Dinner party menu for six

Dinner party menu for six people #1 – from Elin al'Nia
• Starter: Vichyssoise soup
• Main course: Chicken in WHITE wine
• Pudding: Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients
Starter:
o 50g butter
o 450g leeks, finely sliced
o 225g potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced
o 570ml water
o 275ml milk
o 75ml single cream
o Salt & pepper

Main
o 2 tables garlic oil (or olive oil and a squeeze of garlic paste)
o 150 bacon/pancetta lardoons (or chopped up rashers)
o 1 leek, sliced
o Boneless chicken thighs or breast (2 thighs per person or one breast each), cut into largish pieces.
o 300 mushrooms, sliced
o Herbs (a couple of bay leaves and some thyme)
o 1 75cl bottle WHITE wine
o Double (heavy) cream
o Cooked pasta and butter to serve.

Pudding
o 60 ml water
o 2.5 tsp gelatine
o 720 ml (16 fl oz) whipping (heavy) cream
o Half a vanilla bean or 2 tsp vanilla extract
o 8 tablsp powdered sweetener (guess you could use sugar, but I’ve used sweetener such as Splenda)

Instructions
Starter
Melt butter & cook leeks and potatoes gently for ten minutes in a covered saucepan without colouring. Add water, bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes or so until the vegetables are tender. Cook a little, then puree in blender. Stir in milk & cream and season with salt & pepper. Either reheat or chill in ‘fridge for the traditional cold version.
Main
Heat oil in casserole or large pan, fry bacon/pancetta till crisp. Add leek and fry gently till softened. Add chicken, herbs, mushrooms and wine.
Season with salt & pepper and bring to boil. Cover pan and simmer for half an hour to forty minutes. Stir in cream for last few minutes. Eat with buttered pasta.
Pudding
Place water in small bowl & sprinkle with gelatine. Allow it to stand for 2 minutes to soften.
Place half cream in a medium saucepan. Slit vanilla bean lengthwise and add to pan (or stir in vanilla extract). Bring gently to boil, add gelatine, remove from heat and stir till gelatine dissolves.
Remove vanilla bean (if using) and scrape little seeds into mixture using the tip of a small knife. Stir in sweetener/sugar and the remaining cream.
Pour mixture into 6 small dishes (ramekins or you can use wine glasses). Leave in fridge till set (four hours or so). Eat from dishes or turn ramekins out by first dipping each in hot water almost to rim for 30 seconds, run a thin knife round inside, place small plate over top, turn over, shake and pudding should fall out onto plate (have to admit, I don’t chance it, I just serve in the dishes!).