Valentine's Day Menu Ideas

Valentines Day is one of those occasions when I feel a little disappointed when I go out to eat! The menus always seem restricted, always over priced and never quite up to scratch. It is always impossible to get in to your favourite restaurants so you end up settling for second best! Because of this, over the past few years I have taken to cooking something really lovely at home, investing in fabulous ingredients and justifying it by the money saved not going out!

Having done a straw poll around my office opinions were divided on the perfect Valentines menu but there were some common findings! Asking the boys what they would like their girlfriend to cook them most of them were after a good steak, all the trimmings and a large glass of shiraz followed by a sticky toffee pudding whereas the girls were more interested in something light (perhaps fresh fish or scallops) followed by a light fruit dessert with a good glass of sauvignon!

The absolute key here when you are trying to impress is to appear calm, in control and to not spend the entire night slaving over a hot stove! Prepare ahead where possible and preferably stick to food you have cooked before. For the adventurous cooks, don't try something too "off the wall" as they say!

So, for a hassle free valentine menu I don't think you can go wrong with a good steak and chips. You need really good quality steak from a butcher and expect to pay at least £10 - £12 for 2 (you are probably looking for 6 - 8 oz each). Fillet steak is the tenderest (and most expensive) with little or no fat. Sirloin has a piece of fat running along the side and although not quite as tender as the fillet, some say it has more flavour. My favourite is the ribeye which is a little cheaper, has a marbling of fat through the middle (hence the name) and is full of flavour. Both Asda and Tesco do mature meat now which I have tasted and think are pretty good so do not be afraid of them!

The ingredients you will need are:

• 2 steaks (your preference)
• Old potatoes (as many as you fancy)
• Hot oil (or a deep fat fryer)
• A clove or two of garlic
• Butter
• Salt & black pepper
• Field mushrooms
• Salad garnish of your choice

Prepare your chips a couple of hours before. The secret to the best ever chips is to cook them twice. Peel and chip the potatoes (thin or thick, again to your preference - remember thick ones are healthier but who minds French fries one in a while!), rinse with water then dry thoroughly with a tea towel. Heat the oil or fryer to 160 degrees and fry the potatoes for about 5 minutes. You don't want them browning but they will start to go a little yellower. Take them out and drain on kitchen roll till later.

About an hour before your guest arrives can chop your field mushrooms in to big shucks, peel your garlic and take your steak OUT of the fridge to warm up to room temperature. Rub it all over with a cut clove of garlic and season with a good crunch of black pepper all over.

Make sure you have your champagne chilling to serve when your guest arrives!

The cooking should take no more than 10 minutes. Honestly! You need to heat a frying pan with olive oil, get it really hot. Also put your fat fryer on high (190 degrees). Whilst this heat up you can rustle up a bit of green salad to ensure your presentation is spot on!

When the pan is smoking, put your steak in and don't move it until it is time to turn it over! Cook to your liking but I would say no more than 3 minutes each side then put on plates, with a knob of butter on top and let rest for at least 5 minutes.

In the meantime, pop your cold chips back in the fryer, put your frying pan back on the hob with a knob of butter and when hot, add your mushrooms and sauté till brown. At the last minute add chopped garlic, salt and pepper.

Serve your mushrooms next to the steak, drain your chips and voila - a perfect Valentines dish to impress anyone! Happy eating!

Also see Valentine's Day Shortbread.