Have you, like us, been missing a spot of fine dining? But are you still feeling a little cautious about returning to city centres, preferring to eat at home? Then this concept from Banquist might be ideal, as it combines fine dining but is created by you in your own kitchen.
Banquist have been working with some amazing chefs during lockdown to deliver everything that you need to create a three course gourmet meal in the comfort of your own kitchen. Past chefs have included Ruth Hansom, Atol K0chhar, and Josh Barnes. Whilst tempted by those, it was the chance to cook along (virtually of course) with Peter Lloyd that really grabbed my attention. Sticky Mango is one of our favourite restaurants; and we have tried to reproduce the prawn dish at home previously, so it was a golden opportunity to see how it's really done.
The day before the box arrived, I received an email with a link to a video and instructions about what to do with the ingredients when they arrived. They arrived within a 2 hour time slot and I couldn't resist taking a peak. The contents are a mixture of pre-cooked ingredients that either need re-heating or finishing, and fresh ingredients that you need to prepare. Plus a bottle of wine chosen to accompany the meal.
So how did we find it? The written instructions were very clear; set out in the sequence of preparation, allowing enough time for marinades to do their work, and all the chopping to be done in one go. The video was shot in the same sequence and the steps clearly explained.
We normally take it in turns to cook, but we did all of this together which was really rather fun. We picked up some tips from Peter, and which we will carry on doing now.
How do you think we did?
The box costs £75 for 2 people, £120 for 4 and £160 for 6. If you're thinking of hosting a socially distanced dinner party, using a Banquist box would be guaranteed to wow your friends. You can add additional bottles of wine, and in some instances there have been additional cheese courses or dessert wines too.
We enjoyed the experience, the food, and the paired wine. We'll certainly do it again. How about you?
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