Five Romantic Meal Ideas for Valentine's Day from Professional Chefs

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As wedding caterers, it doesn’t get much more romantic for us than crafting bespoke menus for couples planning their wedding day.  Our menus are often created based on three special things…where the happy couple met, where they fell in love and their absolute favourite food and drink.  Love, food and the celebration of these three ingredients is what we do day to day at Caviar & Chips!

So with Valentine’s Day just around the
corner, we thought we’d come up with some of the most romantic menus we could
think of to knock yours and your partner’s socks off!

Now we’d be doing you a disservice if we gave you just one menu. So we got our Head Chef, Mike Scott to stir up his creative juices and craft five delicious menus that are just perfect for an alluring evening of love and romance.  Mike has written these menus based on various types of cuisine or styles of eating, and we hope they offer some inspiration to light up your heart and your appetite!

Menu one: For the love of all things
British

Smoked Pheasant, Jerusalem artichoke Purée, King Oyster Mushroom, Blue Cheese Beignets, Black Pudding & Apple

We’re so lucky that Britain has some of the
best produce in the world.  The seasons
providing us with their bounty to enjoy again and again. There are two courses
here where the main focus is Game which is certainly in season now.  For the starter course, a beautifully smoked
Pheasant – roasted on the bone before being basted in herb butter. I’ve paired
it with an earthy purée of Jerusalem Artichokes (one of my favourite root
vegetables) and meaty King Oyster Mushrooms. Alongside is a rich black pudding
to add some texture and bulk to the plate. To balance the dish, I’ve added a
salty, creamy Stilton and plenty of crisp fresh apple.

Next up is the main course and for this
dish I’m going to be tender with a delicious pan-roasted Duck.

Pan-roasted Duck Breast, Duck Leg & Chocolate Roulade, Spinach, Heritage Carrots, Cherry Chocolate Jus

Crispy skin, soft meat, and a roulade of
braised leg meat and dark chocolate – what’s not to love?! Game and chocolate
work really well together, be it Pigeon, Venison, or in this case, Duck – it
just goes beautifully. However, the pairing of rich Duck meat and rich
chocolate needs managing.  So I’ve added
some spinach for fresh greens flavour and sweet anise-infused heritage carrots
to level the playing field. To cut through the flavours, cherries are a
wonderful option – especially with Duck.

After these two hearty dishes, I imagine
you’ll both want to lighten things up for the dessert, so here is a British
classic for you, Lemon Meringue Pie!

Lemon Meringue Pie, Chambord Cream & Raspberry Coulis

Zingy lemon curd, crispy, flaky pastry,
lighter-than-air, sweet meringue….what more do you want? This pie features an
Italian meringue, set over the curd filling before being lightly baked and then
torched to bring out a multitude of flavours and textures.

Lemon and raspberry is a classic
combination, so I’ve gone with Chambord cream – based on a raspberry liqueur,
and a sweet raspberry coulis to garnish the dish.

This really is a great way to round-off this ‘Best of British’ meal before you snuggle up on the sofa with a glass of something special.

Menu two: A love affair in Asia

It’s Chinese New Year and the year of the
Ox on 12th February – just two days before Valentine’s Day.  So I thought it appropriate to include an
Asian-inspired menu here. For me, Asian cuisine includes the most fantastic
aromatics, always over-delivering on scent and flavour, and also lends itself
wonderfully to meat, fish, and vegetables alike. A menu to light up your senses
is exactly what we want to stir up some passion.

Seared King Scallops, Mango Chilli Salsa

This is simple, light, and incredibly
fresh. Mango Chilli Salsa is one of my favourite garnishes, and works
beautifully with the sweet Scallops here. Diced ripe mango is combined with
cucumber, red onion, red chilli, coriander, lime juice and a little oil. The
dish itself is literally just scallops and the salsa – again a wonderful
pairing. For me it really doesn’t need anything else. The ingredients on the
plate sing together and that’s all they need to do.

Monkfish Curry, Fine Beans & Coriander with Jasmine Rice

Next up is a vibrant Red Curry, utilising
some of the amazing ingredients that features in Thai Cuisine.  Red and green chilli, lemongrass, Thai basil,
fish sauce, coconut milk and ginger.

I cook the fish in a pan to begin with, in
order to develop some golden brown colour and texture.  Then poach it the rest of the way in the
sauce, allowing both elements to share flavour with each other. I do the same
with the beans, tossed quickly in the juices from the Monkfish before being
finished together in the sauce. If you’ve ever eaten Thai street-food, you’ll
know there is usually a selection of toppings to complete your dish, and this
is the case here. I recommend some micro coriander – for some punch to bring out
the existing coriander in the curry. 
Thinly sliced red and green chilli and spring onion. I’d leave it there
personally but you can add chopped roasted peanuts or chilli flakes if you want
to start getting carried away!

