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As soon as the candy canes disappear and Christmas decorations go on clearance, stores begin the big push for Valentine’s Day. Cards, flowers, big red boxes of Belgian chocolates tied up with big pink bows, sugary pastel candy hearts and deep red, tiny cinnamon hearts wow our senses.
Chefs love Valentine’s Day because they can organize expensive four-course meals using exotic ingredients and make sure their cellars are stocked with enough Champagne and sparkling wine to thrill the population of France.
Two years ago, Edward was recovering from serious ankle surgery. February 2010 was brutal. We endured two major snowfalls four days apart and the new snow was piled on top of the more than two feet that fell during late December and into January. Since Edward was recuperating, I prepared a scrumptious rack of lamb Valentine’s Day dinner.
We rarely dine out on Valentine’s Day, but last year Edward was craving clams and oysters. There is only one place for perfect raw bar in this town and it’s the Oyster House. We breezed through 18 ice cold, big, fresh cherrystone clams, several dozen oysters and a lobster dinner.
Tuesday is the day for love. I think I will prepare a lobster dinner for three since Sandy is staying with us.
Now, dear readers, I don’t want any cards, letters or e-mails about how “she brutally killed three lobsters and then ate them with her family.” As chef Tom Colicchio pointed out when “Top Chef” contestants went fishing and cooked their catch: “If you kill it, you show respect for it.”
In the film “Julie and Julia,” Amy Adams plays Julie Powell who kills lobsters for her birthday dinner while her husband Eric, played by Chris Messina, humorously taunts her with “lobster killer, lobster killer.”
In “Annie Hall,” Woody Allen and Diane Keaton are about to cook lobsters when one of them scoots away on the floor behind a cabinet.
“Talk to him,” Woody says. “You speak shellfish.”
These scenes go through my mind whenever Edward and I do the deed. One of the most humane ways to kill a lobster is to plunge a very sharp knife in the space between its eyes. This will sever the spinal chord and kill it instantly. Or, you could place them in the freezer for about one hour and then plunge them into boiling water. Once the lobsters are in the pot, cover with a lid and cook for about eight minutes or so, depending upon their weight.
I can easily put away a 2-pound lobster by myself. I don’t need corn on the cob and boiled potatoes to complete the meal. I prefer something lighter.
We will begin dinner with a Salad of Sturdy Winter Greens. I am thinking of serving Creamed Spinach and turnips au gratin as well.
Champagne is my wine of choice with lobster. A crisp sauvignon blanc or any light red such as a slightly chilled Beaujolais would complement the meal.
Salad of Winter Greens
Ingredients:
1 head of romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1 head of red leaf lettuce, torn into pieces
1 head of escarole, torn into pieces
4 Belgian endives, sliced
1 medium head of radicchio, torn into pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 heaping tablespoon of Dijon
4 ounces of Roquefort, Stilton or Gorgonzola, crumbled
Directions:
Place all of the salad greens in a large salad bowl and toss well. Add the salt and pepper. Place the salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Add the cheese and toss well.
Serves four.
Creamed Spinach
Ingredients:
2 16-ounce bags of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted in a colander under running water, all of the water squeezed out
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 pint of heavy cream
1 pint of light cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sprinkling of nutmeg, to taste
Directions:
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium. Add the spinach and sauté for a few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, bring the contents of the pot to a slow boil, lower to a simmer and heat through.
Serves four. SPR
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