Maybe you couldn't get a reservation at your favorite restaurant for Valentine's Day. Or maybe you think it's more romantic to be at home alone together -- after all, eating places will be crowded with couples Tuesday evening.
We asked chefs from four area restaurants to share their favorite Valentine's recipes with us. From them we've created an elegant little meal for two that will put your loved one in just the right frame of mind.
Start with a first-course bouillabaisse of fennel from Chef Karim Lakhani of Citronelle, followed by a rack of lamb with a white wine Dijon mustard sauce from Fernand Tersiguel of Tersiguel's, an arugula salad with walnut-encrusted brie from Chef Matthew Niessner of the Brass Elephant and for dessert, individual Grand Marnier souffles from Michael Gettier of M. Gettier.
Citronelle's Bouillabaisse of Fennel
Serves 2
1 pound fennel bulbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 ounces of fish, chicken stock, or water
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped Nicoise or black olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
additional salt and pepper to taste
2 fillets of red snapper, 4 ounces each
6 fresh oysters, out of shell
Trim off fennel fronds, reserving and mincing 2 tablespoons. Cut off stalks. Peel stalks and fibrous exterior of bulb using a vegetable peeler. Halve bulb and stalks lengthwise and cut stalks and bulb crosswise into 1/4 -inch thick rings.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add onion, cover and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and fennel, cover and sweat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, stock, wine and fennel seeds and bring to a boil. Stir 2 tablespoons of the boiling liquid into saffron to dissolve, then return mixture to the skillet. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat and boil until the liquid is reduced and thickened to a sauce-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper. (This can be prepared ahead and set aside at cool room temperature.)
fTC Season red snapper fillets with salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high. Saute fillets, skin side down and place a weight over them to keep them flat. After 2 minutes, turn the fillet and cook on flesh side for about 1 minute.
Return bouillabaisse to heat, and poach oysters for 1 minute, or until firm. Stir in the olives and spoon onto 2 vegetable plates or soup bowls. Top each with fronds, fillets and oysters.
Tersiguel's Rack of Lamb for Two
1 cup virgin olive oil
6 sprigs of thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
pinch salt and cracked pepper
1 full rack of lamb (8 ribs)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon softened butter
1 tablespoon unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons cold butter
pinch salt and pepper
In shallow pan, mix together olive oil, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper for marinade. Cut rack into quarters (2 ribs a quarter), and place in marinade. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove lamb from refrigerator. In heavy, oven-proof saute pan, heat 4 tablespoons of the marinade. Sear lamb 1 1/2 minutes per side. Mix together garlic, parsley, butter and bread crumbs. Spoon 1/4 of the mixture onto each rib chop.
Place pan in oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove rib chops from pan and let them rest in a warm place.
Return pan to heat and deglaze with wine. Reduce by one half. Add mustard and lower heat. Whisk in cold butter to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour sauce on plate with braised Belgian endive, asparagus, broccoli and flageolet beans. Put the lamb over the sauce. Garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme.
Brass Elephant's Hearts of Palm and Brie Salad
Serves 2
MARINADE:
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped shallots
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
pinch salt
SALAD:
3 large mushrooms, sliced
1 ripe Roma tomato, cut in half
1 cup arugula
salad oil to lightly coat skillet
2 wedges of brie (1 1/2 ounces each)
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg white
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 hearts of palm
8 raspberries
Blend together marinade ingredients and cover mushrooms, hearts of palm and tomatoes for up to 8 hours.
Remove mushrooms and grill or broil for 4 to 5 minutes.
Assemble arugula in center of plate. Remove hearts of palms from marinade, slice and place over greens. Add tomatoes and grilled mushrooms to greens, reserving marinade.
Roll the brie wedges in flour, and egg white and then press the walnuts into the brie. Place a skillet coated with salad oil over high heat and pan-fry the brie wedges on each side for 2 minutes total. Add to salad plate, and top with raspberries. Pour marinade over and serve.
M. Gettier's Souffle Grand Marnier
Serves 2
3 egg yolks
5 tablespoons sugar
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Lightly butter and flour 2 souffle dishes, (about 4 1/2 inches in diameter).
Using an electric beater, whisk egg yolks with 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the zests until very pale and thick. Add orange juice and Grand Marnier and whip until blended.
In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, whip egg whites, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar a little at a time. When whites are frothy, add cream of tartar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form; quickly whip in lemon juice.
Rapidly stir about 1/3 of whites into yolk mixture, then gently fold in rest of whites.
Pour into souffle dishes and place in oven. Lower temperature to
400 degrees. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.