Love is in the kitchen … a valentine menu from Angie & Stacey
It’s that time of year again - the pressure of a perfect evening is in the air, an evening of love. Maybe you’re cooking a romantic dinner for two, or perhaps you’re celebrating your love with a group of your favourite friends. Either way, the trick to really enjoying the evening is to keep it simple. Good ingredients, straightforward recipes, perfect wine pairings.
Before you do anything though, check out these simple yet pretty damn sexy recipes with the most mouth-watering wine matches you can imagine. They’re all from our new cookbook and wine pairing guide This Food That Wine, and not only does each recipe look way more difficult than it is to make, but you’ve got the wine matches to go with them for a super sophisticado touch that will blow your loved ones away.
Start sexy and raw
Why not start with something raw? Paired up with some bubbles, you can’t get any sexier, so we suggest Salmon Tartare paired up with a crisp, cool glass of Champagne! No cooking, no pressure, and you can whip up this beautiful aphrodisiac the afternoon of your cozy dinner. The only important thing to remember here is that Sushi grade salmon is a must when making tartare. Your salmon has to be ultra-fresh, so you’ll need to buy it the day of ideally. Just tell your fishmonger what you’re using it for and go for it!
Bubbles make you feel good, and not just because you usually drink it when you’re already having a good time. Those tasty, tiny bubbles actually zip around inside of you faster, increasing testosterone and raising your blood alcohol level, giving you a rush. But that’s not where the magic of the bubbles ends. The fruity fizz of sparkling wine makes it super food friendly, especially with spicy, salty, or smoky flavours. Why? Well, the bubbles keep the wine light and refreshing, so it quenches your thirst and cools off your taste buds, making you ready for another bite. Champagne is the cadillac of bubbles and the most romantic of all wines. Though it can be on the pricey side, if you’re really out to impress your Valentine, this is the time to splurge! If your romantic dinner is on a budget, however, there are lots of less expensive sparkling wines on the market too – look for something made in the Champenoise method (Cava from Spain is a great choice). And the best part is if your Valentine’s evening is a dinner for two, there are lots of half (or even smaller) bottles of bubbly on the market so you can actually make it to the main course!
Romance your valentine with luscious cherries
Next up - the main course! Nothing says Valentine’s more than cherries, goat’s cheese and pork, Oh My! Flavour, texture and colour all pop in this dish. Sweet, dark cherries against the rosy pork, contrasting with the bright white goat’s cheese. It’s lovely to look at, sweet, sour and savoury to taste, and about as Valentine’s day as meat can get! If fresh cherries aren’t available you can easily use frozen. Just thaw them out and drain them ahead of time.
And if Champers wasn’t enough to seduce your loved one, how about a velvety-smooth red that fills your mouth and melts your heart? Though pork tenderloin is a light meat, the cherry sauce brings it up to a red wine level, so you want to pick something that has a lot of body and fruit flavour, without a lot of tannins that would overpower the delicate pork. Our first pick is Primitivo, the Italian brother of California’s Zinfandel, but if you can’t find one try a Merlot or Sangiovese instead. And here’s a little tip – use the same wine you’re drinking to make the sauce – the pairing will be absolutely perfect!
The ultimate seduction - chocolate
As far as we’re concerned there is no other way to end a respectable meal of love than with chocolate. This dense, silky-smooth chocolate tart will make you look like you have skills that extend way beyond the kitchen. In fact, this tart may be the currency of love … If you’re not a big fan of making pastry, you can buy a tart shell, or buy little ones and make mini tarts, just don’t forget to serve with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or even better, a small scoop of raspberry gelato.
And definitely don’t forget a drop of wine with your chocolate tart. If you really want to seal the deal on your evening of romance, a perfectly paired dessert wine will do it. Although dessert wine is often overlooked, it can be one of the highlights of your meal. The most important thing to remember is that you have to balance the sugar – if you’re serving sweet food, the wine has to be equally as sweet so it doesn’t end up tasting dry and bitter. Our favourite wine to serve with chocolate is Banyuls, France’s answer to port. Chocolate + Banyuls = Heaven. We’re serious. It’s a rich, fortified wine with ripe fruit flavours and luscious sweetness that somehow makes chocolate taste better than it does on its own. If you haven’t already fallen in love, it might happen tonight … let the romance begin.
The recipes and wine pairings
Salmon Tartare
Makes 8 Endive spears
8 ounces (250g) fresh sushi quality salmon fillet, belly, pin bones and skin removed (tell your fish guy what you are using it for)
2 teaspoons (10ml) of the best quality olive oil you have
1 ½ teaspoons (7.5ml) of lemon oil
2 teaspoons (10ml) of fresh chives, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon (15ml) of shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon (15ml) of sea salt (add more if you think it needs it)
1 full bulb of fresh Belgium Endive
Fresh chives for garnish (if you like)
Using a sharp knife, finely mince the salmon until a fine mixture is achieved (don’t use a food processor for this, it will kill your fish and turn it to mush). Place the minced salmon in a non reactive glass bowl. Stir in the olive oil, lemon oil, chives, shallots and salt. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for 20-30 minutes. Use a sharp knife to remove the hard base form the bottom of the endive. Pry apart the leaves, trying to make sure they are whole and intact, this way you won’t spill down your shirt while eating.
