A romantic dinner can mean anything from eating at a five-star restaurant, to cooking her a meal even though you’re not sure how to start the oven. This Valentine’s dinner for two is designed to keep you out of the kitchen on the big romantic day, but still deliver a flavorful plateful of something special.
[tw-divider]Marsala Reduction[/tw-divider]
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbl unsalted butter
- 2 Tbl shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 C low sodium beef stock
- 2 C Florio Sweet Marsala Wine*
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Salt
*You can use another brand of Marsala, but I’ve found the best results with this one.
In a small sauce pan, melt 1 Tbl unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and simmer until translucent. Add the garlic and simmer about 1 minute until the shallots and garlic start to turn golden. Add the Marsala wine, the beef stock, and the fresh thyme. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop heat to medium low and let simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce reduces to about 1 cup of liquid. Check the sauce for salt — depending on the amount of salt in the beef stock, you may need to add a little more. Also add black pepper.
To determine if the sauce has reduced enough, dip the back of a spoon in the sauce, then run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the sauce stays on the spoon, except for where you placed your finger, it’s finished. If it all just runs off the spoon, let it continue to reduce a little longer.
To finish:
Once the sauce has reduced enough, remove the thyme sprigs. At this point, if you’re making the sauce ahead, let it cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Place back in a small sauce pan and bring back to a simmer. If the sauce thickened too much in the refrigerator, just add a few splashes of beef stock to loosen it back up. Once the sauce is hot, add the remaining 2 Tbl of unsalted butter. Take the pan off the heat and swirl the butter in until fully incorporated.
[tw-divider]Rosemary-Scallion Roasted Potatoes[/tw-divider]
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Idaho or Russet potatoes
- 2 Tbl fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 scallion, sliced thinly
- Salt and pepper
- Canola oil
Wash and dice the potatoes at about 1/2”. Place in large pot and cover by about 2 inches with cold water. Salt the water heavily. It should be as salty as the sea. Place pot on stovetop and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 5-7 minutes. You are not cooking the potatoes all the way, just starting the cooking process. This quick boil will break down the starches on the outside of the potato. As you roast the potatoes later, these starches will create a perfectly crunchy exterior and creamy interior.
Drain the potatoes in a colander. At this point, you can refrigerate the potatoes and finish on Valentine’s Day.
To finish:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large cast iron skillet or wide heavy bottomed pan, place on high heat and add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the pan heat thoroughly before adding the potatoes.
If you are cooking this all in the same day, make sure the potatoes are not dripping wet when you transfer them to the hot pan. Hot oil and water can create a fire. Also, wet potatoes won’t brown; they’ll just steam.
Add the potatoes, season with salt and black pepper. As the potatoes cook, they will absorb the canola oil, add more as necessary so that there is a little in the bottom of the pan. The oil will brown the potatoes, and give them a nice crunch. Once the potatoes have started to brown well (about 10 minutes), add the rosemary and transfer the whole pan into the oven.
Stir the potatoes occasionally while in the oven. After about 20 minutes, they should be cooked thoroughly, well browned, and extra crispy. Remove from the oven and stir in the scallions. They are ready to serve.
[tw-divider]Blistered Asparagus[/tw-divider]
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. asparagus
- Canola oil
- Juice of half lemon
- Salt and pepper
To clean asparagus, run under cold water. Grip the cut ends of the asparagus and snap off the woody stem. Make sure the asparagus is dry before sautéing.
Place a medium sauté pan (big enough to fit all the asparagus in one even layer) on high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add the canola oil. Let heat about 30 seconds, then add the asparagus. Let the asparagus sit undisturbed for about 30 seconds, then roll each one over. You should see blistering and light browning on the cooked side. Season with salt and pepper. Let the asparagus sit another 30 seconds to a minute. Then remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Make sure to do this away from the flame to prevent flare ups.
[tw-divider]Spice-Crusted Filet and Shiitake[/tw-divider]
Ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 ancho chile (or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes)
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- Kosher salt
- 2 8-oz beef tenderloin filets (or steaks of your choice)
- Canola oil
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 3 Tbl unsalted butter
- 8-oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- 1 Tbl shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
You can make this spice mixture and clean the mushrooms ahead, as well. Toast the coriander, cumin, chile, and peppercorns in a hot, dry sauté pan for about 1 minute or until very fragrant. Grind in a spice grinder. Season the steaks thoroughly with Kosher salt, then dust with the spice mixture.
Clean the shiitake mushrooms: remove the woody stems, brush lightly with dry cloth to remove any dirt, and cut into thick slices. Set aside.
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan on medium high. Once the pan is very hot, add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the steaks. Let cook for a couple of minutes, depending on the thickness of the steaks and the desired doneness. Flip the steaks.
Add the butter and the thyme sprigs. Baste the steaks with the melted butter. Cook like this until the steaks have cooked to the temperature you prefer. Drop the heat on the pan to medium. Remove the steaks to rest on a plate. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Dump the spent cooking oil and add another 2 Tbl canola oil. Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Sauté, stirring regularly for about 5 minutes until the juices run and they begin to brown. Add remaining 1 Tbl unsalted butter, shallot, and the minced garlic clove. Season with salt and pepper. Add the juices from the plate where the steaks rested to the mushroom pan. Remove from heat.
To serve:
Place roasted potatoes and asparagus on the bottom of the plate. Add Marsala reduction. Then set the filet in the middle of the plate with the mushrooms on top. Garnish with some fresh parsley.
[tw-divider]Quick Dark Chocolate Mousse[/tw-divider]
Ingredients:
- 6 oz dark chocolate
- 1/2 C mascarpone cheese
- 3/4 C heavy cream
- 1 Tbl powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp amaretto liqueur
- Small pinch Kosher salt
Make this the day before to let the mousse set up in the fridge.
Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler. Then gently stir in the mascarpone cheese, vanilla, and amaretto.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then gently fold the cream into the chocolate mixture.
Spoon into serving dishes and gently cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Garnish with fresh raspberries and toasted pistachios.