Matcha & White Chocolate Mousse, Hazelnut Sponge & Cherry Compote

For dessert, chocolate and cherry is a
match made in heaven. However, between the sweet, creamy chocolate flavour and
the more tart cherry, there is room for the matcha to stand up to some of that
richness. Hazelnut is a personal favourite of mine and gives another dimension
to the flavour and texture.  A rochelle
of mousse over some white chocolate crumb, the cherry compote and fresh
cherries dotted around, and torn pieces of sponge filling in the gaps…mmmm!

Menu three: A passion for plant-based

The interest and variety in plant-based
food has come on so much in recent years and it`s fantastic to see this
embraced.  Dietary alternatives certainly
shouldn’t be an after-thought and I know many vegans and vegetarians who are
very bored by the thought of risotto followed by melon! 

Here I’ve written a menu comprised of
dishes that highlight the progress of plant-based ingredients, but not purely
for the sake of using them. These tasty, colourful delights will bring a spark
to your romantic evening with your loved one, and I really hope you enjoy them.

Three-Way Beetroot & Tomato Salad

To start things off, I’ve got a Beetroot
and Tomato Salad. With simple ingredients comes the need to bring the best out
of them, and to create a combination of flavours and textures to amuse and
satisfy the palate. Starting with the beetroot, I’m presenting it in three ways
– roasted, pickled and powdered. The roasted beetroot is earthy and provides
the depth of flavour the dish needs, while the pickled version brings acidity –
it’s also raw so provides bite.

The powder nicely coats elements on the
dish, allowing the beetroot flavour to permeate through each mouthful. For the
Tomatoes, I’m using Heirloom Tomatoes, bringing subtle differences in flavour,
as well as an amazing contrast of colours. They’ve been marinated in salt,
sugar and a little balsamic vinegar, to bring out their natural sweetness and
to fuse with the flavour of the beetroot.

Stuffed Courgette, Herb Crumb, Tenderstem & Spinach Salad

This main course is a little lighter, but
full of flavour and texture. Roasted whole courgettes are opened up and stuffed
with an intense, reduced Mediterranean vegetable salsa, before being topped
with a crisp herb crumb.  I then pack
them full of parsley, tarragon, chives, mint and seasoning. This adds crunch to
each mouthful, contrasting with the softened courgette and the jewelled salsa.
The spinach and tenderstem salad provides some levity, texture again, and the
sweetness from the broccoli really compliments the other vegetables.

Chocolate & Raspberry

Now you’re in for a real treat with this
dessert. Chocolate and raspberry is my absolute favourite flavour combination
in a chocolate dessert, and here I’ve combined the two in a number of ways.
Firstly, we’ll start with the base, made from a shortbread and raspberry crumb.
I’m using crispy raspberries that have been freeze-dried as they provide a nice
crunch and have an insane raspberry flavour! Secondly, there is a tart
raspberry sorbet.  This icy addition
makes the dish more playful by contrasting the temperatures you experience when
eating. Some fresh raspberries and a raspberry jelly round up the fruit.  Now we require the chocolate elements to
balance. Straight away I’ve gone with a rich, creamy, dark chocolate ganache to
provide a deep, bitter dimension. I’ve also added some crispy biscuit pearls,
coated in chocolate. Finally, the theatrical showpiece of the dessert – the
sphere. A Dark chocolate sphere, filled with a chocolate mousse, a little
Raspberry coulis and some light chocolate sponge. All hidden within the sphere,
you can both have some fun smashing it open to reveal the tasty filling.

Menu four: A romance in France!

When it comes to Love, the French have
historically been top of their game, especially when it comes to food. Rich
meats, butter and cream – they certainly know how to put on a spread and create
an ambience. Anyone who’s ever had a romantic meal in the close atmosphere of a
French Bistro will attest to the fact that the feeling is in a league of its
own. This menu features some French classics, but the feel of the menu is
decadence and luxury. Lobster, Beef Fillet, Chocolate – it’s all the good stuff
in one tasty menu!

Lobster Soufflé, Samphire & Lobster Bisque

The Soufflé is perhaps one of the most
revered dishes in the culinary world. Many a chef is terrified of the cooking
process, fraught with danger at almost every turn!  Seriously though, there are some pitfalls
during the cooking process, but by sticking to the rules and being patient
(don’t open the oven!) They’re very simple. This Lobster Soufflé is obviously
savoury, and savoury ones are typically a little more robust and hold their
shape once cooked. Nevertheless, make sure you tuck straight in once they come
out of the oven! I’ve garnished with some buttery, salty, crunchy samphire to
help season and provide texture, and a rich, thick Lobster Bisque to finish the
dish.