To serve you have two choices, you can spoon 1 tablespoon (15ml) of the tartare onto the rib of the endive leaving the top yellow section of the leaf unfilled, or you can put your lovely tartare into a nice clean bowl and serve with the endive or potato chips on the side. Garnish with chives if you like.
Serve cold.
Wine pairing – Champagne
Lanson Black Label Brut Champagne (Vintages 041889, $44.95 750 mL; Vintages 974980, $23.75 for the half-bottle)
Veuve Clicquot Brut (LCBO 563338, $69.45, 750 mL; LCBO 389056, $37.05, 375 mL; LCBO 605444, $21.15, 200 mL)
Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Balsamic Cherry Sauce
Serves 6
2 Pork tenderloins, centre cut, approximately 6 inches (152 mm) each in length with silver skin removed
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup (180ml) goat cheese, crumbled
Zest of 2 lemons
1 1/2 Tablespoons (22.5ml) fresh basil, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil (15ml) + 1 Tablespoon (15 ml)
1 teaspoon (5ml) cracked pepper
Butcher twine
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125ml) red wine
1/2 cup (125ml) fresh cherries, pits removed and chopped
1/2 Tablespoon (7.5ml) balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Use a sharp knife to "butterfly" the pork tenderloin. This is done by making an incision mid way through the length of the tenderloin (so it opens like a butterfly). Be sure to leave the loin with at least 1/2 inch (12 mm) uncut at the base. Do the same with the other loin. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and using a rolling pin (or a meat tenderizer), gently pound on the meat until the surface is flat. In a medium-sized bowl mix together the goat cheese, lemon zest and basil with 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil and the pepper. Pull the plastic wrap off the meat and spoon the goat cheese mixture evenly over the centre leaving a 3/4 inch border. Roll up to make a nice compact even loin. Do the same with the other tenderloin. Use butcher string to make even ties on every inch of the loin, to keep the roll intact.
Rub 1 Tablespoon (15ml) of the olive oil all over the pork loins. Season with salt and pepper. Set a large oven proof skillet over medium high heat, add the remaining olive oil and allow to it to heat up for about 30 seconds. The pan should be hot but not smoking. Put the pork loins in the skillet and cook until a deep golden brown caramelized crust forms. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and allow them to cook for another 12 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 145F. Pull the pork out of the oven, place the loins on a plate and cover loosely with foil.
Put the empty skillet back on the heat and turn up the stovetop to medium-high. Add the red wine and with a wooden spoon, scrape up all the porky caramel bits from the bottom of the pan. Add half the cherries and the balsamic vinegar and allow the mixture to continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the cherries and cook for another minute. Once the sauce is slightly reduced and the cherries are all warmed up, season with salt and pepper.
To serve slice the tenderloin using a sharp knife. Divide the pork on to six plates and drizzle with the cherry sauce. Serve immediately.
Wine pairing - Primitivo
La Pisara Primitivo 2004 (Vintages 051656, $15.85)
Lirica Primitivo di Manduria 2004 (Vintages 669580, $15.75)
Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Almond Crust
Serves 6 to 8
Pastry
2 cups (500ml) toasted almonds
1/3 cup (90ml) sugar
3 cup (750ml) all purpose flour
1 cup (250ml) unsalted butter –room temperature (8oz)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla
Chocolate Filling
¾ cup (180ml) 35% cream
1/3 cup (90ml) 10% cream
7 oz good (200g) quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
In a food processor puree the almonds on pulse until they have the consistency of a graham crumb (watch not to get too excited about blending them or you will make almond paste).
Add the sugar and flour to your almonds and continue to blend until fine. Add the butter, egg, vanilla and blend to incorporate all ingredients. Don’t be shy to pull off the lid and scrape the sides and corners with a spatula. If the pastry is too dry, than feel free to add a tablespoon of water. At this point you are going to divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, wrap them tightly in plastic. You can freeze one now for later and refrigerate the other for 30 minutes before using.
Grease and flour a 10” pie plate. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough to 1/8 of an inch thickness. Lay it in you prepared pie tin. If there are any holes in the pastry, patch them with other little pieces of pastry. Pop this fella in the freezer for 15 minutes to give it a good chill. Preheat the oven to 350F(180C). Bake the tart shell for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 275F(135C).
Put both creams in a small saucepan and bring them to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate stirring constantly until the chocolate is totally melted and the mixture looks silky and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. Whisk in the egg to the cooled chocolate, until well blended. Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell. Bake in the center of a preheated oven until the filling is slightly firm but still trembling just in the center, 15-25 minutes. You need to keep an eye on it since everyone’s oven temperatures seem to be different. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool and set for 1 hour before cutting into it.
Wine pairing – Banyuls
Joseph Nadal Odysseus Banyuls Grand Cru 1996 (Vintages 043125, $29.70)
Domaine Madeloc Banyuls Cirera 2005 (Vintages 048041, $25.85, 500 mL)
(article written by Angie MacRae and Stacey Metulynsky, recipes taken from their book This Food That Wine, co-authored by Chris Knight)
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