Sold out supper club last Saturday, which was a bit of a tight squeeze but this just added to the atmosphere of enjoying home cooked food in my home.
Thankfully all the guests were punctual – late arrivals can play havoc with the food as it is all cooked to order. So far, so good! We started with a Squisito speciality of bright green Puglian olives and a glass of chilled Prosecco. Warmed mini Lamborghini pinwheels of puff pastry and Squisito chihuahua sausage followed. I then brought freshly baked basil pesto rolls and extra virgin olive oil to the table. For anti pasti we had a selection of very simple and very Italian dishes, ripe baby tomatoes with smoked sea salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, then some salads – pinto beans with fennel and black olive, penne with roasted red pepper and rocket and finally ripe black figs with mozzarella and basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Yum!
Primi was a seasonal risotto of broad bean and pea, seasoned with a little mint, mantecaura of unsalted butter and grana padano cheese.
Meanwhile on the char grill a 3kg piece of strip loin beef was searing ready for the main course/ secondi. Cooked for 45 minutes and then left to rest for 20 minutes. I prepared roasted baby potatoes with lemon, garlic and sea salt to accompany with a wild rocket and shavings of grana padano cheese salad. The steak was carved onto a wooden board and presented centre stage on the table for my guests to help themselves.
We concluded the meal with homemade raspberry ripple gelato, studded with fresh raspberries and pink crystalised Rose petals (picked from my Geoff Hamilton Rose) We all agreed that a glass of chilled red Lambrusco (ribena for adults) to compliment, was an inspired match.
Now a little about my wonderful guests, an eclectic mix of young and young at heart that somehow connected straightaway. We had a few couples, singletons and a very pregnant lady who all entered into the spirit of the ocassion. Some guests were birthday celebrating in style with a stopover at 16th century Barnacle Hall, so jealous! The presence of a journalist discreetly making notes on the evening didn’t seem to put anyone off and we all got on like a house on fire. I was particularly taken by the very witty gent, all the way from Halifax and his eloquent Dorothy Parker recital. Hilarious! But it was a true team effort – so many thanks guests for making the evening truly memorable.
Next time I blog I will attempt some food pics – I really don’t know how food bloggers manage it? Perhaps best to have hot food than pictures but I will try, promise.
The next secret Squisito supper club is sold out already so I have taken a brave decided to add an extra date on the 23rd July. Book soon so you don’t miss out. August btw is already sold out and I can’t add another date as I have festivals etc already committed to. So please come along on the 23rd July, it’s an experience you wont forget.
Secret Squisito 