Someone on another thread just asked me for my favourite entree`, main and dessert, and in responding, I realised I have my ideal Valentines dinner right there.
Here it is:
Smoked salmon rolled around wedges of avocado or spears of asparagus, drizzled with my aged balsamic dressing.
Get the butcher to cut you a 10cm thick piece of rump (this should feed 4-6.You could also do this with really nice plump non-flavoured sausages, chicken breasts, or a less expensive cut of steak, but it must be thick...just make sure when you carve it that you carve super thin slivers). It will cost you less than a lamb roast. Chuck it into a ziplock bag with a quartered peeled onion, six cloves of garlic smashed with the flat edge of a carving knife, 10 crushed peppercorns, and a couple of glugs of EVOO and Worcestshire sauce. Marinate for up to 48 hours, then sear on a smoking hotplate on the barbecue, or in a really hot pan. Give it about four minutes on each side for Medium, more or less if you prefer it rare or well done. Let it rest in alfoil for ten minutes, then with a really sharp knife, cut it across the grain into slivers and lay it across a leafy salad on a large serving platter. We like rocket and toasted pinenuts. Serve with twice baked potatoes (one of the first recipes I ever contributed to the newsletter), and you'll be a legend.
Dessert will be Gluten free apple, peach and raspberry crumble, and lemon meringue icecream. Mix a tin of apple and raspberry puree (Aldi has it, but the other supermarkets have similar) with a tin of peaches, chopped. Put this in a casserole dish. Mix 1/4 cup butter with a cup of flour (GF in our case), rubbing with your fingertips. Add a pinch of cinnamon, and half a cup of sugar, along with some nuts if you want. We love chopped macadamias. Sprinkle over the top of your fruit, and bake for 25 minutes in a moderate oven. You can make this 'prettier' by making individual ones in little ramekins. Otherwise, serve neat spoonfuls, with your ice cream next to it on a flat plate. Top with a few more toasted nuts if you like.
For the lemon meringue icecream, which is great with this or on it's own in cones, soften some cheapo vanilla ice cream on the bench for 15 minutes, then mix in half a jar of lemon spread/curd/butter/cheese (whatever you call it where you are...lol!) gently so it's threaded through the ice cream and add 2-3 large or 8-10 small meringues, crumbled into chunks. Fold through until just combined and refreeze. Yummmmmmmmmm! You can also add chunks of cooked shortcrust pastry to this and call it Lemon Meringue Pie icecream.
What's on your menu for Valentines Day?
