Some (mostly) hands-free recipes
VALENTINE’S DAY: These simple preparations leave cooks free for before-dinner wooing
If you’re spending Valentine’s Day at home á deux, try this mainly hands-free dinner menu to woo your significant other. The easy preparation means more time for massages, wine uncorking and diving into these delectable dishes, whose complex flavours belie their simple ingredients and preparation.
Start with chef Michel Roux’s rustic Sautéed Prawns with Feta and Basil, a feast for the eyes and taste buds alike. Preparation may be relatively hands free, but eating the succulent shrimp is a hands-on affair that’s sure to get your evening off to a sensual start.
It’s hard to beat the rotisserie chicken with potatoes cooked in drippings that you find in the French farmers markets in Paris. (The Marché President Wilson open-air market is my favourite.) What many customers don’t know is that the delicious potatoes siding the roast chicken are canned. You won’t find a better or easier recipe than Market Roast Chicken with Crispy Potatoes. A simple green salad is all the accompaniment you need.
Dessert is an unexpected grilled cheese topped with apricot rum sauce. If love were this easy, the world would be a happier place.
Sautéed Prawns with Feta and Basil
You’ll need to use your fingers to shell the prawns, so have finger bowls and plenty of napkins ready. Espelette pepper (piment d’Espelette), from the Basque region of France, is smoky and slightly citrusy with a subtle heat. You’ll find it in gourmet markets and online outlets. (Adapted from Cheese: The Essential Guide to Cooking with Cheese by Michel Roux, Quadrille Publishing, 2017.)
Serves: 4
8 large whole raw prawns or raw prawn tails, shells on
⅔ cup (150 mL) light olive oil Sea salt
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into ¼-inch (6mm) strips
4 small basil sprigs
1 cup (250 mL) feta, cut into ½-inch (1.25cm) cubes
Espelette pepper, or ground cayenne
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve Rinse prawns under cold running water, drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat.
When it is very hot, add prawns and sprinkle lightly with salt, Cook 1 minute, then quickly turn them over with tongs or a fork. Add pepper strips and cook 30 seconds. Add basil sprigs and cook another 30 seconds. Scatter feta cubes over all and dust with Espelette pepper. Cook, turning the prawns with a fork, for a final minute. Transfer
to a large dish and serve at once, with lemon wedges.
Market Roast Chicken with Crispy Potatoes
Roasting your own chicken is almost as simple as picking up a rotisserie bird from the market, and you won’t believe how much better it
tastes. The crisp, golden potatoes put this dish in another league entirely.
Serves: 4
1 whole organic chicken, about 3 lbs
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large can whole potatoes, rinsed and dried with paper towels (available at Superstore Marine Drive)
Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Place cast-iron pan in hot oven for 10 minutes.
Lightly rub olive oil over chicken and season generously with salt and pepper. Place chicken in hot castiron pan and roast for 1 hour. Transfer chicken to a carving board and let rest before cutting into serving pieces.
Meanwhile, add the potatoes to the fat in the pan, rolling them around to coat, and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Stir potatoes and roast for about 10 minutes more (20 minutes total), until crisp and golden. Serve alongside chicken.
Sweet Hearts with Apricot Rum Sauce
These heart-shaped grilled cream cheese morsels drizzled with apricot rum sauce are the perfect ending to your Valentine’s dinner. Serve with a glass of tawny port.
Serves: 4
16 slices white sandwich loaf ½ cup (125 mL) cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tsp (40 mL) raspberry or strawberry jam
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
½ cup (125 mL) apricot preserves 3 tbsp (45 mL) rum or brandy ½ cup (125 mL) slivered almonds, toasted
Use a 3-inch (7.5 cm) cookie cutter to stamp out a heart from each slice of bread. Spread 8 hearts with cream cheese and top each with 1 tsp (5 mL) jam. Cover with remaining heart slices to make sandwiches.
In a heavy skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté hearts until lightly browned on each side. (You may have to work in two batches.) Remove to small serving plates.
Add apricot preserves to skillet and heat until melted. Stir in rum and spoon over sandwiches. Sprinkle with almonds.