Warm the stove, win their heart
The Age
Tuesday February 9, 2010
FOOD has long been used for seduction. More than simply feeding our bodies for fuel, there are times when food is deliberately used to tempt.As Valentine's Day looms, forgo the guilt and take pleasure in thinking of food in this way. There are the obvious choices of oysters, champagne and chocolate, of course. However, there are plenty of other foods from which to choose.Surprise your sweetheart with a home-cooked meal. It doesn't have to be too fussy or complicated.Start with a seductive crab salad. Make it a classic combination by adding silky-smooth avocado.For the main course, it's hard to pass up a good bird. The cheeky title refers to the origins of the word "honeymoon". According to old European custom, mead (containing honey) was served at wedding feasts. Without pre-empting any marriage proposals, you'll surely win a heart cooking this at any time of year.Buy a really good-quality ros and you can enjoy a glass with the meal (as well as the half-cup required in the recipe). This is definitely the occasion to enjoy pink wine.And if Valentine's Day isn't cheesy enough, this is your excuse to try these little cream-cheese hearts for dessert. The classic porcelain heart-shaped mould makes this the perfect finish to a meal devoted to love.Honeymoon chickenThis is the easiest roast chicken recipe, cutting down on the cooking time by jointing the chicken so it cooks quicker. You could easily substitute chicken pieces or fillets (skin on). If you have time, marinate the chicken for a few hours or overnight for maximum flavour. The honey makes the skin crispy and the chicken stays moist in the cooking juices.INGREDIENTS1 free-range organic chicken, size 12-14, jointed into 4-6 pieces (ask the poultry shop to do this for you)Juice of 1 lemon3 tbsp olive oil3 tbsp honey1„2 cup rose wine (or white wine)2 cloves garlic, peeled and bruisedA few sprigs of fresh thymeSalt and pepper to seasonMETHOD– Place the chicken in a large roasting pan with the lemon, oil, honey, wine, garlic and thyme. Toss well to coat all the pieces. Marinate for 30 minutes, skin-side down, or up to 24 hours if you have the time.– Preheat oven to 200C.– Put the chicken in the roasting pan, skin-side up, and cook for about 50 minutes or until skin is well browned and chicken is cooked through at its thickest point.– Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.Serves 4Crab salad with avocadoA delicate little starter with sweet, juicy crab meat as the star. Picked crab meat is available from good fishmongers, with all the messy hard work already done for you.INGREDIENTS lebanese cucumber200g picked, cooked crab meat1 lemon, zest and juice1 tbsp chopped chervil1 tbsp chopped dillSalt and pepper to season1 avocado1 tsp sherry vinegar1 tbsp avocado oil50g mache or baby salad greensLemon wedges to serveMETHOD– Finely slice the cucumber with a mandoline or sharp knife.– Mix the crab meat, one tablespoon of mixed lemon juice and zest, chervil and dillin a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust flavour with remaining lemon juice,if needed.– Cut the avocado in half and remove the pip. (Simply whack the pip with the blade of a very sharp kitchen knife to embed securely, then twist the knife in one direction, while holding the avocado gently in your hand, to dislodge the pip.) Peel and slice. Drizzle over some lemon juice to prevent browning.– Mix the vinegar with oil, salt and pepper.– Toss the salad leaves and cucumber with the dressing. There will barely be enoughdressing €” just enough to lightly coat the leaves. Place on two plates with slicedavocado. Top with crab meat and serve with extra lemon wedges.Serves 2Coeurs a-la-creme with fresh strawberry sauceLook out for little heart-shaped moulds at good cookware stores. Alternatively, dollop the mixture into pretty glass bowls to serve with berries on top.INGREDIENTS250g fromage frais250g mascarpone cup castor sugar1 lemon, zest and juice1 lime, zest and juice2 x 250g punnets strawberries1 vanilla pod, seeds scrapedMETHOD–Place fromage frais, mascarpone, half a cup of castor sugar, zest of lemon and lime and lime juice in a food processor and blend for a few minutes until combined.Set aside.–Place the porcelain moulds on a tray and line them with a damp muslin. Fill the moulds with the mixture and refrigerate for two to three hours to allow the excess moisture to drain.–Blend one punnet of strawberries in a food processor with the remaining quarter-cup of castor sugar, juice of one lemon and scraped seeds from vanilla pod.–Remove the moulds from the fridge, turn out on to plates and remove muslin.–Serve with the fresh strawberry sauce and scattered with extra strawberries.Serves 4
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