A Spanish table set in a Westport dining room — acorn-fed presa seared rare, sliced against the grain, and laid over a rustic romesco built from charred peppers, smoked paprika, and almonds toasted to gold. Pour the Tempranillo. The evening can begin.
This section is reserved for upcoming seasonal recipes, signature Westport dinner-party menus, and Chef Robert's rotating weekly meal-prep selections. Expect Long Island Sound seafood in summer, New England game and root vegetables in autumn, and refined Mediterranean dishes year-round — each menu sourced locally, plated thoughtfully, and tailored to the household it serves. New recipes are added regularly. Bookmark this page or reach out directly to receive seasonal menus by email before they're published online.
Westport sits where the Saugatuck River slips into the Long Island Sound — a coastal town first shaped by oystermen, onion farmers, and the painters and Broadway writers who arrived in the 1920s and never quite left. By mid-century, Fairfield County had become Connecticut's most cultivated stretch of shoreline: Southport's quiet lanes, Greens Farms' weathered estates, the salt air that still carries off Sherwood Island. That sensibility endures today in fluke pulled from the Sound by morning, sweet corn from Wakeman Town Farm by afternoon, and a quietly discerning palate that runs from Greenwich to Fairfield. Good food here is not new. It's inherited.
Iberico presa — the prized shoulder cut from acorn-fed black-hoofed Spanish pigs — is rich, marbled, and meant to be grilled rare. It eats like a great steak and should be treated with the same restraint.
Char six red bell peppers and four plum tomatoes directly over a gas flame, or under a screaming broiler, until skins blister and blacken — about eight minutes, turning often. Steam in a covered bowl for ten minutes, then peel away the loosened skins and discard seeds. In a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat, toast one cup of blanched Marcona almonds and four whole garlic cloves until golden and intensely fragrant. Combine peppers, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, two tablespoons of sherry vinegar, one teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika, half a cup of arbequina olive oil, and a generous pinch of flaky salt in a food processor. Pulse to a coarse, rustic texture — never a smooth purée.
Bring four pounds of Iberico presa to room temperature for thirty minutes. Season aggressively with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Sear over a screaming-hot grill, three to four minutes per side, until a deep mahogany crust forms and the interior reaches 135°F on an instant-read thermometer. Rest ten full minutes — non-negotiable — then slice across the grain at a sharp bias. Arrange over a generous swoop of warm romesco, finish with toasted almonds, parsley, Maldon, and a final drizzle of olive oil.
A dish this quiet asks for purveyors who know what they're handling. Source the Iberico presa from Pat LaFrieda Meats — their Spanish program is unmatched on the East Coast. Pull the smoked Spanish paprika, aged sherry vinegar, blanched Marcona almonds, and a bottle of Catalan arbequina olive oil from Eataly NY's pantry shelves. For the produce — red bells, plum tomatoes, fresh garlic, flat-leaf parsley, and lemon — Stew Leonard's in Norwalk delivers the freshest haul on a Saturday morning, or stop by your local Fairfield County farmers market for what was just pulled from the soil. Round it out with crusty country bread and a young Tempranillo. Now — into the kitchen.
Before the first sear, the line is set. Two heavy-bottomed sheet pans for charring peppers and tomatoes; a twelve-inch cast-iron skillet for toasting almonds and garlic; a Cuisinart food processor at the ready for the romesco. Tongs, microplane, fish spatula, instant-read thermometer, and a Misono carbon-steel slicing knife laid across the cutting board.
Plate on warm matte-cream stoneware — ten eleven-inch coupes — with weighted brushed-brass flatware and Riedel Tempranillo stems. Garnish each plate with a sprig of flat-leaf parsley, a scatter of toasted Marcona almonds, a finishing pinch of Maldon, and a quiet drizzle of arbequina. The kitchen is ready. Service begins.
For a Westport homeowner, this means Chef Robert designs a menu around your preferences, sources from Fjord Fish Market and the Westport Farmers' Market that morning, handles every cut of prep, executes service in your own kitchen, and leaves the space spotless. Unlike a caterer reheating off-site trays, a private chef cooks live — aromas and all — so the meal arrives at the table the way the chef intended it.
A designated server or hostess — essential for parties of eight or more — pours wine, paces courses, clears between plates, and lets you remain fully at the table with your guests. The emotional payoff is the entire point: convenience reclaimed, conversation uninterrupted, and an evening your guests quote back to you for years. That is what separates a private chef from a caterer, and it is the night Chef Robert sets out to deliver every time.
A private chef plans your menu, shops local Fairfield County markets, preps, cooks, plates, serves, and cleans your kitchen entirely. Chef Robert builds each evening around your preferences, dietary needs, and the occasion — from intimate Westport dinners to weekly meal prep delivered ready to enjoy throughout the workweek.
Pricing in Fairfield County typically ranges from $125 to $250 per guest for dinner parties, plus the cost of ingredients sourced from premium local vendors. Weekly meal prep starts around $400 per session. Final pricing depends on menu complexity, guest count, sourcing, and whether a designated server is included for the evening.
A caterer prepares food off-site in commercial volume and delivers it for reheating. A private chef cooks live in your home, tailors every dish to you, and treats your kitchen as a working line. The result is restaurant-caliber cuisine, hot plates, and an experience that feels singular — never mass-produced.
Yes, absolutely. Chef Robert builds menus around gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, kosher-style, low-sodium, nut-free, and shellfish allergy requirements with no compromise on flavor or presentation. Every ingredient is verified at the source, and cross-contamination protocols are followed throughout prep, cooking, and plating in your home kitchen.
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, occasion, and any preferences. A tailored menu proposal follows within forty-eight hours, and your evening is locked in once the date is confirmed in writing.
Imagine your home, candlelit — aromas of romesco and Iberico drifting from the kitchen while you sit, fully present, with the people you love. Chef Robert handles healthy weekly meal prep, dinner parties, wedding and engagement dinners, anniversaries, holiday gatherings, family celebrations, and corporate entertaining.
Reserve Your Date — Contact Chef Robert TodayEach event is staged to its mood. Plated service brings the restaurant to your table — every course composed in the kitchen, set before each guest in synchronized timing. Family-style invites passing platters and easy conversation, ideal for holidays. Buffet works beautifully for cocktail receptions and graduations; chef-attended stations turn corporate gatherings dynamic. A designated server or hostess is the difference between a meal and an experience: she greets arrivals, paces wine, clears between courses, and quietly tends to detail. The host is freed to remain a guest. The evening flows. You simply enjoy.
Restaurant-caliber composition, course by course.
Passing platters, holiday warmth, shared table.
Receptions, graduations, large-format gatherings.
Live, interactive, ideal for corporate events.