Embracing the not so humble dinner party with Chef Ryan John

Remember good old fashioned dinner parties? Well it seems they're making a bit of a come back, and this evolved new version is a refreshing way to bring the magic of dining out, into the comfort of your own home. I have to admit, I was a little sceptical so I was naturally intrigued to accept an invitation by Chef Ryan John for his 'Come Dine With Me' dinner party. I brought my best friend Carly along since Jeremy was at work, which presented an interesting challenge for the chef since she's fructose and lactose intolerant. 

Held in a rather ritzy mansion in Swanbourne (a Webb Brown-Neaves show home), we joined a group of bloggers and food enthusiasts for the evening. I was already quite excited as I'd spoken to Ryan on the phone the day before, and was pleased to note his dedication in researching what kinds of food would be okay for Carly to eat. 

Photos from Ignite Perth

Arriving at the property we immediately made our way upstairs to relax with some beautiful Louis Perdrier (a sparkling French brut) poured by David from Whitby Premium Wine Consultants. 

This was delicious light with only a hint of sweetness that complimented our two canapés - prosciutto wrapped scallops and potato rostis topped with salmon and dill. For me, the scallops were incredible. Plump, juicy and sweet, cooked perfectly and working well with the saltiness of the meat. 

Photo from Ignite Perth

Before heading downstairs for our meal, we get a bit more information on the wines that have been matched to each course from David, plus he draws a random door prize to giveaway. And the winner is... me! 

Carly and I were both a little bit too excited to find out that I'd won the 'Goldsparkler', a German riesling with 24 carat leaf floating inside. One of the other girls there laughed and told me it was like an alcoholic snow globe - I have to agree! So looking forward to cracking into this one weekend soon.  

Photos from Ignite Perth

Not long after we take a seat our entrees are served. For most of us at the table, it's a tiger prawn, chorizo and roasted cherry tomato hot pot with a saffron and lemon buerre blanc. It's served with a Quarantadue Italian pinot grigio. 

When I first saw 'hot pot' on the menu I have to admit I wasn't sure what to think. It's a bit of a hodge podge expression and very eighties - but I was proven wrong upon my first bite. The flavours in this were warm and comforting, just what you would want on a rainy winter's night. The chorizo was meaty and flavoursome, the tiger prawns retaining a nice snap to their texture showcasing how fresh they were and how perfectly cooked. I thought the buerre blanc was a smart addition - a vibrant weave of flavour and colour to make the dish pop. 

Carly's fructose free version was grilled tiger prawns with fresh herbs and grilled lime. Perhaps not as exciting as the hot pot, but the flavours in this were just as sound - and though I probably shouldn't have, I snuck her a little bite of chorizo (yes, I am an enabler). It was nice to see she received an extra prawn too since she was missing out on the substantial meat. 

Neither of us are the biggest fans of pinot grigio but we have a few sips each to try out this crisp white wine. It does go well with the seafood - I thought more so with Carly's, however I'm not really a wine aficionado so I'm probably wrong. 

The main course was definitely a crowd pleaser and there was a bit of a shushed admiration as we watched Chef Ryan plate it up. Comprised of soft herb crusted rack of lamb with fondant potato, grilled asparagus and shiraz jus, this meaty pile of goodness was served with a 2010 Barossa Valley Shiraz by David Franz. 

First of all, I love lamb when it's pink and plump in the centre. Way too often lamb is considered a meat you need to take to the darkest depths of cooking, so I'm loving that it's become more commonplace now to see blushing cuts of meat. The herb crust on the outside was slightly sweet and a nice change to normal lamb crusts which are crunchy and usually textural. I liked how vivid it looked on the plate, especially with that pea puree underneath (which for me stole the show, it was so vibrant and tasty).

The asparagus still retained a little bite to it which contrasted well against the soft, dreamy potato. I loved that Ryan made his way around the table and offered everyone extra jus too - because in my opinion, you can never have too much sauce.

Carly's version of the lamb had no herb crust, but a vibrant yoghurt sauce which made up for the lack of jus. It's a tried and true flavour combination, and works so well. I was pleased to see that though she didn't have a fondant potato, she had a replacement roasted potato so she didn't miss out. Ryan's care to ensure her dinner was equally delicious was apparent in every course.

Our final course for the evening is a dessert of lemony flavours and textures. My eye immediately is drawn to the limoncello pannacotta, which is wobbly and delicate. It's so soft, with the lemon not overpowering, but still noticeable in every bite. 

Also on the plate is poached mini pear on an orange and poppyseed sponge, with a scoop of double cream to accompany. The sticky dessert wine German Gequrztraminer Auslese worked oh so well with this part of the dish in particular. The pear was soft, my spoon sliding through the flesh with ease. 

I finished my dessert on the lemon curd ice-cream on lemon macaron shell which again was chocked full of flavour. I love zingy citrus flavours and so this trio of lemon was just the right sweet ending to a lovely dinner for me. 

And just so Carly didn't miss out, she was treated to a gorgeous warm paleo banana bread with caramelised banana and yoghurt. There was a rum sauce accompanying it, to give it an additional dimension. I loved seeing how much she enjoyed this (and even better - Ryan made a second one for her to take home for the next day)! Like myself, she felt full and completely sated by the final course.

After finishing up our dinner we both were feeling really pleased with the food, and impressed by the dinner party atmosphere. It was a nice way to stay in on a cold night, while being treated to restaurant quality food. Definitely something to consider doing in the future for special occasions. Thank you to Chef Ryan John and his team for treating us to such a lovely evening.

And of course, an extra thank you for sending us home with a jar of rhubarb and berry jam, and some tomato relish! It was the night that kept on giving.