The Featured Table · Service for Ten

Blue Prawn Ceviche Aji Amarillo & Coconut Leche de Tigre, Mango, Red Onion

A Peruvian-inspired first course composed by Private Chef Robert — bright, silky, and quietly sophisticated. The kind of opening a Westport hostess remembers long after the last guest has gone home.

10Guests 25 minHands-on Time 40 minTotal Time AppetizerCourse
Section 01 · The Cellar

Reserved for Coming Recipes & Seasonal Menus

Coming Soon to Chef Robert's Table

This space is held for the next chapters of Chef Robert's seasonal repertoire — weekly meal-prep menus designed for busy Fairfield County families, suggested wine pairings sourced from local merchants, holiday tasting menus for intimate gatherings, and the kind of crowd-pleasing favorites that turn an ordinary Tuesday into something worth sitting down for. Future entries will include Mediterranean braises, Long Island Sound seafood preparations, French bistro classics reimagined for the home kitchen, and Spanish-inflected small plates ready for your next dinner party in Westport.

Section 02 · The Method

How to Prepare Blue Prawn Ceviche for Ten Guests

Hands-on
25 min
Marinate
8–10 min
Cook
2 min*
Total
40 min
Yields
10 plates
  1. Prepare the prawns. Peel, devein, and slice the blue prawns into bite-size medallions. Hold on a tray over crushed ice while you build the leche de tigre — cold flesh cures more evenly. *For nervous hosts, flash-poach 30 seconds, shock in ice; texture stays plump and silken.
  2. Build the leche de tigre. In a high-speed blender, combine fresh lime juice, full-fat coconut milk, aji amarillo paste, grated ginger, garlic, cilantro stems, a whisper of fish sauce, sea salt, and a single ice cube. Blend just until creamy and pale gold — over-blending bruises the citrus.
  3. Strain. Pass through a fine chinois into a chilled stainless bowl. The liquid should look like sunlit cream, taste bright at the front, floral and gently smoldering at the finish.
  4. Cure. Fold the prawns into the leche de tigre and cure 8–10 minutes — no longer. The edges should turn opal-pink, the centers still glassy and tender.
  5. Compose. Fold in petite-diced Ataulfo mango and paper-thin red onion that has been bathed briefly in ice water to soften its bite. Tear in cilantro leaves at the last second.
  6. Plate. Spoon into chilled coupes. Crown with cancha, micro cilantro, and a lacework of lime zest. A final drizzle of leche de tigre around the rim. Serve immediately, while every element is still cold and singing.
Section 03 · La Mise en Place

How Should the Mise en Place Be Set for a Ceviche Course?

Utensils

Sharp 6-inch flexible boning knife, fine chinois, high-speed Vitamix, microplane, fish tweezers, three stainless mixing bowls nested over crushed ice, marble cutting board reserved for citrus.

Plating

Ten chilled crystal coupes or shallow porcelain bowls, frosted in the freezer for twenty minutes. A linen-lined tray for service. Tiny mother-of-pearl spoons resting beside each setting.

Silverware

Seafood forks placed at the right of each charger, polished with a vinegar-water cloth. A bone-china amuse spoon presented separately for guests who prefer to sip the leche de tigre last.

Garnishes

Cancha toasted in a dry pan with a film of olive oil and Maldon. Micro cilantro snipped to order. Lime zest curled with a Y-peeler. A single edible orchid or nasturtium per coupe.

Linens & Light

Ivory linen, hand-pressed. A low arrangement of olive branches and white ranunculus. Candles dimmed to amber so the leche de tigre glows like sunlight on the Sound at five o'clock.

Pairing

An off-dry Riesling from the Mosel, or a Spanish Albariño from Rías Baixas. Served at 46°F in tulip stems. The wine should lift the prawns, never overpower the aji amarillo's quiet heat.

Section 04 · The Place

What Makes the Food Culture of Westport and Fairfield County So Particular?

Westport's story unfolds along the Saugatuck River, where colonial settlers in 1693 first cast nets into Long Island Sound's brackish waters. The town grew prosperous on shad runs, blue point oysters, and the steady rhythm of coastal trade — later becoming a beloved retreat for writers, painters, and Broadway luminaries who sought refuge along Compo Beach. Fairfield County's table has always reflected this heritage: pristine seafood pulled from the Sound, heirloom produce from inland farms in Weston and Wilton, and a quiet insistence on quality. The same discerning palate that once welcomed Paul Newman to a backyard supper still shapes how we gather here today.

