If you’re going to spend the evening dining at a strangers house, you’re going to want to make sure it’s going to be memorable for the right reasons. When looking for a supper club it can be hard to know which one is going to be to your liking, so make sure you start at the very top. We recently spent the evening with the enigma that is ‘The London Foodie’. Luiz Hara hosted a supper club worthy of anyone’s gastronomy dreams. Luiz himself a former investment banker turned Cordon Bleu trained chef, food, wine and travel writer has managed to taste his way around the World and decided to host supper clubs to share his gastronomical adventures with you. We were in for a treat as Luiz decided to share with us none other than Danilo Cortellini head chef to the Italian Embassy and his 10 delectable Italian courses taken from his first recipe book ‘4 Grosvenor Square: The Menu of The Italian Embassy in London’
The evening blends the warm and welcoming surroundings of Luiz’s home with the most incredibly intricate and note-worthy cooking of Danilo’s made and prepared in the heart of the kitchen where you enjoy your meal amongst a good crowd of appreciative guests. This is really a great place to get social and take in the atmosphere of an Italian dinner party, sharing wine and sharing exchanges on the impressive menu. The evening is made all the more charming when eating the same course on a different plate to your neighbour and watching the Creuset bubbling in front of your eyes. Small touches mean a lot here and it somehow makes you appreciate your dinner even more. There is minimal fuss and a team of warm and inviting hosts and servers.
Each of the courses are taken from Danilo’s new cookbook so not only can you admire the skill and creativity of the dishes, if you’re a dab hand in the kitchen, you can also recreate them yourself. Particularly impressive and instagrammable is the delicious Pasta Multicolore made with four different coloured pastas. Intricate and beautiful, Danilo’s artistic flair is showcased well. The beauty is, Danilo has made it all the more accessible for you to give it a try by including the recipe in his book and just in case you wanted to recreate it yourself, we attached the recipe below…
The menu was well balanced with some classic Italian dishes amongst more traditional offerings such as the Baccalà served with creamed Polenta. A simple dish with maximum flavour served in an ice cream tub.
We are taken from fish to simple vegetarian dishes such as the surprisingly light Lemon Risotto to the sumptuous pièce de la resistance Veal Cheeks Pizzaiola which is made using the best passata from Imperial d’Abruzzo a real salute to Italian cuisine.
Of course no 10 course menu is complete without at least 1 dessert and lucky for us we had 2. Yoghurt mousse with caramelised apricot and pistachio crumble and of course Tiramisu. Both easy on the eye and definitely gone in 60 seconds.
The apricot dish blends textures, colours and different sensations in the mouth as well as offering a great palette cleanse after the heavier Italian flavours.
Yoghurt Mousse
Tiramisu, well what Italian supper would be complete without one. Danilo’s take on this timeless classic has the perfect balance of booze and creaminess with a subtle but welcome side of coffee ice cream to round it off nicely.
Tiramisu
All in all a unique and special evening, from the inviting host to the impeccable cooking and service.
If you want an unforgettable evening make sure you check out The London Foodie for his outstanding hospitality and supper clubs.
If you fancy dining like the ambassador himself, make sure you check out Danilo’s new book;
4 Grosvenor Square: The Menu of the Italian Embassy in London.
Available from Amazon, Waterstones, Books for Cooks, Books etc. and Wordery priced at £25