Fillet of Beef, Braised Ox Cheek, Boulangère Potato with Port Reduction

Next up, we have a rich-yet-delicate beef
dish, combining both premium and affordable cuts of beef.  Served alongside flavoursome potatoes, and a
sticky, punchy jus. The beef cuts used are fillet – the highest grade of the
meat, lean and buttery-soft to eat. And then Ox Cheek (remember it’s the year
of the Ox!) A well worked muscle that requires slow, gentle cooking to make it
fall apart in your mouth. These two cuts of meat are a serious and evocative
flavour combination.

The Boulangère Potatoes are simply sliced
and layered before being cooked in beef stock, and so provide a further hit of
beefy goodness. Baby carrots are light and sweet, and so help balance with the
richness of the dish, and spinach helps to lighten everything up and give
texture. Finally, the Port reduction is sticky, a little sweet, and very
powerful, so only requires to be used sparingly. This isn’t the largest of
courses, purely due to how intense the flavours are. I wouldn’t want you to
peak too soon and particularly before dessert!

A Symphony of Chocolate

This is the ultimate chocolate showstopper.
A classic French delice – somewhere between a Ganache and a Mousse.  Topped with chocolate-coated cocoa nibs and
popping candy for a little fun. It’s served alongside (now prepare yourself…) a
dark chocolate ganache, milk chocolate, caramel-flavoured chocolate cylinder,
caramelised white chocolate mousse, white chocolate sauce, milk chocolate ice
cream, brioche croutons and a drizzle of honey. An absolute winner for
chocolate lovers everywhere!

Menu five: It’s more romantic to share

Valentine’s Day is a time for love, a time
for romance, and a time for sharing. Because of this, I wouldn’t be able to
complete my menu selection without adding a sharing menu! So, Oysters to start,
a stuffed Saddle of Lamb for the main, and a giant Ferrero Rocher for Dessert.

Maldon Oysters

Oysters are renowned all over the world for
being an aphrodisiac, and so why not start off your romantic dinner by sharing
a plate of them! I’ve decided to serve them with some dressings that aren’t
your typical fare, but feel free to use the traditional Tabasco or Mignonette.

I’ve gone with jalapeńo, gherkin and
pickled cucumber for a refreshing, vibrant taste with an added kick of heat.
There’s also apple and horseradish again to contrast tart and cooling with
warming, mustardy heat. Finally, a fennel butter, peppered with chopped herbs
to give a mellow flavour to the Oyster. I’m sure you know the rules on how to
eat an Oyster, but just for clarification – dress them and then swallow them
down! Don’t forget to indulge in the cheesey love moment by linking each
other’s arms to eat one (with a glass of Champagne). Now get ready for the main
course.

Garlic, Herb & Goat’s Cheese-stuffed Saddle of Lamb, Potato Pavé, Asparagus & Charred Broccoli with Lamb Jus

Lamb is perfect for a romantic meal, and
it’s incredibly versatile, so you can go wherever you like with different cuts
and garnishes. For this menu, I’ve chosen a stuffed Saddle. It’s technically
more complex than a lot of Lamb dishes, however the results are more than worth
it.  I’ve made a coarse stuffing from
garlic, rosemary, mint, parsley, chives and shallots.  Then spread a whipped Goat’s cheese over the
inside of the Saddle, before adding the stuffing, rolling up the meat and
roasting it. The Goat’s cheese softens and seasons while the herbs and garlic
permeate and create a wonderful flavour and aroma. The Pavé of Potato has some
technique to it too. I thinly slice squares of potato before slowly cooking in
garlic oil. Once cooked, they’re pressed together and finished by cooking in
foaming butter, to crisp up the exterior and make it richer. Broccoli is my
favourite vegetable and I love using the much-wasted stalk. Slicing florets in
half but retaining the stalk, blanching, then charring gives a wonderful smokey
note, while crisping up some of the floret which is a texture-full dream!

Ferrero Rocher

This is just a huge win in my book. It’s a
giant Ferrero Rocher – about the size of a tennis ball!  So much fun to smash open and share. I start
with a small, truffle-sized ball of nutella, into which I stick a few toasted
whole hazelnuts. I allow this to freeze so that I can handle it later. I’ve
made a dark chocolate sphere, lined with crispy wafer, and filled with a
hazelnut mousse. Before joining the two halves of the sphere together, I push
the nutella centre in so it loosens but only while encased in the rocher. Once
this is all together, I dip it into a mixture of milk chocolate and chopped
toasted hazelnuts, before finally dusting with edible gold powder to simulate
it’s little wrapper. The result is fantastic I can assure you, and will
certainly remind you of those little luxury chocolate morsels we all know and
love!

So there you have it, my five Valentine’s
Day menus, suitable for a wide range of tastes and preferences. So dig in, eat
your fill, and enjoy a wonderful, romantic Valentine’s together.

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