Way to a man’s heart may be through the stomach but as a veteran chef said recently, kitchens are the new basement workshop for boyfriends and husbands, dads and granddads alike. There is no occasion better than Valentine’s Day to showcase your culinary skills and impress your loved ones.
The idea is to create a menu by blending simple flavours and a few special touches. With some attention on presentation and plating, your loved ones are sure to be impressed.
Here’s a three-course menu which can be easily prepared at home with a bit of sophistication; the focus being on pairing of flavours that leave a lingering taste in the mouth. Also the menu is so light that it will leave room for the dessert.
Pea and mint soup, vodka marinated prawn salsa: Pea and mint are an eternal combination used in many recipes.
Salt crusted red snapper, spicy green salsa: An ancient technique revived where a whole fish is covered with sea salt crust and baked in the oven, so that the natural juices stay inside and it is kept very moist.
Dark chocolate pannacotta with red cherry: This is a very easy to make dessert with stunning looks.
The author is Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza, Kochi
Pea and mint soup, vodka marinated prawn salsa
Servings 5
Ingredients
Peas 200 gm
Onion sliced 1
Garlic 4 cloves
Oil 3 tbsp
Butter 3 tbsp
Mint 10 gm
Bay leaf 1
Vegetable stock 1 litre
Cooking cream 3 tbsp
Prawn salsa
Cooked baby prawns 50 gm
Chopped onion 1 tbsp
Chopped green chilli 1
Chopped coriander 1 tsp
Chopped tomato 1 tbsp
Lime juice 1
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Vodka 60 ml
Method
Heat oil and butter in a pan, sauté the onion and crushed garlic. Add the cooked peas and top with vegetable stock and cook slowly for around 10 minutes. Add the cooking cream and blend into a smooth soup.
For the prawn salsa, mix all ingredients together.
Serve the soup garnished with prawn salsa.
Salt crusted baked red snapper, salsa Verde
Whole red snapper (scaled, gutted) 500 gm
Marination
Juice of 1 lemon, olive oil 1 tbsp,
garlic 4 cloves
Salt crust
Salt 250 gm
Egg white 2
Pepper corns 1 tsp
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Lemon zest 1
Salsa Verde
Chopped spring onion 1
Chopped green chilli 1
Coriander leaves 1 stalk
Green tomato 1
Lime juice 1
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Salt as reqd
Crushed pepper 1 tsp
Method
Clean the gut of the fish, scale and remove gills. Marinate the fish for five minutes
To make the salt crust, whip the egg white until soft peak, mix the salt and crushed spices.
Lightly oil an oven proof tray and place the marinated fish on it and completely cover with the salt mix.
Pre heat the oven to 200 C and cook the fish for 15 minutes.
The salt crust will become hard after cooking and it needs to be cracked open.
Make the salsa Verde with all ingredients and serve with fish.
Salt crusted baked red snapper, salsa Verde (Photos:Arun S. Nair)
Dark chocolate Pannacotta
Servings 5
Milk 250 ml
Cream 250 ml
Chocolate 150 gm
Gelatin 15 gm
Vanilla essence few drops
Oreo biscuit 1 pkt
Method
Boil cream and milk together and add gelatin, add the chocolate to that.
Cool down the mixture.
Crush biscuits and sprinkle them equally glasses. Pour the mix and set in the fridge.
Garnish with cherries.
