A dinner party that takes the heat off

Prue, who started her working life as a caterer before becoming a restaurateur, journalist, businesswoman, novelist and all-round force for good where cooking and eating in schools is concerned, had run into Estelle Durand in the street last year. Estelle was canvassing the opinions of passers-by on what they would want from a couple who came to their home to cook dinner.

The formidable Ms Leith immediately pointed out the faults and shortcomings in her questionnaire but since beneath the martinet exterior beats a kind and generous heart, she employed them, first to cook dinner and then produce a Vietnamese buffet for more than 100 concert-goers. The meal last week was to help spread the word.

Estelle, from Brittany, met French-Canadian Vincent Déry at The Square, where he was cooking and she had gone to work as coffee girl. She graduated to chef-de-rang and the two of them then went on to work at Toqué Restaurant in Montreal, at three-star Michel Bras in Laguiole, France, and - back in London - at The Ledbury.

Two sweet, shy, slender young things coping with a guest list that included Henrietta Green, founder of Food Lovers' Guide to Britain, William Sitwell, editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated, Old Etonians Matthew Fort and Tom Parker Bowles who collaborate on the TV show Market Kitchen and, it must be said, moi, had every reason to be a-tremble.

Recent newspaper headlines such as Death of the Dining Room have been announcing that open-plan living is what we all now want and so it was that Vincent and Estelle had to prepare, cook and clear up in full view of their audience.

Despite all this they seemed initially calm and collected and managed to produce four elaborate canapés, including an oyster with tarragon jelly and pomegranate foam and a sashimi of white tuna with pineapple ketchup sandwiched between Jerusalem artichoke crisps, all handed around before we sat down.

The first course was roasted turbot served on a tarte fine of onions which was a delicious crisp conceit to contrast with the luxurious fish set off by a sauce made from Neal's Yard crème fraiche, itself underlined by Minus 8 wine vinegar named after the frosty temperature in some Canadian vineyards.

Rather a long wait ensued before Estelle stopped conversation to announce the arrival of a main course of roasted veal from Aubrac, ordered from the supplier used by Michel Bras.

The veal was served pink, too pink for some, and it was at this point, when some meat had to be taken away for more cooking, that the Estelle and Vincent show had some overlap with a more amateur dinner party.

However, garnishes of Swiss chard, roasted salsify, hedgehog mushrooms and spirals of raw kohlrabi are not something most of us would attempt after a hard day at the office.

And certainly it would need someone other than the host in the kitchen to follow the meat and vegetables with aligot, a mixture of potato purée with a cheese such as a tomme fraiche from Laguiole beaten until it falls in flexible strings from the spoon.

Our dessert was a somewhat hefty apple and frangipane tart with lovely vanilla ice-cream and a maple syrup caramel. Verdicts around the table as to whether a restaurant meal in a domestic setting is an idea whose time has come were varied.

Henrietta thought that "there is obviously an appetite out there for having things done for you in your own home" and that "it was cool". "Close to restaurant panache," said Matthew Fort but William Sitwell observed that "if you are going to have restaurant food then you want the fun of going to a restaurant".

I agreed with Tom Parker Bowles who, though praising the dinner with impeccable politesse, said that actually he liked to cook for his friends himself and didn't think they would go for such fancy stuff.

Even if you provide the wine yourself, £75 a head - also underwriting some overheads such as heat, light, fuel, table and chairs etc. - makes Estelle and Vincent chez vous more expensive than, say, a meal at The Square, where the set dinner is £65.

But there is no need to travel, nor do you have to load the dishwasher. And if you are going to allow ambitious young chefs into your no doubt open-plan living space, it would be hard to find two more serious, dedicated and unobtrusive souls.

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Estelle & Vincent