On local radio this morning I was requested to give a recipe for a dinner at home for Valentines Day.

There follows the piece I offered as just this last year.
I think it could stand a second airing for 2009.

It must surely be far more romantic to have dinner at home for two on the fourteenth than to have it in a restaurant.While I was serving meals to the world in Dwyers Restaurant I could have filled half a dozen restaurants of the same size in or around Valentines day, it was the essential night for the male of the species to show love by paying for dinner (we even had a few ultra-romantics insisting on hiding rings in desserts to surprise the lady, one nearly had to be given the Heimlich Manoeuvre as she swallowed the diamond in shock!)
From the restaurateurs point of view the night was a disaster, all twos meant not only were you running all your four and six tables at half capacity or less but the average St Valentine’s Day punter was of the shy and amorous persuasion which meant the restaurant was suffused in sepulchral silence, a self defeating exercise as this insured that no-one was prepared to break same silence by speaking.
There is a wonderful report of a group of London restaurateurs employing a couple of actors to go from restaurant to restaurant and have loud break-up rows at their table, then do the same at the next in an attempt to break the frigid two’s-only silence.
How much better then, all you romantics, to eat at home, farm out the flat-mates, the mother-in-law or the kids, light the candles and proceed with the following recipes.
You will note that the starter and the dessert are both cold and require only to be taken out of the fridge and garnished at the appropriate moment.
The main course pie, which has just a touch of shell fish for the libido, can be put into the oven just before the starter and should be just ready when you are.(I would suggest vegging it with something like mash potatoes and broccoli which can be quickly reheated in the microwave, or , lazier still, substitute the pastry for mash and eat it with a salad.)
The Chicken and Scallop Pie incidentally came from an old and trusted Theodore Fitzgibbon recipe, despite it sounding the height of fashion.
The Pavlova is probably Irelands national dish, the passion fruit, despite being named religiously after the cruciform shape of its flower stamens, is a must to eat on the feast of the patron saint of Love.

Millefeuille of Smoked Salmon
With Cream Cheese and Chives
(for Two)

175g (6 oz.) Smoked Salmon (Thinly sliced)
60g (2 oz.) Cream Cheese
60g (2 oz.) Fromage Frais
Juice Half Lemon
Generous grating Black Pepper
Good bunch Chives finely chopped.
Some Cherry Vine Tomatoes for garnish

Beat the two cheeses together and mix in the lemon juice and pepper.
When they are light and well blended fold in the chopped chives.(Keep some for decoration.)
Cut the smoked salmon into rough pieces about half the size of a postcard.(they don’t have to be intact as they can be patched together.)You should have at least 3 pieces per person.
Lay a piece of salmon on a plate and spoon over a tablespoon of the cheese mixture.Spread with a knife and then another piece of salmon, another layer of the cheese and top with the salmon.
Sprinkle over the reserved chives.
To accompany this you can make a tomato salad with sweet ripe vine tomatoes dressed with a little olive oil and even less balsamic vinegar.
This is an American rather than an Irish take on Smoked Salmon, they were the people who recognised the affinity between smoked salmon and cream cheese.
Get it all ready in advance, in the fridge and then at the last minute just dress the tomato salad.

Chicken, Scallop and Mushroom Pie
(for two)

2 Chicken legs (or breasts)
110g (4 oz.) Mushrooms
30g (1 oz.) Butter
30g (1 oz.) Flour
125 ml. (4 oz.) Cream
4 small or 2 large Scallops
110g (4 oz.) Puff Pastry

Put the chicken pieces in a pot and cover with water.Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 25 mts. until cooked through.
Drain the chicken out of the stock and continue to boil this until reduced by a about a half.
Remove all the skin from the chicken and take it off the bone.(This is best done while the chicken is still warm- wear rubber gloves to protect your hands) and chop into rough pieces.
Melt the butter in a pot and fry the sliced mushrooms in this until soft.
Stir in the flour, and then about 175 ml (6 oz.) of the reduced stock.
Cook these together to make a sauce then add in the cream. Bring back to the boil and taste, season with salt and pepper.
Cut each of the scallops into 2 or 3 pieces.
Mix the chopped chicken with the mushroom sauce and then stir in the scallops.
Pour this mixture into a pie dish, moisten the edges and roll out the pastry and use to cover the top.
Paint with some egg wash and cook at 180C, 350F, Gas 4 for 25 to 30 mts. until nice and golden at the top.

Passion Fruit Pavlova
(for two)

60g (2oz.) Egg Whites (Whites from 2 large eggs)
Pinch Salt
Pinch Cream of Tartar
110g (4oz.) Caster Sugar
Half tsp. Cornflour
Half tsp. Vinegar
Half tsp. Vanilla Extract.
200ml(8oz.) Cream
4 Passion fruit.

Make sure that you remove all traces of yolk from the egg whites, and that the bowl and the whisk are perfectly clean.
Whisk the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar until stiff.
Continue beating and add in the sugar spoonful by spoonful, until the mixture is glossy and holds a peak when you lift out the beater.
Stir the cornflour,vinegar and vanilla together to dissolve the cornflour and,still whisking add to the meringue mixture.
Line a baking with baking parchment and draw two circles roughly the size of the inside of your dessert plates, spoon the meringue into these circles and smoothen the top to make even.
Bake this at Gas 2, 150 C, 300 F, ( lower if you have a fan assisted oven) for about 45 mts. The outside will have gone pale beige and crisp while the inside is still soft. Peel off the parchment and leave to cool completely.
Whip the cream until stiff and spoon over the Pavlova.
Cut the passion fruit in two and with a teaspoon scoop out the contents, seeds and all , over the cream. The sharpness of the fruit is an ideal foil to the sweetness of the meringue.
Get this all ready , but keep separate, in advance, then, at the last moment put the cream and the fruit on the meringue.

For Wine?
A nice bottle of Alsace, ‘Cuvée Les Amours’ by Hugel should fit the bill.