I have been thinking a lot about what I could make for Valentine’s Day. And then I thought about what a good date would be for that Day. My wife loves to cook as much as I do, so I figured out something we could make together.

The nice thing about this meal is that it is very very easy to make, so regardless of your or your date’s skill, this is something you can do together. Each course is quick, too. You can take your time if your date goes really well, and even make a course after it goes down if you know what I mean.

What you need:

Small fillet of Salmon
White Wine
1 White Onion
Dill
Lemon Juice
2 Waxy Potatoes
Chives
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Carrot
Salt
Pepper
Creme Fraiche
Capers
Fresh Chives
Vegetable oil
Pommergrante juice
Mint
Sweet potatoes
Butter
Mittersweat chocolate

Poached Salmon on Crispy Potatoes

Cook the Salmon.
1. Lightly season the salmon with salt and pepper
2. Mix about 1/2 cup of wine and 1/2 cup water, dill and lemon juice in a large skillet. Julliene 1/2 the onion and simmer it all
3. Poach the salmon skin side down for about 5 minutes
4. Remove from the pan and dry
5. Flake the fish, saving the skin
6. Cool salmon in fridge

Get fancy with the skin. (optional- thanks mentos)
1. Place skin under broiler until crispy

Make the potatoes.
1. Peel 2 potatoes
2. Shred potatoes with food processor or box grater
3. Shred 1/2 onion
4. Combine and place inbetween several sheets of paper towels with a weight on it
5. Season mixtures
6. Press out into small, thin rounds
7. Fry in Vegetable oil until golden brown
8. Place on rack to cool and drain

Garnish (optional)
1.Shred carrot

Plate
1. Combine salmon and creme fraiche in a bowl
2. Add chopped chives and salt and pepper
3. Place a spoonful on your potatoes
4. Top with crispy skin
5. Add garnish
6. Fancy that shit up. (I had some truffle salt, so it went on the carrots.)

Lamb with sweet potato mash and mint-pomegranate sauce

Bake sweet potatoes.
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Put a bunch of holes in sweet potatoes
3. Bake potatoes for 45 minutes to one hour (This is the longest step in the whole meal.)
4. Cut sweet potatoes in half
5. Mash with butter (or use a ricer)

Prepare the lamb.
1. Clean the rack (if nesecary)
2. Season the lamb
3. Place lamb in fridge (Typically this is a bad idea but the rack is so small that I don’t want it to cook while it’s searing)

Sear the lamb.
1. In a hot pan add a bit of olive oil and sear the rack of lamb
2. Rest on a rack
3. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees

Reduce the sauce.
1. Add some mint to the pommergrante juice
2. Reduce in small saucepan until desired thickness

Finish the lamb.
1. Roast lamb in oven until it hits 125 degrees internally (20-30 minutes)
2. Rest (5-10 minutes)

Plate
1. Carve lamb.
2. Put that onto something to eat it with duh what do you think plate means

Dessert poppers with Ginger Ice Cream

Clean the peppers (wear gloves! i know real men don’t use gloves, but this is supposed to be a night of romance not terrible burning).
1. Cut slits into peppers.
2. Remove seeds and membrane.

Melt chocolate.
1. Set small saucepan with a bit of water to boil
2. Turn off heat at boil.
3. Place chocolate in stainless steel bowl
4. Wait for melting

Stuff peppers.
1. Fill peppers with ice cream

Coat peppres
1. Coat in chocolate, and put in freezer to cool (not too long, or the peppers will freeze)

Plate
1. Put on plate.

It’s pretty easy. I don’t have the process pictures with me, but I can get them if anyone has any questions.