Valentine’s Day Supper

To start why not go for the ultimate food of love……Oysters!

If you’ve never tried them here’s a simple recipe.

Roast your oysters (deep-shell down) in a bed of salt at 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 for 5 minutes, or until they open. Flip off the shells and add the dash of soy, some freshly grated ginger and a dribble of sesame oil to each.

For your main course you can’t really go wrong with a good steak.  Try this peppered fillet steak with some parsley potatoes.  Just add your own favourite veg or some crispy fries.

Ingredients

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus some to drizzle
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 beef fillet steaks (approx 5 oz each)
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• Small knob of butter

Method

1. Tip the potatoes into a pan of water, bring to the boil, simmer for 2 mins, then drain. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the potatoes and sizzle gently for 20 mins, tossing occasionally, until golden and crispy all over. When the potatoes are cooked, add the garlic to the pan and fry for 1 min more. Finally, toss through the parsley, season with sea salt and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, rub the steaks with a drizzle of oil, then press in the black pepper. Heat a griddle pan until hot, and cook the steaks to your liking (2½ mins each side for medium rare, 3½ mins for medium, 4½ mins for well done). Leave steaks to rest for 5 mins, then top with a knob of butter and serve with the potatoes and some watercress salad.

Dessert

Sweetheart Chocolate and Hazlenut Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4 slices from a brioche loaf
• 3 tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread
• 1 large egg
• 75ml whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped hazelnuts
• 1 tbsp butter
• Icing sugar for dusting
• Ice cream and raspberries to serve

Method

1. Thickly spread 2 of the brioche slices with the chocolate hazelnut spread, then top with the remaining slices to make 2 sandwiches. Use a large heart-shaped cutter to cut the sandwiches into hearts.
2. Whisk the egg, milk, vanilla and caster sugar in a wide, shallow bowl. Tip the hazelnuts onto a plate.
3. Dip the sandwiches into the egg mixture, leave for 1-2 mins each side to allow the brioche to soak up the liquid, then dip one side of each sandwich into the nuts. The sandwiches can be chilled like this, covered loosely with cling film, for up to 1 hour.
4. Heat the butter in a wide frying pan until melted and foaming. Add the sandwiches and cook for 1-2 mins each side until golden brown and puffed up. Dust with a little icing sugar and serve with ice cream and raspberries.