A French Buffet for Super Bowl

At D’Chez Eux, one of my favorite old Paris bistros, everything suggests abundance. Bayonne hams and chains of garlic hang from the rafters. Large wicker baskets are heaped with assorted sausages. Carts roll among the tables, loaded with about 20 appetizers and desserts.

You can easily serve a buffet in something like this sophisticated yet informal format to accommodate a Super Bowl party or any other casual get-together.

Here’s how: Go to shops (especially European delis) that stock dry cured sausages. Buy a whole sausage or a substantial chunk and load it in a napkin-lined basket with a knife and cutting board nearby. Cheese wedges would be great in another basket with its own cutting board. Fill out the menu with salads.

The condiment salads that follow are the sort that you’d get at D’Chez Eux, and they complement sausage and cheese perfectly. A food processor makes quick work of them; the same work bowl can be used for all--just wipe out the bowl with a paper towel between salads.

Note that the salads must be made ahead for their flavors to develop fully. Be sure to mix them and add seasoning as necessary just before serving.

For the rest of your bountiful board, you could add platters of sliced plum tomatoes, pickled beets, marinated cucumbers, ratatouille or any favorite vegetable salads. Include warm crusty bread, a crock of sweet butter, sour French gherkins (cornichons), a variety of mustards and a selection of chilled beers. For dessert, you need nothing more complicated than cookies, brownies and bowls of apples and pears.

POTATO SALAD WITH LEEKS, CELERY AND TOMATOES

BASIC DRESSING

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Place oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in small dish and stir vigorously until combined.

SALAD

6 small red or brown potatoes, 1 pound total, unpeeled

1 small leek

1 large celery stalk

1 medium tomato

1/4 cup diced ham

Sliced potatoes cook more uniformly than whole potatoes, especially if you like them cooked through but not mushy. This is a light, colorful potato salad.

Cut potatoes into slices 3/8-inch thick. Trim dark tough leaves from leek and discard. Cut leek and celery crosswise into thin slices. Halve and seed tomato. Dice outer shell to make about 1/4 cup chopped tomato.

Bring 3-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add potato slices, separating any that stick together. Simmer, uncovered, until almost but not quite cooked through (taste 1 slice to be sure), about 10 minutes. Add leek and celery to pot. Cook 30 seconds longer. Immediately drain contents of pot in colander. Transfer potato mixture to large mixing bowl. Add diced tomato and ham.

While mixture is still hot, gently toss with Basic Dressing. Adjust seasoning. Let cool and refrigerate overnight (or up to 2 days), covered airtight.

Before serving, gently mix and adjust seasoning. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Each of 4 servings contains about:

225 calories; 340 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.09 grams fiber.

CELERY ROOT REMOULADE

Celery root (also known as celeriac) is an ugly, knobby root that tastes like a cross between parsley and strong celery. When shopping for it, choose small, firm roots; they’re less woody than the large ones. Trim off the tough peel with a sharp paring knife and discard it in the garbage--don’t put it in the garbage disposal unless you long for a visit from the plumber. The lemon juice is to keep the cut root from turning brown.

2 small celery roots

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 1/2 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons minced parsley

Salt, pepper

Peel celery roots and shred on coarse grater. Immediately toss with lemon juice.

Place grated celery root, mayonnaise, water, mustard, parsley and salt and pepper to taste in bowl and toss until celery root is well coated with dressing. Refrigerate several hours or overnight (or up to 2 days), covered airtight.

Before serving, mix well and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Each of 4 servings contains about:

92 calories; 354 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.53 gram fiber.

CARROT SALAD WITH CILANTRO

Formerly exotic ingredients like cilantro are becoming common in French salads, especially those sold by traiteurs (carry-out shops). If you’re using a food processor to shred the carrots, they’ll be more attractive if you cut them into 2-inch lengths and shred them fine on the long side.

1 3/4 pounds carrots

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Peel carrots and shred fine. Put carrots, orange juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in large bowl and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate several hours or overnight (or up to 2 days), covered airtight.

Before serving, mix well and adjust seasoning. Serve chilled.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

101 calories; 364 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 2.06 grams fiber.