First off, let me apologize to all the single ladies, guys who made dinner reservations and people who think that Valentine's Day is an overly commercialized holiday that makes singles feel bad about themselves and guys in relationships feel obligated to be romantic for purely social reasons.
Personally, I count myself in the latter category: I think that the best time to send someone flowers is on a random week day, the best reason to get someone a gift is "just because" and that the best way to celebrate a holiday for lovers is to spend the day in bed.
That being said, I do understand the pressures of society and I don't want to leave my male readers high and dry. So, I'm presenting you gentlemen (and progressive-minded ladies) with a romantic dinner for two, complete with mushy symbolism and melted chocolate.
First Course: Bibb Lettuce and Watercress Salad with Roasted Pears and Dried Cherries
Ingredients:
2 pears
1 tbsp. melted Butter
1/4 c. brown sugar or maple syrup
1/4 c. white wine or cider vinegar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 head bibb lettuce
1 bunch watercress
1/4 c. pecans
1/4 c. dried cherries
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the pears in half and remove the cores. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar or syrup. Roast for 30-45 minutes until the cut sides are golden brown and they pierce easily with a fork. Select the two nicest looking halves and set aside. Puree the other two halves in a blender with the vinegar and mustard. With the blender running, gradually add the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
Toss the lettuce and watercress with 1/4 c. of the dressing and arrange it on two plates with the bibb lettuce on the bottom and the watercress nested inside. Make about eight slices in each pear halve without cutting all the way through and spread it out like a fan. Place delicately on top of the watercress. Sprinkle the salad with cherries and pecans.
Second Course: Cod en Papillote (pronounced Papil-YOTE)
1 leek
2-3 carrots
2 6-oz. filets of cod or other mild, white, flaky fish
1 tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper
2 18" by 18" pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the green part off of the leek and discard. Cut the rest of it in half and rinse the hell out of it under cold running water. This is important: leeks are grown in sand and no one likes eating sand. Make two horizontal cuts in each halve and a bunch of vertical cuts and then chop it like you would any other onion. You want the dice to be as small as possible. Peel the carrots and dice them finely as well. Fold both sheets of parchment or foil in half and cut them into heart shapes (you remember how to do this from elementary school, don't you?). Melt the butter in a small sauté pan and sauté the carrots and leeks over medium heat for five minutes or so until the carrots start to soften. Spoon the vegetables into the middle of one half of each heart and place the filet on top. Season with salt and pepper, then fold each half-heart closed and fold over the edges to seal them. Bake for 15 minutes.
3rd Course: Chocolate Ganache with Fresh Fruit
1 c. heavy cream
8 oz. chocolate
Fresh strawberries, raspberries, etc. for dipping
Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Cover the bowl and let stand for five minutes. Stir the cream until the chocolate is melted. Use your imagination.
Note:
While none of these dishes are especially difficult, some of them are fairly time consuming. Unless you want to spend all of Valentine's Day in the kitchen, I would recommend doing the pears and the vinaigrette a few days before and then preparing the vegetables and wrapping the fish either the day before or the morning of. That way, half way into the salad course you can pop the fish into the oven and set the timer. If you do this, keep the fish in the fridge until it's time to cook it and then add two to four minutes to the cooking time.
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
