Having friends for dinner is one of my favourite things, and I’ve been hosting “dinner parties” since I was 15. These days it’s smaller numbers, thanks to covid, and since our cottage is so small.
Last weekend our good friends, Annie & Adam, came for dinner. We were supposed to go to their house, but we couldn’t get a babysitter, so they came to ours and we split the cooking.
We did a cheese platter and dessert; they did the main and brought French champagne! I was hoping we could sit outside, but the weather wasn’t cooperating, so I set the table inside instead.
So grateful I had these incredible homegrown dahlias from a friends garden. They just made the table look so pretty.
As you’ve probably figured out by now, I could make a career out of setting a beautiful table I love it so much! Here I’ve used our antique hand painted plates from France, napkins from Amanda Lindroth, smoke glassware from Williams Sonoma, and vintage candle holder.
For mains, Annie & Adam made prawn brioche rolls. One of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten! In fact, they was SO good I asked Annie if she would share the recipe, which I’ve posted separately here. One of the most interesting things is the addition of crushed up salted potato chips, which totally make it.
You get sweetness & smokiness from the soft toasted brioche bun; creamy tender poached prawns; a bit of zing from the mayonnaise dressing; and the fresh salad with finely sliced fennel. And then, the crispy, salty crunch from the potato chips. The most perfectly balanced dish!
For dessert I made a layered pavlova. It was meant to have peaches and blackberries, but when I cut open the fresh peaches they were brown inside. No thanks.
The pav was delicious, but did need that bit of acidity that the peaches would have given. The meringue was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft & slightly chewy on the inside, so not all was lost.
All in all, a superb evening of delicious food, wonderful company and funny stories! Click here if you want the recipe for The Best Prawn Brioche Rolls! Seriously, try it because it is a CRACKER.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Nicki xo
This is all very beautiful. What lucky guests! I love following all your cooking and meals on Instagram and especially how you set the table. You seriously make me want to learn how to cook. Sophie 🙂
Oh thanks so much, Sophie. Really appreciate that comment, and so glad you love following along my cooking adventures! Will be sharing a lot more recipes on the website too so stayed tuned. Nicki xo