RECIPES FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a candlelit dinner for two – at home...
After careful deliberation I’ve come up with aphrodisiac combinations to tantalise your palate. You can’t avoid the usual - oysters or any shellfish, smoked salmon, chocolate and strawberries - and remember the more unfamiliar options of lavender, asparagus, bananas and even mushrooms.
To put a sparkle into your romantic evening a glass of bubbles promises to set the tone. I remember being served Champagne with a dash of chestnut essence in a French two-star Michelin restaurant. This unusual touch gave me the idea of freezing fresh berries and adding them to sparkling wine to enhance the fruitiness. Chill your glasses for extra pleasure. Romantic!
A starter of smoked salmon rolls filled with horseradish crème and topped with micro greens is delectable. Add herbed croutons, cherry tomatoes, red onions and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the result is a mouth-watering explosion of textures and flavours. Dreamy!
An orange and Cointreau granite, semi-frozen ice, with freshly-picked rose geranium and smoky campfire olives is a superb palate cleanser. Enticing!
After the delicately flavoured first course, I suggest a robust main dish. Pan-seared beef fillet, cooked to your required preference, with fresh asparagus and an intense garlic and mushroom risotto will fill your heart and satisfy your appetite. Superb!
Dessert means time to relax so serve something effortless such as crispy crunchy popcorn, smooth-textured Turkish Delight and decadent hand-made chocolate truffles. However, if you still have the energy I suggest heart-shaped lavender biscuits. Serve these with a white chocolate and lemon mousse finished with hot roasted hazelnuts, pomegranate rubies and Belgian chocolate sauce. Always a hit!
I prefer ending a meal on a savoury note and my current favourite is creamy gorgonzola-filled strawberries, and camembert topped with honey, white-wine poached apples, finely sliced celery and walnuts. Perfection!
Prepare well and your evening will be stress free.
Take these recipes and try them.
SMOKED SALMON ROLLS
ORANGE AND COINTREAU GRANITE
GARLIC AND MUSHROOM RISOTTO
CARAMEL POPCORN
TURKISH DELIGHT
DECADENT HAND-MADE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
HEART SHAPED LAVENDER BISCUITS
WHITE WINE POACHED APPLES WITH CAMEMBERT
I look forward to hearing from you.
Jackie Cameron
Head Chef
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 11:34AM 
