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Here is a classic Valentine’s Day three-course dinner that doesn’t require a huge investment in time so you can focus on that most important person in your life.
Oysters Rockefeller
Serves 2
When choosing your oyster, try to find a large variety, like the French Belon. Whichever variety you go with, you’re looking for a very plump and briny one, which will work extremely well with the green topping and licorice flavor of the Pernod. The parallels to oysters done in the Burgundian fashion are obvious and would have most likely been the inspiration for the dish.
Ingredients:
6 large oysters, shucked
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 large bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley twisted and torn from the stems
1 large celery stalk
1/4 small to medium leek, rinsed
3 scallions
finely grated zest from 1 lemon
generous splash of Pernod
black pepper
1 cup panko or other breadcrumbs
The topping:
Finely chop parsley by hand, starting with a chiffonade, then continue to chop until a rough, chunky consistency is achieved. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Slice the leek and scallion thinly by hand, then chop them the same way the parsley was done. Transfer to the bowl. Slice celery stalk thinly, then chop similarly to the way the parsley, leek and scallion were done. Transfer to the bowl. (If this seems like a lot of chopping by hand, it is best done this way so as to not crush the fibers of the ingredients which would then release any of their bitter qualities. Yes, you could use a blender but you’d risk making the mixture into mush rather than a textured topping for the oysters.
Next, melt the butter in a small pot, but do not let it color, then add shallots and garlic, and cook until tender for 2-3 minutes. Add the Pernod and let the butter mixture temper a few minutes, then pour it over the “green” mixture. With your hand, mix gently, squeezing the ingredients together to a chunky paste. If you feel the mixture is in need of more moisture in order to keep together, then melt a little butter and add in.
Place the opened oysters on a thick bed of salt so they don’t tip over and lose their precious juices. Place a dollop of the “green” mixture on top of each oyster, covering the whole animal. Sprinkle a generous and even layer of breadcrumbs on top of this. Place the oyster underneath a medium-hot broiler until browned. Serve with lemon wedges.
Kitchen Wisdom:
Oysters Rockefeller is best made fresh, cooked and served, but it allows for an advance preparation, kept cold after being cooked. But in that case, remember that it’s essentially an ice cube you’re browning in the broiler, therefore there will be a longer cooking time, so use the oven to kick start the process. Chop the ingredients by hand, it’s worth the effort.
What to drink:
Give in to your inner John D. and splurge on a vintage Blanc de Blancs here. The dish is obviously rich so the wine’s great acidity will be welcome and the complexity of an aged Champagne in this category would be as well. If you’re not feeling quite so flush, really any style (except Rosé) would do as long as the wine doesn’t have an extreme amount of bottle age.
New York Strip Steak “Au Poivre”
Serves 2
Au Poivre has always been a favorite in any kitchen that is enamored of the Classics. I first encountered the dish while apprenticing. It was cooked tableside, which is a bit of a show. In my day, it was done by the most senior apprentice or the head waiter.
Some cooks coat the steak in cracked black pepper, while some believe that a garnish of sautéed peppers and onions is the true “pepper steak.” “Au Poivre” is obviously French, so in addition to the ample amount of black pepper, the steak is also flambéed and garnished with mushrooms and shallots. A dollop of crème fraîche would also be welcome when finishing the sauce. Over the years, I have tweaked and experimented. This is my version.
Ingredients:
2 16-oz New York strip steaks
2 oz pickled green peppercorns (also called Madagascar peppercorns)
2 oz cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 stick of butter (room temperature)
Using a mortar and pestle, grind the green and black peppercorns into a paste, and then add the butter in small portions along with the mustard. Apply a quarter of the paste to one side of the steaks, covering the entire surface. Preheat a cast iron pan to medium-high. Place the steaks in the pan toward the middle, but not so close that they touch each other (leave at least a half-inch of space between them). Let the steaks sear until the peppercorn mixture has browned (5-6 minutes). Pay close attention to make sure the butter aspect of the paste isn’t burning.
