What should I get a private chef to cook for us

[Allthegoodhorses]

I won via a charity auction a meal for 4 (two courses) to be cooked for us by a chef in our village. She is a trained Pru Leith cook/chef although does not do this for a living.

I have to provide her with a menu I would like and honestly, I have no ideas. My husband and I are cook-from-scratch people and often have things like rib of beef, Beef Wellington, salmon en croute, Beouf Bourguignon, or pies etc.

I have no idea what I would get her to cook as most things I can think of are what we already do for ourselves. Does anyone have any ideas? We will eat most things but I am not keen on tomatoes or mushrooms. None of the guests are veggie and will eat fish also. I don't think it matters which the two courses are (starter/main or main/dessert).

I would want a shoulder of lamb dish with dauphinoise potatoes and seasonal vegetables and some sort of complicated dessert probably involving fruit and pastry (the sort of thing I never make) but that's my taste, not yours op.

If you realky can't think of anything a private chef could make better than you, then why not donate the prize to someone else in the village who would appreciate it?

Yes, definitely do this, OP. She’ll know what she is best at. Maybe in that message also list any ingredients you don’t like too so you have any options you wouldn’t like at all.

I would pick something that's difficult/time consuming to cook. Curry is a good shout as a proper curry takes ages but maybe there is a window she has. I also love a home made fish pie with several types of fish and prawns.

I love mussels but they are so easy to cook yourself, it would be a waste of a professional chef.

Pigeon is amazing when cooked by a good chef.

It’s not a case of thinking we can do better. It was more to demonstrate we cook most things I would think of to ask. If that makes sense. I would not be able to do feel confident doing beef Wellington but husband is and does it a lot. If he couldn’t do it I would ask her to cook that. Maybe I’m just not imaginative! Of course I’ll come up with something but I just wanted to try and come up with something I hadn’t previously considered. I’m not going to donate it as it was £££.

How annoying. I don't mind cooking, it's the constant having to think about what to cook I do mind ! I'd like a chef to make some suggestions, not expect me to do all the thinking for her

I like this idea. I tried to do tempura prawns once and vowed never to do that again. I love them but they’re too faffy for me. Thanks for the ideas.

This is the issue.. I have a bit of a thing with husband at home. He’s a good cook, much better than me but is constantly asking me what we should have. He’ll buy ingredients and do all the cooking but I’m so stuck trying to think of things! Maybe my repertoire is too small.

But some people would have entered the raffle thinking “ohh, I would love someone who really knows their stuff to make me a beef wellington/duck paté/chocolate soufflé” or whatever and would be disappointed not to choose.

She’s NBU to ask and OP wouldn’t BU to ask her for a few suggestions instead

I'd want something really far out of my culinary repertoire. Like authentic Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian cuisine. Or maybe scandi or Japanese? Something pretty visual and unusual tastes. Lots of unusual seafood would really excite me.

Thank you. I think you’re right. I need to check her comfort zone on dishes like that. My immediate thoughts were too much more what we would usually do.

The woman offered her services in a auction for charity for gods sake, OP isnt paying for it, she isnt a professional, its not a 'poor show' at all!

I have been wondering about this while getting the dc ready for bed and think I would choose a chicken kyiv followed by one of those chocolate foundation cakes with the melting middle. Stuff that is really faffy and can easily go wrong - which is why I stopped making chicken kyivs, fed up of the butter seeping out while I cooked or putting my knife through the breast while prepping it. Not sure what sides or veg I'd go with though.

I'd want stuff that I don't even know what it is, with a jus or coulis that I can't even begin to imagine how they make.

The Auction was for charity (our local church roof repair). We paid handsomely for it and the chef is a neighbour. But the ingredients will be covered out of the auction money. So there is an element of not making it too far out there or complicated with really expensive ingredients as costs really need to be for the church. But equally I know she wants us to have a good experience. I also donated my time to do something which was auctioned off.

Love these ideas. I don’t do chicken Kiev either as I find them weirdly complicated. 🥰

I keep trying to think what I would ask for and am drawing a blank… does she specialise in certain types of cuisine? I might just ask for a nice three course French meal - home of gastronomy after all and I think you can avoid the stuff that neither you nor your guests eat? Frankly I would walk up a mountain barefoot for a good steak tartare starter… I can kind of do it at home, but it’s never quite as good. Maybe 80%! Then maybe duck leg confit. Finishing with clafoutis - pear and hazelnut with liqueur perhaps? Can I come?! 🤣

I'd go with sushi and lots of it. Most of the ingredients are cheap, but put together as sushi, they charge a fortune for it.

With suggestions like that you would be a welcome guest! 🥰

I would go for scallops meuniere, chateaubriand with bearnaise sauce and lemon meringue souffles.

Being a sushi chef is a particular skill, not a general excellent cook/prue leith skill.

Ask if she has a signature dish as you would love to try it.

Well I suppose what I meant was, you're not paying her as a business customer

Only 10k calories there. But utterly fantastic. Od want something that is tricky or maybe luxurious.someone mentioned souffle. Maybe something with truffle. Had a private chef dinner once. She had worked on private yachts. Was staying in St.Foix in France. It was lovely but can't remember what we had