Who would have thought cooking for friends meant tearing it up with meatballs and beetroot?

If tomorrow was my last day on earth, I would steal a couple G5’s, pick up my friends scattered across the planet, and drop them in London for the last supper. I’d probably serve something slightly different than what Jesus had on the menu, but the idea would be the same -one giant smash up, right?

Since moving to London, supper with friends has taken on a whole meaning for me. When this city leaves you crying out for community, there is nothing better than sharing a table with friends. Whether it’s the weeknight impromptu invitation for one or the Saturday, five course saga for twelve, it’s a weekly ritual that I now see myself doing until I can no longer lift a spatula.

Last night, I had the pleasure of cooking for Uyen (one half of Fernandez and Leluu). A bit nervous, as you never know how things will go down with a fellow foodie. The good news is that even with a bit of experimentation, I didn’t make a complete ass of myself. It’s still early, though. I’ll reconsider if she suddenly stops returning my phone calls.

Starter: Beetroot Salad with Turnips, Fresh Dill, and Orange Goat Cream

I’m not sure about the turnips on this one. They tasted nice on their own, but paired with everything else seemed a bit bitter. If I was to do it again? Replace the turnips with walnuts instead.

4 beetroots
3 turnips
1 mandarin orange
a bit of soft goat cheese
fresh dill
salt and pepper
lemon
olive oil

Place the beetroot and turnips whole in a pot of water. Never cut beetroot as it will bleed out all the goodness into the cooking water. Boil covered for 20-30 or until tender, but not mushy. Peel off the skins and slice the beetroot in a mandoline. Dice the turnips.

In a small bowl, mix the juice from the orange with the goat cheese, chopped fresh dill, and salt and pepper.

Arrange the beetroot on a plate, then top with the turnips. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle a bit of olive oil and then squeeze half a lemon. Finally, drizzle a generous bit of the orange goat cream over the top and sprinkle with more fresh dill.

Main: Lamb Meatballs with Peas and Mint Pistachio Pesto

For the pesto:
a large bunch of mint
50 g of shelled pistachios
a generous portion of Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cloves of garlic
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 2 lemons
salt and pepper
olive oil

Place all ingredients into a blender. Blitz until smooth and creamy. I always taste this as I go -adding more lemon, salt, cheese, or olive oil to create the right balance and consistency.

For the meatballs:
500 g of lamb mince
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
10-12 cardamom pods, opened and freshly ground
vanilla sea salt (or just regular sea salt if you can’t get ahold of this)
black pepper
fresh (or frozen) peas