Recollections from the “dinner party”

All in all, a success. I did make a few tweaks to the menu. Since it was a much more casual environment, I scrapped the appetizer, and added the fennel and parmesan salad as a salad with the main course. And I added a few stalks of crisp grilled English asparagus to each plate.

Main course:
Tuna with green peppercorns (seared for two minutes, each side)
Slow-roasted plum tomatoes (roasted with vinegar and a few olive oil sprays)
Grilled asparagus (literally just 4 minutes under the grill)
Risotto (a classic risotto with onion and shallots – no extra vegetables, no cream, just finished off with some lemon zest, black pepper and grana padano)

Wine:
Pinot Grigio (a really well balanced Italian wine to what felt like a modern Italian-inspired menu)

I was very pleased with how it turned out. The boys were pleased by the protein-rich tuna, and the risotto on the side (just 30 g dry weight per person) was enough to keep them from getting hungry. The tomatoes were so vibrant and just the right addition to the plate to cut the creaminess of the risotto. The asparagus, added at the last minute, was a great palate cleanser. (And, if we’re being artistic, it clinched the presentation as well)

My only concern would be that the acidity of the parmesan and tomatoes could be overpowering for some, especially with wine. But it didn’t last night, at least, thanks to the tuna and the asparagus.

Dessert:
Strawberry frozen yogurt with fresh English raspberries.

I am not much of a pudding person, I admit. It does always seem an afterthought to me. However, I’m aware that to many, dinner is not complete until the bowl is empty and the last scrapings of something creamy have been licked from the spoon.

The best thing about these dishes was how simple everything was. The risotto was perhaps the only dish that takes a bit of skill and practice.