Here is a suggestion for a menu for dinner for Valentines Day
(lifted straight from my blog in 2007)
for all of you who would rather spend it at home.
(I would drink either champagne or a good quality sparkler all the way through)

Oysters with Fennel and Garlic Butter
(for two)

(Nota Bene the oven opens these for you so you don’t have to do anything bloody with a knife)

12 Oysters

60g (2 oz) Butter
Juice of Half Lemon
Small Bunch Fennel
2 Cloves Garlic.

Finely chop the fennel and the garlic and tip, with the butter and the lemon juice, into a small pot.
Heat until the butter is bubbling then keep warm.

Rinse the oysters in cold water to remove outside sand.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C, Gas 6, 400F

Lay the oysters out on a baking tray with the deep side down and put into the pre heated oven.

Let them open at this heat for about 10 mts., they should be just yawning.

Slip a knife along the top flat shell to release and then discard the top shell and drain off the juice from each one.
Place them on two plates, in the bottom shell and spoon over the melted butter.
Serve with bread to mop up the juices.

Valentines Soup
(will serve 6)

2 Med Onions
1 Med Potato
2 carrots
1 Med Fresh Beetroot
60g (2 oz.) Butter
850ml (1 ½ pts) Stock

Some Greek Yoghurt

If you want to just serve two portions of this the rest will freeze beautifully.

Peel and dice the onion, potato, carrots and beetroot.
Put these in a heavy pot with the butter and put it on a low heat with the lid on.
Let them sweat for 30 mts or so until soft.

Add the stock to the pan and simmer for another 20 mts.

Liquidize and (for extra smoothness) pass through a sieve.

Serve with a swirl of yoghurt and a scattering of chopped chives.

Steak with Sauce Françoise
For 2

2x 8oz. Steaks (Fillet, Sirloin ,Rump, striploin)
Salt and Pepper
110 (4 oz.) Mushrooms
30g (1oz.). Butter
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
110g (4 oz.) Vine Tomatoes
110ml (4 oz.) Cream

First get Sauce ready:
Bring a pot of water to the boil and then slip in the tomatoes, put the put into a sink as soon as it comes back to boil and pour in cold water. When they are cool enough to handle slip off the skins and then chop the tomatoes with a large knife.
Rub the mushrooms in a clean tea towel to remove any compost (there is no need to wash cultivated mushrooms)
Slice these, Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the mushrooms in this until all their liquid has evaporated and they are starting to go brown. Sprinkle over the lemon juice, now put in the chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil stirring all the time.
Next add the cream and again boil, season and continue simmering for a few minutes.

Season the steaks well and cook on a hot pan until to your liking.

Pour the sauce over the steaks before serving.

Passion Fruit Crème Brulee

300ml (½ pt Cream)
4 Egg Yolks
2 tbs. Sugar
Half Vanilla Pod
6 passion Fruit
Sugar for top.

Halve the Passion fruit and spoon out the flesh into a sieve set over a bowl.
Push the flesh through with a wooden spoon and add to the cream.

Scrape the seeds from the centre of the vanilla pod into the cream.
Pour into a pot and bring up to the boil.
Beat the yolks up with the sugar.
Pour the hot cream on to these and beat together.
Pour back into the pan and, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon,
Reheat until the cream coats the back of the spoon and a finger drawn along the back of the spoon leaves a trail.
Pour this into 4 or 5 ramekins or 1 pudding dish.
Chill well until it is lightly set.
Sprinkle a light covering of caster sugar on the top.
Pre heat your grill and when very hot set the crème under it and grill until the sugar first melts and then turns a pale brown.
If you have a cooks blow torch it makes this job much easier.

This is a very lightly set cream, not at all jelly like.