Okay, so you determined long ago not to get swept up in the Valentine’s Day madness. It will be a quiet evening alone at home. But you still haven’t decided what to serve. Here are some recipes to impress, from the recipe section of nomenu.com. And yes, they are over the top. But it is Valentine's Day, after all. If they cause you to be stricken with panic, replace the lamb with butter and Worcestershire seared filet mignon. With Bearnaise sauce, also in the recipe section of this site. Good luck!
Oysters au Poivre
Ingredients
1 pint whipping cream
2 tsp. mixed dried peppercorns (black, white, green, pink)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Pinch saffron threads
1/4 tsp. salt
All the reserved oyster water available, up to 1 cup
Two dozen fresh oysters, the larger the better, preferably freshly shucked
Steps
In a stainless steel or porcelain two-quart saucepan, combine the cream, peppercorns, two sprigs of thyme, and saffron. Bring to a very light boil. (Watch to make sure the pan doesn't boil over, which cream likes to do.) Add the oyster water. Reduce about 30 minutes, to about one cup of liquid.
Add six oysters. Let them cook in the sauce until it resumes bubbling--about two or three minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, remove the oysters from the pan and keep warm while you cook the remaining oysters in batches of six. Allow the herbs, peppercorns, and sauce that coat the oysters to remain.
When all the oysters are cooked, plunge them all back into the sauce for a few seconds to warm them back up. Arrange three to six (depending on size) on plates. Nap with a little extra sauce, stirring the pan to distribute the peppercorns and herbs. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.
Roasted Leg Of Lamb
Ingredients
Marinade:
1 cup red or white wine
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, crushed (or 2 tsp. dried rosemary)
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup lamb or veal stock
1/3 cup olive oil
8 oz. V-8 or tomato juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp. Salt
1 leg of lamb, bone-in, 6-8 lbs.
1 Tbs. salt-free Creole seasoning
Steps
Blend all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Put the lamb leg into a shallow bowl or a turkey-roasting bag, and add the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
About three hours before you're planning to serve dinner, preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
Remove the lamb leg from the marinade and shake off the excess. Place the lamb on a cutting board and trim off excess fat. Then season it all over with the Creole seasoning and the salt. Place it with the meatier side down on a rack inside a pan. Pour the marinade into the pan.
Put the lamb leg onto the lowest shelf in the oven and and turn the temperature down to 350 degrees. Roast it for a half-hour. Turn the leg and spoon some of the pan liquids over it. Check it every 10 or 15 minutes, and baste the leg with the juices again. Add more water if the juices in the pan begin to dry out.
The lamb is done to medium-rare when a meat thermometer inserted in the center (but not touching the bone) reads 125-130 degrees. (For medium, go to 140 degrees.)
Wrap the leg with aluminum foil and allow to cool in a pan on the counter for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, pour all the juices from the roasting pan into a separator. When it settles, pour the defatted juices into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to about a cup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To slice the lamb, make vertical cuts from the meatier side of the leg straight down as if going through the bone. Then cut across the lowest parts of the vertical cuts to free the slices. Repeat this process all the way around. It's best not to slice the lamb parallel to the bone, because that's the way the grain runs.
Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1/2 stick butter
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups Arborio rice
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
3 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 leaf fresh mint, chopped
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
Steps
Cut off the bottom tough inch or so of the asparagus and discard. Cut off the top inch of all the spears and set aside. Slice the asparagus stalks into little disks about 1/4 inch thick.
Heat half the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Sauté the green onions, asparagus, salt and crushed red pepper until the asparagus is tender. Add the rice and sauté for about four minutes, stirring more or less constantly.
Dissolve the salt in the stock, and add the stock, one cup at a time, stirring until the rice has absorbed almost all the liquid. The rice is done when there is no crunch left in the center, and when starch from stirring the rice grains forms a moderate amount of what seems like a creamy sauce. But don't allow it to get mushy. Texture is everything in risotto. You'll know it's ready if you pay close attention throughout the cooking. At that point, remove it from the stove and cover the pot.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer, and cook the asparagus tips for three minutes, or until tender. (Even better: steam them, if you have a steamer.) Drain and stir the tips into the rice, along with the Parmigiano, basil, mint, parsley, and the rest of the butter.
Chocolate and Cafe Au Lait Mousse
Ingredients
One pound Baker's semi-sweet chocolate
6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup very strong, warm coffee and chicory
1/4 cup warm milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
Steps
Melt the chocolate in a microwave oven in 30-second bursts, stirring it between each until it's completely melted and smooth. (This can also be done in a bowl over a pan of boiling water.)
In another bowl, whip the egg yolks until they become distinctly lighter in color. Combine the coffee and hot milk, and add it slowly to the egg yolks, whisking as you go.
Add the chocolate slowly to the egg-and-coffee mixture, and whisk well until the mixture is just barely warm and well-blended.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the sugar and vanilla. Continue beating until stiff. With a rubber spatula, blend the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Do this gently, and don't worry that it will not be an absolutely uniform mixture.
Whip the whipping cream in a metal bowl. Remember that cream whips best when cold, and that if you overwhip it will break into butter and buttermilk.
If the chocolate mixture is still warm, let it continue to cool to room temperature. Then fold in the whipped cream with the rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Do this gently, and keep at it until you have a uniform texture.
Spoon the mousse into serving dishes, or pipe it in with a pastry bag for a more elegant presentation. You can also top it with shaved chocolate or a strawberry.
