You must have heard this sentence till now, end number of times....love is in the air....but specially why on Feb. 14th every year?Why not throughout the year??I dont know & I dont know who has an answer to this question. For me, Love is in the air, throughout the year, not on a specific date/day. However, the love birds & love-couples are patrons for February 14th, every year--their favourite being giving each other with loads & loads of gifts, or partying, dancing, hanging around, but gifting love to each other???I wonder.....
I dont know what will I be doing in this Valentine's Day,as there will be some special programs in hotel that day, may be a set menu for couples etc., but this day has been dull for me[compared to the love-birds] & just like any other day to me. Sometimes, I feel myself in an awkward position, amongst the love birds flying around, for being the odd one out.....
Anyways, cooking for ones love has been always been one of the specials, anytime in the air, but to you, when love is in the air, why not try some cooking on the onset of spring, & impress your date/lover with your culinary expertise.
I have framed a three course menu for your dear love.[The ingredients are meant for 2 portions]
Puree of Peperonata Soup with Basil Oil
-
Roasted Lamb Chops
Onion & Carrot Compote, Spinaci Alla Romana, Soft Polenta & Rosemary Sabayon
-
Blueberry & Balsamic Creme Brulee
Black & White Panna Cotta with Glazed Strawberries
Black & White Panna Cotta with Glazed Strawberries
Peperonata Soup with Basil Oil
This soup is quite akin to our roasted pepper soup, however, the addition of tomato makes all the difference. Peperonata is a kind of relish from La Cucina Siciliana. In a nutshell, it is made of peppers, which are roasted & followed by skinning process. Then they are cooking with some onion, tomatoes for sometimes & finished with a good drizzle of olive oil. However, the soup doesn't end here. We liquidise it, add some moisture or stock as one desires & then followed by further seasoning & a drizzle of Basil Oil on top.
Ingredients:
Yellow Bell Peppers- 2 nos.
Red Bell Peppers- 3 nos.
Onion- 50 gm
Tomatoes- 100 gm
Seasoning- as required
Olive Oil- 20 ml
For the Basil Oil
Fresh Sweet Basil- 50 gm
Oil- 100 ml
Method:
For the Soup
1.Roast the peppers & once the skin starts to darken, take them off the heat, keep in a container & cover tightly with a cling film for 15-20 minutes or till cold enough to handle.
2.Peel off the skin, cut the peppers into half, take off the seeds, pith etc & roughly chop the peppers.Blanch, peel & seed the tomatoes. Roughly chop the tomatoes.
3.Heat olive oil in a pan & start sweating the peppers. Add in the tomatoes & cook them covered for around 10-15 minutes, but dont burn!!!
4. Check seasoning, & make a fine puree of the pepperonata. Add water/vegetable stock as required for consistency & check seasoning. Keep hot!!!
For the Basil Oil
1. Blanch the basil leaves & make a fine paste of the leaves. Add them to the oil & keep for at least 2 days for the flavours to infuse.
Before Service:
Serve the soup hot, with basil oil drizzled on top of the soup.
Roasted Lamb Chops
Onion & Carrot Compote,Spinaci Alla Romana, Soft Polenta & Rosemary Sabayon
This is our main course for the three course menu. You can see a lot of *accompaniments* with the main course which is Roasted Lamb Chops in this case. They may seem to be difficult, but trust me, they are pretty easy. Few of these can be made ahead a day or two before, except the main course, flamed peas. Polenta you can make it instantly or make it a day before--as & when time permits!!!
Ingredients:
For the Lamb Chops
Lamb Rack- 1 no
Seasoning- As required
Garlic- 2 cloves
Oil- 50 ml
Rosemary- 1 sprig
Mustard- 2 tsp [preferably Dijon Mustard]
For the Compote
Carrot- 100 gm
Onion-50 gm
Oil- 20 ml
Water- 50 ml
Seasoning- As required
Ground Ginger- As required
For the Spinaci Alla Romana
Spinach- 1 bunch
Bacon- 15 gm
Pine Nuts- 10 gm
Raisins- 10 gm
Seasoning- As required
For the Soft Polenta
Instant Polenta-50 gm
Water- 250 ml
Butter- 15 gm
Grated Parmesan Cheese- 5 gm
For the Rosemary Sabayon
Egg Yolk- 3 nos
Rosemary leaves chopped- of 1/2 sprig
Seasoning- to taste
Cream- 30 ml
Method:
For the Roast Lamb Chops
Trim & french the lamb chops. Season with salt-pepper & marinate it with garlic, mustard, oil, rosemary --overnight.
