This was the question posed by my client Francesca, from Esher.

She wanted to celebrate her special birthday by hosting a lunch for nine of her best friends.

We discussed the kind of food that she and her friends like to eat. They were all seasoned “ladies who lunch”, and used to fine dining.

But they were also health conscious – so Francesca was keen to treat them to a meal that would be delicious, but not too heavy.

The menu I came up with for Francesca and her friends was:

Asian style tiger prawn salad

“This is a refreshing salad of shredded vegetables (carrot, radish and Chinese leaf) and shredded mango, with juicy tiger prawns and a lime dressing that includes fresh chilli, sesame, sweet Thai basil, garlic and coriander.” Steve

Seabass fillets with creamed Puy lentils, spinach and wild mushrooms, and salsa verde

“Puy lentils go perfectly with pan-fried sea-bass, and they’re delicious tossed with spinach, mushrooms, lemon and crème fraiche. My salsa verde is always freshly made, using basil, mint, parsley and lemon.” Steve

Lemon Posset with homemade Cantuccini biscotti

“Lemon Posset was the perfect choice to round off this meal. Although made with cream, it is light and citrussy. My Cantuccini biscotti, freshly made on the morning of Francesca’s party, are the ideal accompaniment to a Lemon Posset.” Steve

Francesca’s verdict at the end of the meal: 10/10!