As Valentine's Day approaches, create an unforgettable evening with a home-cooked dinner for two. This holiday traces back to Saint Valentine, a 3rd-century Roman priest who secretly married young couples against Emperor Claudius II's ban. Imprisoned and later executed on February 14, 269 AD, he healed a jailer's daughter and signed his final note 'From your Valentine.' Canonized in 498 AD, St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers. Today, celebrate with heartfelt gestures. Here's a curated menu drawing from time-tested recipes for an intimate feast.
60 g flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 dl milk
1 tbsp water
1 egg
30 g melted butter
2 spring onions
1 raw potato
60-100 g Tabasco
Salt and white pepper
Crème fraîche
Loddekuit
Red onion
Chervil
Lemon
Grate the potato and drain slightly in a sieve. Combine flour and baking powder, then gradually whisk in milk, water, and egg. Stir in melted butter. Finely chop spring onions and fold in. Let batter rest for 20 minutes. Mix in grated potato, season with salt, freshly ground white pepper, and a few drops of Tabasco. Thin with 1-2 tbsp milk if needed. Cook in a preheated waffle iron until golden and crisp. Serve hot. Top each waffle with 1 tbsp crème fraîche, 1 tbsp loddekuit, chopped red onion, fresh chervil, and a lemon wedge.
20 raw scampi
1-2 tbsp butter
1 shallot
½ red bell pepper
½ yellow bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
Fresh mushrooms
½ tsp fish stock
¼ cup brandy
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 dl cream
1 tomato
½ bunch parsley
1 tbsp dry sherry or vermouth
Cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp cold butter
Cooked rice
8 green asparagus
1 sheet puff pastry
Grated cheese
Peel and grate the tomato flesh, dicing any firm parts. Chop parsley and shallot. Slice mushrooms and dice bell peppers. Heat butter in a pan; sauté shallot and peppers briefly without browning. Add crumbled fish stock. Increase heat, add scampi, and sear briefly. Pour in brandy and flambé. Cover to extinguish flames. Stir in mushrooms, tomato purée, tomato flesh, parsley, and cream; simmer gently—avoid overcooking scampi. Season with sherry, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Finish with cold butter. Trim and boil asparagus in salted water until tender. Prepare rice. Thaw puff pastry; cut into hearts with a cookie cutter, brush with egg or milk, top with cheese, and bake at 200°C for 15 minutes.
2 dl cream
4 egg yolks
75 g sugar
Pastis or other spirit for flavor
Chocolate hearts, for decoration
Whip cream to soft peaks. In a mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gently fold in whipped cream and 1 tbsp pastis (or whiskey/other spirit). Pour into molds and freeze. For decorations, melt 2-3 squares of chocolate in a microwave-safe bag, snip a corner, and pipe hearts onto parchment-lined paper; let set. Thaw parfait briefly before serving.
