La Belle Assiette is a private chef service that aims to make entertaining at home easy and enjoyable. It allows you to host a dinner of your choice in your own home without all the fuss and effort that normally goes with it. The chef shops for ingredients, preps, cooks, serves and even cleans up at the end of the meal. It's amazing really.
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| ~ La Belle Assiette Chef Oliver Snook ~ |
To further enhance the experience that I was offered, I didn't even have to act as photographer for the night. Professional Photographer, Jack Smethers would be in attendance to take photos of the evening. I could literally sit back and enjoy the food and my friends' company.
The only problem for me was the mass industrial cleaning I needed to do to my home in order to make it presentable. It's always good to have a reason to get a clean on (and mine really needed it).
Our chef for the night was Oliver Snook who described his cooking style as modern with a classic base. With a knowledge of Brazilian food, Oliver's style is to use ingredients from around the world to create new dishes as well as update classics.
My first stop was to check him out on La Belle Assiette where I found out that our chef had worked in Michelin starred restaurants. Oliver's approach is to use the best ingredients in a simple manner to provide an excellent menu.
Oliver soon got in touch and gave me options for the five course dinner. Once I had replied my guests and I soon received an email with our menu for the evening. It read as follows:
APPETIZER
Wild mushroom broth, tarragon dumplings |
PALATE CLEANSER
Cucumber, tomato and gin slushie |
STARTER
Duck plate: home cured breast, potted leg, liver pate, pickled prunes |
MAIN COURSE
Sea bass, braised fennel, cavolo nero, crushed new potatoes |
DESSERT
Rhubarb cheesecake, rhubarb compote, pistachio praline |
Once I had done my final tidying-away I began to get excited about our dinner. My phone rang and Oliver called to say he was on his way.
Oliver arrived fully prepared and in good time. A moment later our photographer for the evening Jack Smethers had also arrived.
Our guests arrived soon after and within no time we were enjoying a light mushroom broth with tarragon dumplings. It had a delicate flavour and was served in a small bowl that seemed a perfect size for it.
Our next course was a palate cleanser of cucumber, tomato and gin sorbet. Oliver didn't stint on the gin but used the highly praised Whitley Neill handcrafted dry gin.
The next course became much more elaborate with duck served in three different ways and daintily arranged on a plate. The potted leg and pickled prunes were my favourite parts to this dish although the different flavours of the duck served in three ways all complemented each other.
Next came the main of seabass and it looked so inviting with its crisped skin as it rested on a bed of cavolo nero (two favourites of mine). The combined flavours tasted absolutely delicious and this was one of the highlights of the evening for me.
Our final course proved to be even better, although by this stage we were stuffed. The rhubarb dessert, was a superb combination of tart rhubarb compote with a creamy, light rhubarb cheesecake and a sweet, crunchy pistachio praline. You need to taste this, it was the other stand out for all of us.
The evening was a success, I felt ridiculously full and didn't have to wash a plate.
Overall the dishes were varied, colourful and packed with flavour. I particularly enjoyed the sea bass served on cavolo nero and crushed new potatoes. The other highlight was the superb dessert that delivered sweet, creamy, tart and crunchy all at the same time. To dine at home, with a chef to prep, cook and clean away afterwards felt decadent, fuss-free and something I'd happily do again.
Find out more by visiting La Belle Assiette for the opportunity to enjoy the services of a top chef.
Happy dining
Sarah xx
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Sarah Agnew
Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac
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