Champagne Dinner for Two

As much as I like eating in a good restaurant, nothing beats quality home-made food.  If your partner is like mine, a good bottle of bubbly, candles and fresh ingredients kindle the Romantic Mood!

All can be made in advance and served warm or room temperature to guarantee no interruptions from one course to another! Happy Valentine!

Salmon and Mascarpone Bagels
650g Flour
20g Dried Active yeast
1tbsp Sugar
2tsp Salt
1 egg yolk
3tbsp oil
175ml WarmWater
175ml Warm Milk
1tbsp water extra
1egg yolk extra
Poppy Seeds

100g Mascarpone Cheese
200g Smoked Salmon

In a food mixer add flour, yeast, salt 1 egg yolk, oil, water and milk and using the hook attachment knead on low speed for 10 minutes. Lift the hook, cover the bowl with cling film, then tea towel and place in a warm place to prove for 1 hour or until double in bulk. Knead again for 2 minutes, then divide the dough into 32 equal portions.  Roll each portion to approx 7inches long roll. Shape each roll to bagel pinching the ends together.  Place on an oiled baking sheet leaving enough space from one another to prove. Put in a cold oven with lights on to prove for 30 minutes.  Bring a  large pan of water to boil, boil bagels few at a time for just one minute on each side then lift with slotted spoon and brush with extra yolk and extra water mixture. Sprinkle poppy seeds and bake in a 220c oven for 25 minutes or until golden and sound hollow when tapped from underneath.  When cold cut across in two and spread a teaspoon of mascarpone cheese, layer with smoked salmon and serve on rocket salad.

Honey Lime and Chilli Mussels
1kg Fresh Mussels
1tsp honey
juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
chopped fresh parseley
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mussel juice
Salt & Pepper

Wash mussels under cold running water and remove beards.  Discard any that remain open when tapped. Put all mussels in a heavy based pan, close the lid and turn on low heat. After 5 minutes open lid and check mussels are opening, as soon as they open turn off heat, lift with slotted spoon and take just one tablespoon of the mussel liquor, to use in marinade. Remove shells and discard any that remain closed.  Prepare marinade in a glass bowl by adding honey, lime chilli flakes parseley and mussel juice, and using a small whisk, whisk together and adding the oil a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper then add mussels to marinade, stir so that each mussel is coated in marinade and leave aside until needed.  Serve garnished with celery stick.

Dill and Butter Lobster
750g Fresh Lobster
1 tbsp Salt for boiling
20g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt & pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Freeze the lobster for 1 hour, meanwhile bring a large pot of water with 1 tbsp salt to boil.  Carefully add lobster and boil for 10minutes.  Remove from heat and let it cool to handle. Put the lobster flat on board and using a large chef's knife, cut in two. Remove the vein, then lift the meat and alter sides so that the meat attached to the shell becomes on top. Like so, it will be more presentable.  Detach the claws, hit with the back of the knife and open to extract more meat.  Arrange in the shell with other  meat.  Heat the wine, add  lime juice in a small saucepan, then add olive oil and butter, stir for a smooth sauce. Turn off heat add chopped dill and spoon over Lobster.  Garnish with dill cuttings and lime wedges.

Baci Heart
350g Roasted Hazelnuts Skinned
2 tbsp Icing Sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 espresso
2 tbsp Tia Maria
4 tbsp Nutella
150g Plain Chocolate
100g Plain Chocolate for Decoration
50g White Chocolate for Decoration

   

Melt 150g Plain Chocolate over baine Marie, add espresso coffe and stir.  In a food Processor, add 300g hazelnuts, (reserving 50g for later) icing and cocoa powder and whizz to get  a fairly ground mix.  Add nutella, melted chocolate with espresso, and Tia Maria, and pulse to obtain a thick paste. Pour mixture in a heart shape of approx 7inch x 7inch and press the whole remaining almonds on top.  Cool in refrigerator for at least two hours. Remove from fridge, then insert a knife along the mould so that it will be released better.  Lift mould.  Melt the chocolates in separate bowls.  Spread the dark chocolate over the heart then white chocolate on top and make swirls with teaspoon.  Serve with champagne or sweet wine.