the vinaigrette so they soak it up.
4. Grate or finely chop the eggs and scatter over with the chives and black pepper. Serve at room temperature with bread.

Building a French dinner party menu

Pick a cold starter if your main needs last-minute attention, and a hot one if the main is a braise that sits happily in a low oven. Follow it with a classic such as boeuf bourguignon or our duck confit cassoulet, and finish with one of these French desserts. For more complete menus, see our dinner party menu ideas.

A good French starter is small, sharp and made ahead. Choose one that leaves you free for the main course, serve it with good bread, and the meal is off to the right start. If you'd love a French menu without the cooking, find a private chef to cook it for you.