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valentine's day
a menu for two
by donna whitehouse
Appetizer: Oysters on the half shell with Mignonette sauce
Salad: Mixed Baby Greens with Asian Vinaigrette
Entree: Wild Mushroom Beef Tenderloin
Twice Baked Potato
Broccoli Rabe
Dessert: Bananas Foster |
Appetizer: Oysters on the half shell with Mignonette Sauce
-Shucked ice cold oysters on the half shell (*See note)
-For Mignonette Sauce: ½ cup of champagne vinegar
1 large lemon, zested and juiced.
2 shallots, minced
Method
-Reduce/simmer the vinegar, lemon juice, and any oyster liquid
together in a small pan until about half the liquid remains.
-Add shallots to simmer briefly
-Cool to room temperature or chill if desired
-Add cooled sauce to each oyster half shell, as much as desired
-Garnish with lemon zest
*Note: Shucking oysters can be difficult, particularly for those with
no experience. Most purveyors, (like Bristol Farms, Whole Foods or any
fresh fish store) will shuck them for you, and leave the lids resting
on top.) However, shucking them yourself allows you to harvest
the luscious liquid inside each oyster to add to the sauce, which you
lose if someone else does it for you.
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Salad: Mixed Baby Greens with Asian Vinaigrette
-Bag of mixed baby greens or mesclun greens
-Sesame oil
-Rice vinegar
-Green onions, sliced thinly
-Pine nuts
-Blue cheese, crumbled
Method for dressing
-Mix sesame oil and rice vinegar together to taste.
Classically, the ratio is 3 parts oil to one part vinegar.
However, I like it in about equal parts.
-Toss the salad greens in just enough dressing to coat. (Don’t over dress, or the greens will be soggy.)
-Serve on a pretty plate or bowl with the green onions, pine nuts, and blue cheese sprinkled on top for garnish.
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Entree: Beef tenderloin with wild mushrooms, twice baked potato, and broccoli rabe.
Beef tenderloin
-2 filet mignon steaks, about 6-8 oz each
-Dry rub: salt, freshly ground pepper, and cayenne to taste. (Go easy on the cayenne!)
-Assorted mushrooms, about 12 oz (*See note)
Method
-Season the steaks with the dry rub on each side, and let them
come to room temperature before
cooking.
-Grill the steaks for several minutes on each side, or as long as
it takes to create good black grill marks. Finish the steaks in a 400
degree oven, which can take 5-10 minutes depending on how rare you like
your steak. Alternatively, you can close the grill to finish them right
on the grill, placed in a cooler spot. (*See note)
-To make the mushrooms, slice thinly, and saute in butter until
brown on both sides, and the mushrooms have rendered most of their
moisture.
-Serve on a large plate with the mushrooms on top of the steak. (The potato and broccoli rabe go on the plate as sides.)
*Note 1: The mushrooms come in many varieties; an assortment
makes the taste more intriguing. Try a shitake, cremini, and oyster
mushroom combination, or use your imagination. (Common button mushrooms
work fine, too.) When sautéing the shrooms, remember to have an
even layer in the pan, without overcrowding on top of each other.
*Note 2: For the steaks, be aware of the concept of carry over
cooking. Even though you take the steaks off the grill or out of
the oven, they will continue to cook for the next 5-10 minutes as they
cool at room temperature. Don’t cut into the steaks before they
have had a chance to rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
This allows the juice to be reabsorbed.
Twice baked potato
-2 Russet baking potatoes
-Grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives, butter, salt and pepper.
Method
-Scrub the potatoes, dry them, and pierce with a fork a few
times. Rub lightly with olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for
about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove and cool to room temperature.
-Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, and scoop out the mealy
insides into a bowl. Be careful to leave enough on the shell to hold up
the shape. Mix the potato meal with the other ingredients to
taste, then return to the oven until cheese is melted.
Broccoli rabe (Also called Rapini)
-1 bunch of broccoli rabe
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-Small onion, thinly sliced
-Olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons.
-Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
-Clean the broccoli rabe in cold running water, and then tear
into long pieces, removing any stems that seem too thick, or cutting
them thinly.
-Blanche in hot boiling water for just a few minutes, then remove and dry.
-Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add the
minced garlic, and saute gently for a few minutes, being careful not to
burn the garlic. Add the broccoli rabe, and saute until tender
yet still crisp. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Dessert: Bananas Foster
-2 ripe bananas, each sliced in half lengthwise
-4 Tablespoons brown sugar
-6-10 Tablespoons butter
-Rum, about 2 ounces
-Vanilla ice cream
Method
-Melt butter in a 10 inch skillet. Add brown sugar and mix well,
melting sugar to create a butterscotch sauce.
-Add the bananas, being careful not to break them. Cook gently,
spooning the sauce over the bananas, until the bananas are warm.
-Now for the fun part: Make sure the skillet and ingredients are
warm, then add the rum. Immediately light the rum either with the
gas stovetop flame or with a match or lighter, being careful not to
burn yourself! The flame will die down quickly, so make the most of it
while it lasts! (Turn down the lights, and say “Flambe!”)
-Serve on a plate with the sauce over the bananas, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
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