Hosting a dinner party in Britain during the ‘70s and ‘80s was, as I’m sure you know, a very different affair than it is today. Vol-au-vents, prawn cocktails, chicken Kievs, arctic rolls – these are the dishes that encompassed the height of sophistication at the dining table. But these once esteemed recipes are now rarely seen and regarded as incredibly passé, as cooks turn to more exotic cuisines and lighter or fresher recipes instead.
It’s a shame, really. After all, these dishes were popular for a reason: they tasted damn good, especially when prepared with quality ingredients, care and attention. That’s something chef George Barson knows all too well, which is why he’s reinvigorating the dinner party dishes of yesteryear at his restaurant Cora Pearl, in Covent Garden.
George worked at the likes of Viajante, Dinner by Heston and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen before joining Kitty Fisher’s, which had already gained a cult following thanks to its incredible menu based around a wood-fired grill. In June 2018 he helped to open Cora Pearl – Kitty Fisher’s sister restaurant, which was an instant hit thanks in part to critics raving about its chips. But there are plenty of amazing dishes to choose from on the rest of the menu, particularly if you’re after indulgent, comforting, nostalgia-laced eating.