Valentine's Meals Guys Can Cook

Chef David Burke shares recipes for guys to wow their sweethearts with:

Spaghetti with Smoked Salmon, Caviar, and Brown Bread Croutons

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter

1 tbsp chopped shallots

1 tbsp chopped capers

1/2 cup of white wine

1 lemon zested, plus juice

3 tbsp butter

Salt/pepper to taste

3/4 cup of julienned smoked salmon

1 oz. caviar

1/2 lb. spaghetti

Boil spaghetti until al dente in salted water

Method:

In saucepan, melt first three tbsp butter, add capers, shallots, white wine, the zest, and juice of lemon. Then bring to a boil and melt in the remaining three tbsp of butter, drain pasta, toss pasta and smoked salmon with sauce. Finally, divide into two bowls and top with julienned smoked salmon, caviar and brown bread croutons.

Ostrich Egg

Ingredients:

4 eggs, beaten with two tablespoons milk

4 shrimp chopped

1 shallot minced

2 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tbsp chopped basil

1 tbsp sweet butter

Salt/pepper

1/4 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 oz. caviar

Method:

Crack open ostrich egg shell and clean interior. Use this as a plate. In sautee pan, sautee shrimp, shallots, and basil. Add tomato sauce, eggs, salt and pepper and cook until soft. Fill up eggshells and top with whipped crème fraiche and caviar. Serve with toast.

"Sexed Up" Sea Scallops Benedict

Ingredients:

4 large sea scallops - cut in 1/2 crosswise = 8 medallions

1/4 lb. chorizo sliced thin (1/2 thinly sliced, 1/2 to be used in oil recipe)

Potato pancakes (see recipe)

8 quail eggs

Chopped Chives

Black olive paste

Chorizo Oil Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil

4 tbsp chorizo chopped

Garlic

Paprika

Salt

Cook together and let rest, strain.

Potato Pancakes:

2 large baking potatoes, peeled

3 shallots, peeled

1 egg

Coarse or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Clarified Butter or olive oil for sautéing

Method:

Combine potatoes, shallots, and egg in a food processor and grate.

Spoon grated-potato mixture into a bowl and add salt and pepper. Heat Clarified Butter or olive oil ina large sautee pan, preferably with a non-stick surface.

Spoon two or more tablespoons of potato mixture into pan for each pancake. The thickness and diameter of the pancake will depend on how they are to be used. Cook pancakes until golden brown, turning frequently.

Assembly:

Sautee potato pancakes in a pan until golden and let rest on a dry towel. Season and sauté sea scallops and chorizo slices in a sauce pan until crisp. Place two potato pancakes on each plate, top with chorizo, then sea scallops, then sunny side up quail egg on each scallop. Top with lobster and chopped chives. Circle the plate with the black olive puree and chorizo oil.

Veal Porterhouse with Hot Lobster Cocktail

Ingredients:

2 veal porterhouse steaks

1 1 lb. lobster (lobster can be replaced with 3 shrimp if necessary)

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

2-4 large Idaho potatoes (baked)

1 cup white wine

1 lemon sliced thinly

2 tbsp chopped garlic

1/2 cup of chopped basil

3 tbsp butter

Method:

Hollow out baked potatoes and puree the filling with butter and milk.

First, season veal with salt, pepper. Heat up sauté pan with olive oil. Brown both sides, put pan in oven for approx. 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Cut lobster in half down the tail, cut the claws in half, season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Heat up large sauté pan with olive oil, and add lobster pieces (flesh side down) to the pan. Place in oven at 400 degrees for 8 minutes.

Remove veal and lobster from respective pans and let rest. Combine the juices from both pans with 2 tbsp of chopped garlic. Then add 1 cup of white wine and slices of lemon with ½ cup of chopped basil. Stir in 3 tbsp of butter.

Place warm porterhouse and 1 baked potato on each plate with small amt. of whipped potato in the cavity. Place ½ lobster inside each baked potato sticking out. Top lobster with sour cream and some of the pan sauce. Place remaining pan sauce over veal and then serve.

Rose Petal and Champagne Ice with Hot Bell Pepper Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 750 ml bottle champagne

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup organic (pesticide free) rose petals or 2 tsp rose water

Method:

Bring above ingredients to a boil for five minutes. Strain into a plastic container and freeze. (1 day ahead)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups minced red bell peppers

8-10 strawberries

1/2 cup of sugar

1 to 2 tbsp Grand Marnier

3 tbsp butter

Method:

Combine peppers, sugar, and cider in a heavy saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has caramelized. Remove from heat and whisk in Grand Marnier and butter and strawberries. Reserve.

Remove iced champagne from container. Place in cuisinart to chop ice. Put ice in a martini glass and top with whip cream. Serve hot strawberries on side with skewers.