Section 05 · Why a Private Chef

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Private Chef in Westport, CT and Fairfield County, CT?

Benefit 01

A Five-Star Dining Experience — Tailored Entirely to You

For the Fairfield County homeowner, this means your kitchen, your table, your guests — transformed. Chef Robert builds menus around your preferences and dietary needs first, sources from Fjord Fish Market and the local farm stands, handles all provisioning, prep, service, and a spotless cleanup. Unlike a catering company moving between three events, you receive one chef, one focus, one evening composed exclusively for your home.

Benefit 02

A Designated Server or Host/Hostess Keeps the Conversation Alive

A trained server clearing courses, refilling stems, and quietly anticipating the table is what separates a dinner party from a memorable one. You stay seated. Conversation flows. No one rises to fetch the next bottle or check on dessert. The emotional payoff is the entire point: time reclaimed, hospitality felt, and a night your guests are still talking about by Sunday brunch.

Section 06 · Styles of Service

Which Styles of Service Are Best for a Private Chef Dinner Party?

Chef Robert tailors the service style to the room, the menu, and the rhythm of the evening. A designated server or hostess elevates every option below — clearing quietly, refilling stems, anticipating the table so the host never has to leave the conversation.

French / Russian

Plated in the kitchen, presented at the right. The most refined choice for tasting menus and anniversary dinners.

English / Host

The host carves and serves at the head of the table. Warm, traditional, beautiful for holiday gatherings.

Family-Style

Generous platters passed hand to hand. Ideal for Sunday suppers, graduations, and casual celebrations.

Butler / Passed

Canapés and small bites circulated by a server during cocktails. Perfect for engagement parties and corporate gatherings.

Stations / Chef's Counter

Live preparation at the island. Theatrical, interactive — guests linger and watch each course composed.

Bespoke Tasting

A multi-course narrative menu paced by Chef Robert and your server, course by course, all night long.

Section 07 · Frequently Asked

Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring a Private Chef in Fairfield County

What does a private chef in Fairfield, CT actually do?
A private chef in Fairfield, CT designs custom menus, sources ingredients locally, prepares every course in your home kitchen, serves your guests, and leaves the kitchen spotless. Unlike a caterer, the chef works one-on-one with you on healthy weekly meal prep, dinner parties, holidays, and intimate fine-dining evenings tailored to your household.
How much does it cost to hire a personal chef in Fairfield County, CT?
Hiring a personal chef in Fairfield County, CT typically ranges from $85 to $175 per guest for dinner parties, plus ingredients at cost. Weekly meal prep is usually quoted as a flat weekly retainer based on household size and number of meals. Chef Robert provides a transparent estimate after a brief consultation about your menu, dates, and preferences.
What is the difference between a private chef and a caterer?
A private chef cooks for one household at a time in your kitchen, with menus built around your preferences, allergies, and ingredients you love. A caterer typically serves multiple events from a commissary, with set menus and rented equipment. The private chef experience is personal, seasonal, and expressly designed for your table.
Can a private chef accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies in Fairfield?
Yes. Chef Robert routinely prepares menus for gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian, vegetarian, low-sodium, diabetic-friendly, and severe-allergy households across Fairfield County. Each menu is reviewed before service, ingredients are verified at the source, and cross-contact is managed in your kitchen with separate boards, utensils, and carefully labeled mise en place.
How do I hire Private Chef Robert for a dinner party in Westport, CT or Fairfield, CT?
Reserving Chef Robert is simple. Call 602-370-5255, email Robert@RobertLGorman.com, or visit Private-Chef-Westport.com to share your date, guest count, and preferences. A brief consultation follows, a custom menu is proposed, and once you approve, your evening is on the calendar — ingredients, service, and cleanup all handled.
Section 08 · The Invitation

Imagine Coming Home to a Dinner You Did Not Have to Cook.

Healthy weekly meal prep waiting in your refrigerator. A dinner party where you sit, pour the wine, and listen. Engagement dinners, anniversaries, holidays, graduations, retirements, corporate evenings — all composed and quietly executed by Chef Robert in your kitchen.

Reserve Your Date — Contact Chef Robert Today Call 602-370-5255
Private-Chef-Westport.com  ·  Robert@RobertLGorman.com  ·  602-370-5255