I already wrote about private chef and chocolatier Christian Ørner, owner of SALT Cø., earlier in the year, when we ordered an Isolation Date Night meal (you can read that post here). But now that things are opening up again, I was able to invite Christian into my parents’ home to do what he does best - to cater a dinner party.

A private chef sounds so decadent (and expensive), doesn’t it? I know that Christian cooks on catamarans and in Sandbanks super homes, so I wondered if he’d be ok with “ordinary” environments. It turns out he is used to working efficiently in whatever space he has. In reality, the meal was less expensive than going out for dinner and we got to design the entire menu to our tastes. A restaurant experience in the comfort of your own home is a pretty special thing.

In the run up to the event, Christian asked for everyone’s allergies and likes and dislikes. He then came up with a menu, which we could tweak as much or as little as we wished. As it was, we didn’t change a thing. Here is the 7-course menu in all its glory:

· SALT Cø. ‘boiled egg’

· ‘DIY’ beetroot risotto 

· Scallop carpaccio

· Palate cleanser

· Pan roasted smoked duck breast / turbot, with summer squash ravioli, tenderstem broccoli, salsa verde

· Chocolate and salted caramel tart, vanilla ice cream

· Chocolate macarons

Christian arrived with an ice cream machine under one arm and a pasta machine in the other hand. He had asked for the table to be laid, a bit of freezer space and the use of our oven and hob. That’s about all that was required of us. He cooked, plated up, served and washed up; it was the dream!

The timings of our meal didn’t quite go to plan, but that was largely due to everyone talking to Christian. He’s an affable chap, but if you want your dinner on time, let him get on and cook! We also chose to have a pasta demo, where we rolled and filled the raviloli to go with our main course, which took a bit of extra time.

These were my highlights: fougasse with smoked salt and truffle butters - this was a delectable extra that wasn’t even on the menu. The scallop carpaccio, which I’d never had before, was a delight. It was fresh and citrusy like ceviche, with a parsley purée. The smoked duck was cooked to pink perfection, delicious paired with the delicate ravioli and the punchy salsa verde. The dessert was undoubtedly the biggest crowd pleaser - what’s not to love about perfectly short pastry filled with salted caramel (and it was salted - it’s a common complaint of mine that salted caramel isn’t salted enough) and chocolate? Throw in a side of homemade ice cream, and it’s an absolute winner.

It was a lovely evening, a fantastic meal and a memorable experience (particularly the earlier part of the evening before all the paired wines kicked in…hic!). I’d thoroughly recommend SALT Cø.

www.salt-co.co.uk