Food and wine
Home-made with love
February is the month of love and if you want to go all out to impress that special someone in your life try your hand at a homecooked meal. Here are some recipes that are sure to add an extra spark to your romantic dinner for two. Bon Appétit!
Steamed mussels with leeks, thyme and bacon
Ingredients
• 750g mussels
• 25g butter
• 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 2 small leeks, sliced
• Handful thyme sprigs
• Micro greens for garnish
• Small glass of cider or white wine
Method
Scrub and de-beard the mussels. Heat half the butter in a pan and then sizzle the bacon for three to four minutes until it starts to brown. Add the leeks and thyme and then sweat everything together for four to five minutes until it is soft. Turn the heat up and add the mussels and cider or wine, then cover and cook for four to five minutes while shaking the pan occasionally until the mussels have opened. Discard any that don’t open. Scoop the mussels and the other bits into a dish and place the pan back on the heat. Boil the juices for one minute with the rest of the butter and then pour over the mussels. Serve with crusty bread or as a main. Garnish with micro greens.
Sweetheart chocolate and hazelnut sandwiches
Ingredients
• 4 slices from a small sliced brioche loaf
• 3 tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread
• 1 large egg
• 75ml whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp castor sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped toasted hazelnuts
• 1 tbsp butter
• Icing sugar
• Ice cream
• Raspberries
Method
Put a thick layer of the chocolate hazelnut spread on two brioche slices and then top with the remaining slices to make two sandwiches. Use a large heart-shaped cutter to cut the sandwiches.
Whisk the egg, milk, vanilla and castor sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. Tip the hazelnuts onto a plate. Dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture, allowing the brioche to soak up the liquid and then dip one side of each sandwich into the nuts. The sandwiches can be chilled like this while covered loosely with cling film for up to one hour.
Heat the butter in a wide frying pan until melted and foaming. Add the sandwiches and cook for one to two minutes on each side until golden brown and puffed up. Dust with a little icing sugar and serve with ice cream and raspberries.
Champagne and raspberry possets
Ingredients
• 140g frozen raspberries, defrosted
• 2 tbsp champagne
• 200ml double cream
• 4 tbsp golden castor sugar
• 2 tsp freeze-dried raspberry pieces
• shortbread biscuits
Method
Put the raspberries and champagne in a mini food processor or blender (or use a jug and a hand blender). Whizz until the purée is as smooth as you can get it and then use a wooden spoon or spatula to push as much of it through a sieve as you can. Discard the seeds left behind.
Put the cream and sugar in a saucepan and warm gently until the sugar melts. Increase the heat until just boiling and then boil vigorously for two and a half minutes while stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and stir in the raspberrychampagne purée. Cool for 15 minutes before dividing between two small pots or glasses. Chill for 30 minutes and then sprinkle over the freeze-dried raspberry pieces and chill for at least two hours until set. To serve, remove the possets from the fridge and add some shortbread biscuits.