Monkfish with broccolini and buerre noisette. Photo / Babiche Martens
While everyone is sick to the back teeth of hearing about the economic carry on, there's no denying the reality so today we are throwing a quietly stylish but very delicious dinner party whether you have many or few pennies in the pocket.
I think there is no better time
to encourage a get together: it can often be more relaxed, more fun and involve better food than dining out.
The key here is in the quality of ingredients. Some are not necessarily cheap - alternatives will be given - but it is more about the menu as a whole, using seasonal ingredients and enjoying three courses of delicious food in good company.
Start with a baked mushroom custard - best with a variety of mushrooms, fresh from the fields if you can get your hands on them - with warm toast dipped in, then a simple piece of the freshest fish, pan-fried with broccolini and a buerre noisette, and finish with a little stack of circles of shortcake holding gently poached rhubarb and gorgeously tart buffalo milk yoghurt, dusted with icing sugar.
Throw together mismatched crockery, light plenty of candles, choose gorgeous music, precious friends and enjoy.
Chef's tip
Broccoli can be substituted for broccolini, thick Greek yoghurt can work well instead of the buffalo milk yoghurt, but do try it - it's available from gourmet food stores, and is a local product containing more protein and calcium but less cholesterol than cow's milk yoghurt.
