What’s love got to do with it?
Legend has it that St Valentine was a Roman priest in the 3rd century AD. He was executed for arranging marriages in secret by Claudius 3rd, emperor at the time. It is said that while in prison St Valentine fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and on Feb 14th, the day of his execution, sent her a love letter signed “from your Valentine” as his final farewell.
Along with the romance and roses, food is a huge part of how we’ve come to celebrate St Valentine’s Day, whether it’s a trip to a favourite restaurant, or the extra love we put into preparing dinner at home. With that in mind we bring you some inspiration and tips for creating an unforgettable meal. These are some of our perfect combos, our matches made in heaven that are sure to impress that special someone.
Steamed mussels with chili, ginger and lemongrass
Let’s start with a simple compound butter. Basically it’s a flavoured butter and the possibilities are endless, the only thing holding you back is your imagination. You take a block of butter (real butter!!!) and leave it out to soften. Then to this you add a combination of flavourings – diced garlic, herbs, chili, ginger, shallots, anchovies etc. In this dish we use a combination of chili, ginger and lemongrass to steam fresh mussels with a splash of white wine and lime juice. First wash, clean and de-beard the mussels. Put a large saucepan on to a high heat until very hot. Tip the mussels, butter, wine and lime juice in and cover with a lid and cook for 2/3 mins. When the mussels open fully they are ready. Remove lid, squeeze in lime juice and finish with chopped coriander or parsley if preferred. Tip the mussels into a large bowl, discarding any that haven’t opened and serve with crusty bread. Quick and easy and perfect for sharing. This butter works really well with crab claws or fresh clams also.
Steak with blue cheese
Next grab a couple of your favourite steaks from your local butcher, sirloin, rib eye, fillet, T-bone – it’s your call. Leave the steaks sitting to come to room temperature. Before cooking, season with salt and cracked black pepper and sear on a screaming hot pan for 2/3 mins each side, depending how you like it cooked or on the thickness of the steak. If it’s the fillet steak you may need to finish it in the oven so ideally use a pan that can go straight into the oven.
Two of the best tips I can give is (1) when the steak hits the pan, leave it alone!! Don’t move it around the pan until it’s time to flip it and leave the pan on high heat, it’s gonna get smoky but needs must. (2) let the steak rest before you serve it, the general rule being let it rest as long as you’ve cooked it but you’ll know when it’s ready.
Blue cheese sauce goes really well with steak but I personally prefer to serve it with a chunk of cheese crumbled on top (one less job)!! Serve with a simple baked potato and a mixed leaf or even a Caesar salad. I really doesn’t have to be difficult, keep it simple.
Chocolate brownie
For dessert it really has to be chocolate, it goes well with everything. Use our brownie recipe featured a while back, and then take it to the next level. Add some fruit to the brownie mix, I find frozen fruit works better, so cherries, cranberries, raspberries and blackberries all work well. Pictured here is our brownie from a few weeks back made with cranberries. We served it with a cranberry and meringue ice-cream. Not everybody has access to an ice cream machine but don’t worry, using a good quality shop bought vanilla ice-cream works just as well and can be elevated into something really special. Leave the ice cream out to soften slightly then fold in the crushed frozen fruit and meringue (this can be shop bought too)!!! Put it back into the tub and back into the freezer until you’re ready to serve.
Most of the above can be prepared in advance leaving you plenty of time to spend with that special someone so relax, keep it simple, choose your flavours and combos well. Don’t forget the candles, bubbles, your favourite wine and enjoy.
Robert, Head Chef @ The Lime Kiln