When you are ready for roasting, sear in a hot plate until nicely colored & finish in an oven of 200 deg Centigrade till according to the doneness desired.
For the Compote
Peel, half & slice the carrots neatly. Chop the onions fine. In a deep pan, add in the onion & carrots & cook until translucent. Add in the water, seasoning & the ground ginger. Cook covered, but check from time to time, so that the water doesn't dry out.
Adjust the consistency of the compote. Check for additional seasoning & keep hot
For the Spinaci Alla Romana
Trim, wash & blanch the spinach. Drain & refresh in cold water & drain again. Roughly chop the spinach. Squeeze excess water in the spinach.
Heat the bacon in a pan, render the fat & throw away the cracklings. Add in the spinach, nuts & raisins. Saute till heated through. Season & keep hot.
For the Rosemary Sabayon
Whisk the egg yolks with seasonings & chopped herbs. Keep on whisking till the egg yolks are fluffy & the color changes.
Now add the cream & beat over bain-marie till the mixture thickens[but not coagulate]. Keep hot.
Final assembling
Put the spinach on the middle of the plate & followed by the lamb rack on top of it. Drop the polenta on one side & the compote on the other. Drizzle the rosemary sabayon around & on the lamb chops. Garnish with dried tomato skins & chopped parsley.
Blackberry & Balsamic Creme Brulee
A classical french dessert, where eggyolks & cream are cooked in a double-boiler & then the *burnt sugar* on top. Creme brulee actually means burnt cream & can be said, it is the "Creme Caramel" made up side-down.
This version is a vegetarian version of the authentic creme brulee, & no cooking in double boiler, however, will be the same creme brulee with some flavourings.
Ingredients:
Fresh Blackberry- 50 gm
Aged Aceto Balsamico- 15 ml
Greek Yoghurt- 200 gm
Sour Cream- 50 gm
Honey-40 gm[preferably accacia or blossom honey]
Brown sugar- 20 gm
Method:
Put the blackberries in a bowl & marinate with the vinegar. Let is stand for 15-20 minutes. Reserve a few for garnish & distribute the rest among 2 ramekin dish.
In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, sour cream & honey & put in the ramekin dishes & allow to stand for at least 1 hr.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of each with brown sugar & caramelise the sugar with a handheld torch. Garnish the top with the reserved berries & serve immediately.
Black & White Pannacotta with Glazed Strawberries
When I asked one of my colleagues, to rate the menu, he first asked me, "How will you make black & white pannacotta?", my answer was "Dark Chocolate"!!! To give the traditional vanilla pannacotta a contrast, I have chosen the black version of it, as Shahjehan wanted to build a Black Tajmahal once he built the White one.
You may ask "Wont the two pannacotta-s mix with each other, if made in the same mould/glass?", the answer is a big "NO", provided your consistency is similar to each other.
Ingredients:-
Fresh Whipping Cream- 250 ml
Sugar- 50 gm
Dark Chocolate- 50 gm[melted over a double boiler]
Vanilla Essence- a few drops
Gelatin- 15 gm
Milk- 50 ml[or less, if required]
Butter- 20 gm
Strawberries- 1 handful, hulled
Sugar- 50 gm
Method:
Bloom the gelatin in 20 ml water. Boil the cream & milk together, add the sugar & divide into two. In one add the vanilla & in the other, add in the chocolate & mix well.
Add in the gelatin in both & mix well. If required, add some milk to the chocolate mixture for right consistency. Pour the vanilla mixture on the bottom of your moulds/martini glasses & then the chocolate mixture on top. Allow to set for a couple of hours.
Heat the butter in a pan, add in the hulled strawberries & add the sugar. Shake the pan briskly so the sugar melts & you dont lose any juices. Take it off the heat & keep cold.
During service, put the glazed strawberries on top, alongwith the juices & additionally can dust with some icing sugar on top. Serve cold.
Dont forget to thank me, if your valentine is impressed or simply put, "blown away"... :)
Buon Apetito!!!
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