Crab Cakes
Lobster Tail
Filet Mignon
Asparagus with Red Pepper Hearts
Creamy Potatoes with Chives
Fess Parker Riesling
Crab Cakes (adapted from The Pat Conroy Cookbook)
1 pound lump crabmeat (don't even THINK about using the canned variety, it just won't do)
2 egg whites, beaten until just foamy
3 TBSP Flour
1 TBSP fresh snipped chives
2 TBSP minced red pepper
1/2 Tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Pick over crab meat, removing shell pieces and cartilage, place meat in a large mixing bowl. Mix in egg whites, combining well. Combine dry ingredients and sprinkle over crab meat, then add peppers and chives. Use a large spatula to gently fold ingredients together, being careful to not break up the crab meat too much. Gently roll crab meat into 8 balls, then flatten them and place on a platter and refrigerate for at least an hour before frying. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 TBSP Canola oil and 2 TBSP butter. When oil is hot enough to make crabcakes sizzle, add first four, using a thin pastry spatula to turn them when golden brown on each side. Place first crabcakes on paper towels, keep warm until second batch is complete.
Lobster Tails
Split lobster tails down the middle of the top shell, using deboning shears. Brush melted butter over both sides of the tail, then put on broiler pan, initially just above the middle rack of the oven. Cook for 5 minutes each side, then bring closer to the heating element for the final 5 minutes. Serve with warm drawn butter.
Filet Mignon
Before cooking filets using your favorite method, use a sharp knife to cut small pockets in several places over the cut of meat. Shave thin slivers from a clove of garlic, and insert the slivers into the pockets of the steak. Then slice one clove in half, and rub the cut side of clove all over the cut of meat. Wrap a slice of bacon around each filet, secure with a toothpick.
Asparagus with Red Pepper Hearts
Use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut hearts from a large red bell pepper. Steam asparagus and peppers until crisp tender. Serve immediately.
Creamy Potatoes with Chives
8 medium potatoes
8 oz Philedelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 C sour cream
2 TBSP butter
1/4 C fresh snipped chives
1/4 to 1/2 C half and half
Cut 8 medium sized potatoes into cubes, boil until fork tender. Drain, then quickly put into a mixing bowl (stand mixers work best.) Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT half and half to hot potatoes and mix until smooth. Add half and half until potatoes are creamy, a little more moist than normal mashed potatoes. These potatoes will dry out during baking, so don't be afraid to overdo it with the half and half. Spread potatoes in a casserole pan, or pipe into individual serving dishes for a fancier presentation. Sprinkle with paprika (not the smoked variety) and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy on top.
Since the bulk of this meal was seafood, I chose one of my favorite whites, Fess Parker Riesling. It's a sweeter wine, but for the crowd I cook for that's a necessity. If I had gone with a red, it probably would have been Kenwood's Pinot Noir.
Because Valentine's Day fell on a Wednesday this year, I didn't make a homemade dessert. I know. Laaaazeeeeee! I did indulge in some spendy petit fours from Byerly's, a little heavier and more dense than I would expect that particular pastry to be, but had a lovely ribbon of red raspberry inside to cut the extreme sweetness. And because it's just not Valentine's day without chocolate, I also purchased two "Death by Chocolate" tarts. (I really could do without that phrase, it's so over the top.) A flourless chocolate cake was covered in a scrumptious ganache. Perfect, EXCEPT, someone felt compelled to roll the sides in mini chocolate chips. I suppose this was for the sake of presentation, but it distracted from the velvety smooth texture of the dessert. Piping the ganache on the side would have been a better bet. Nonetheless, a decadent finish to a wonderful meal.
