A Celebration Dinner and the Final Week of Leiths

My final week of coursework with Leiths Cookery School coincided with a weekend full of celebrations. Father’s Day, my mother-in-law’s birthday and my son’s birthday all arrived at once, providing the perfect excuse to gather around the table and put everything I had been learning into practice.

On a beautiful sunny afternoon, my mother and father-in-law joined us for dinner in the garden. With the table set, flowers arranged and a bottle of rosé Crémant in the wine cooler, it felt like the perfect way to mark both family celebrations and the end of another chapter in my cookery journey.

The Menu

For the starter, I served a pea and watercress soup topped with chilli-marinated feta. The bright green colour was wonderfully summery, and the feta added both texture and a subtle kick of heat.

The main course was slow-cooked lamb shoulder served with salsa verde, accompanied by a green bean, artichoke and courgette salad, alongside crispy potatoes with black garlic mayonnaise.

Dessert was a cornflake panna cotta finished with a pecan and cornflake topping, served in vintage dessert glasses that I had picked up just the week before in a charity shop on the Isle of Wight.

Lessons from the Kitchen

One of the most interesting techniques I learnt this week was passing the soup through a sieve after blending. It might seem like a small extra step, but it transformed the finished dish, creating a much lighter and silkier texture than I would usually achieve.

The chilli-marinated feta was another simple addition that elevated what could otherwise have been a fairly straightforward starter. It’s often the small finishing touches that make the biggest difference.

The undisputed star of the meal, however, was the crispy potatoes with black garlic mayonnaise.

I had never cooked with black garlic before and was surprised by its flavour. Rather than the sharp punch of fresh garlic, it brings a much gentler sweetness with a subtle depth that worked beautifully in the mayonnaise. Every person around the table commented on them, and they will definitely be making repeat appearances in future meals.

The lamb shoulder was meltingly tender, and the salsa verde added a freshness that felt perfect for a summer gathering. I already know I’ll be making this combination again, although next time I may try cooking the lamb on the smoker in the outdoor kitchen for an extra layer of flavour.

Not Everything Goes Perfectly

Of course, cookery school has taught me that things don’t always go exactly to plan.

The panna cotta wasn’t quite the texture I had hoped for. I used Vege-Gel as the setting agent and haven’t quite mastered the ratio yet, resulting in a dessert that was slightly firmer and denser than intended.

That said, the flavour was excellent, and the crunchy cornflake and pecan topping was a real success. Sometimes the lessons come from what doesn’t quite work, and this dessert certainly gave me something to refine for next time.

Around the Table

As much as this meal was about showcasing new skills, it was really about bringing people together.

Good food tastes better when shared, and sitting around the table with family on a warm afternoon felt like the perfect way to celebrate several special occasions at once.

The rosé Crémant made a wonderful start to the afternoon, while a bottle of Provence rosé paired beautifully with the lamb and summer salads. Together they felt like the perfect accompaniment to a relaxed celebration meal.

As I reach the end of another stage of my Leiths journey, I’m reminded that cooking isn’t simply about techniques, recipes or presentation. It’s about creating moments, sharing experiences and gathering the people you love around a table.

And for me, that’s what finding my table has always been about.