Before flipping and putting the steaks back in the hot pan, remove each and spread the paste on the uncovered side as before. When doing this step, make sure you don’t crack or otherwise damage the sear from the first side. Return the steaks to the pan. Continue to monitor the temperature to ensure that the paste isn’t burning. Once the sear is done (5-6 minutes), remove the steaks from the pan using a metal spatula and place on a platter. Flip the steaks again once or twice once removed from the pan.
The sauce:
4 shallots, peeled
1 lb small button mushrooms
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup Cognac
1 cup rich veal stock
2 oz crème fraîche
Trim the mushroom stems so they are even with the cap and then quarter. Slice the shallots into julienne strips. In the same pan used for the meat, discard the fat and whatever else is left over from the cooked paste. Melt the butter, add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Place the steaks on top of the mushroom mixture, pour over the Cognac, tilt the pan to catch a flame from the gas stove, or use a long lighter to spark the flame. Let the steaks flambée for a minute or until the alcohol smell has cooked off, add the veal stock, bring the sauce to a simmer, and flip the steaks every 2 minutes (three times). Remove the steaks to a serving plate. Add the crème fraîche to the sauce, mix well and taste for salt and pepper. Ladle the sauce over the steaks and serve.
Kitchen Wisdom:
It is important that the butter in the pepper crust doesn’t burn. If it does, the steak will likely be uncooked in the center.
What to drink:
A fruit-forward Syrah/Shiraz will help keep your mouth cool. The fiery crust will be made a little less so by the crème fraîche but by no means is this a regular pan-seared piece of meat. You could venture anywhere for your bottle just make sure it’s not on the high side alcohol-wise as the alcohol will make the heat feel more pronounced.
Chocolate soufflé
Serves 2
The French word “soufflé” actually means “puffed up” or “blown up” or “inflated” depending on the context, which totally makes sense when you think of this light, airy, ethereal, almost frothy dessert. Soufflés can be served hot or cold, though cold ones resemble mousses more than what we universally think of when we think of this dish. And usually those thoughts dwell on the chocolate version. A basic hot soufflé starts with a roux (a cooked mixture of flour and butter) that is then combined with milk resulting in a béchamel. This sauce-like mixture is then cooled slightly and blended with egg yolks and savory or sweet flavoring ingredients which have already been cooked or do not require much cooking. You now have something resembling a thick, rich sauce. Stiffly beaten egg whites are then folded in. This mixture is baked in a high-sided dish. The seemingly miraculous rise is simply the result of the expansion of the air contained in the foamy egg whites.
The following recipe is adapted from Escoffier and is also the recipe that has been used at Two Chefs for years. Todd swears that in his many visits, not once has he seen a collapsed soufflé leave the kitchen. This, of course, could also mean that my expeditors are really vigilant!
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of butter
1/3 cup of flour
1/3 cup of sugar
2/3 cup of milk
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate scrapings from one vanilla bean
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites, beaten to a soft peak
2 buttered and sugar-coated 6-oz ramekins
Combine milk, sugar and vanilla, bring to a boil, and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and mix until thoroughly combined, using a wooden spoon move the mixture around the pot for another 3-4 minutes creating a proper roux. Add the milk mixture gradually while stirring until the mixture has reached a smooth consistency. Remove from heat and allow a few minutes before proceeding to the next steps.
Add the base to an electric mixer, add chocolate to the base and mix slowly for 3-4 minutes, then add egg yolks one at a time. After the yolks are incorporated, mix for another 3-4 minutes. By hand with a whisk, mix in a third of the stiff egg whites into the bowl, then with a spatula, fold in the remaining egg whites. The batter is now ready for baking.
Pour the batter into the coated ramekins and bake in a preheated 325 oven (convection mode, if you have it) for 15–18 minutes in the center of the oven. Serve immediately. Along with the soufflés, spoil yourself with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Kitchen Wisdom:
Be careful not to let the roux get too hot before the egg yolks are added so they don’t scramble. This is why it is necessary to wait a few minutes before commencing to the electric mixer stage of the recipe.
What to drink:
Despite the delicate appearance of the soufflé, it remains at heart a chocolate bomb. You could try a Sauternes but I think the better choice is Port, and a young, rich and very sweet one at that.
Or come join us! Make a reservation.
305-663-2100
Two Chefs Restaurant
8287 South Dixie Highway, Miami
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