Global Local Gourmet

AN EASY VALENTINES MENU WITH RECIPES: EPICUREAN DECADENCE: LOBSTER, CAVIAR, TRUFFLES, AND CHAMPAGNE!

Epicurean is defined as a connoisseur of food and wine. Come enjoy the ultimate in gastronomical delights. The best that food has to offer will be the basis of this romantic and aphrodisiac meal. Dishes prepared will have lobster, caviar, truffles, and champagne as the central ingredient. They are known to tantalize the eater with love and lust.  Indulge in the best that life has to offer. You deserve it because you only live once. Happy Valentine’s Day! Save the leftovers for breakfast in bed. If you work together on this meal it will take under 1 hour.  If you are doing it solo it will take around an hour and half.  Good luck and they say the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach. Indulge in Gluttony, at least for one day. 

Epicurean Decadence Menu 

Hors d’oeuvres 

- Salmon Pate with French Bread 

- Tostones with  Sour Creme and Caviar 

Entree 

- Lobster Ravioli with a Vanilla Butter Sauce 

- Asparagus with Truffle Oil 

- Carrots in Champagne and Dill 

Dessert 

- Truffles Nutella 

Libations 

- Champagne Punch 

Smoked Salmon Pate

Makes 2 cups 

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

¼ cup  heavy or whipping cream

1 scallion (green onion, white part and 3 inches green), thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

dash Tabasco sauce

4 ounces. smoked salmon, gently shredded

2 tablespoons red salmon caviar

Gently MIX the cream cheese and cream in a mixing bowl. STIR in the scallion, lemon juice, and Tabasco sauce. Gently FOLD in smoked salmon and caviar until well combined, but do not over mix. The shreds of salmon and the caviar should remain whole.

This spread is prefect brunch fare on black bread or bagels or hollow out a thin loaf of French bread, fill it with the mixture and slice it for an hors d’oeuvre. 

Traditional Tostones with Sour Cream and Black Caviar

2 cups corn oil

3 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1-inch circles

sour cream

black or red caviar 

In a deep heavy skillet, HEAT the oil until it is very hot but not smoking. DROP in the plantain slices and BROWN on all sides. REMOVE with a slotted spoon, but maintain the oil temperature. Using a tostonera or two pieces of waxed paper, FLATTEN the plantain slices to ¼-inch thick. REFRY until golden brown on both sides. REMOVE and DRAIN on paper towels. NOTE: For a more sophisticated dish, arrange the tostones on a platter and top each with 1 teaspoon of sour cream and ½ teaspoon black or red caviar. Delicious!

Lobster Ravioli with Vanilla Butter Sauce

Makes 4-6 servings

LOBSTER RAVIOLI

3 small cooked lobsters, meat removed

¾ pound chantarelle mushrooms or brown button mushrooms

4 teaspoons butter

1shallot, chopped

3ounces crème frâiche

salt

white pepper

2 teaspoons chopped chives

pasta dough or wonton skins

VANILLA BUTTER SAUCE

2 teaspoons butter

5 shallots, diced

3 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1cup dry white wine

½-1 cup butter, cut into cubes

salt

white pepper

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

LOBSTER:  DICE the lobster meat (you can use shrimp or scallops for this or a mixture which is what I do). CLEAN the mushrooms and DICE and SAUTÉ in butter in a large sauce pan. ADD the shallot and MIX in the crème frâiche and quickly BRING to a boil. SEASON to taste with salt and pepper. ADD the chives and lobster meat. Gently BLEND. SIMMER for about 5 minutes. REMOVE from heat and COOL to room temperature.

VANILLA BUTTER SAUCE:  MELT the butter in a small saucepan. ADD the shallots and SIMMER until soft. ADD the vinegar and white wine, COOK, uncovered, at a low boil until the mixture reduces to about 2 tablespoons. LOWER the heat to moderate and ADD a few cubes of butter, REMOVE the pan form the heat and WHISK vigorously until the butter is blended in. Continue to ADD the butter this way-on the heat, off the heat. SEASON to taste with salt and pepper and REMOVE from the heat. SCRAPE the vanilla bean and WHISK it into the sauce. STRAIN the sauce into a clean saucepan, using pressure with a wooden spoon to make sure that as much of the vanilla and shallots goes through as possible.

Putting it together:  ROLL out your pasta dough by machine or hand and LAY flat. It should be about 5 inches across. PLACE about ½ tablespoon of lobster mixture, 4 to a row. REPEAT and TOP with a fresh sheet of dough. PRESS down with hands and CUT into squares. CRIMP with a fork. REPEAT. You can use won ton wrappers if you prefer. PUT ravioli into a boiling pot of salted water-they cook very fast. When they float to the surface they are done. REMOVE, DRAIN and PLACE in a serving dish, topped with the sauce. By the way, I double the sauce!

Asparagus with Truffle Oil

Makes 6 servings 

2 pounds asparagus stalks, washed and trimmed

2 tablespoons white truffle oil

1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon sea salt (fleur de sel)

few grindings black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, WHISK together while truffle oil, olive oil, champagne wine vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper; SET ASIDE or REFRIGERATE until ready to use. If refrigerating, BRING to room temperature before using

ROAST asparagus at 450°F for 5 minutes  until bright green. Do not over cook.  TOSS asparagus with enough truffle vinaigrette to lightly coat. ARRANGE asparagus on serving platter or individual serving plates.

Carrots in Champagne and Dill

4 servings

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ cup basic brown soup stock

½ cup champagne

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried dill weed or 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed

MELT the butter in a heavy saucepan. SAUTÉ the carrots for a few minutes over medium heat until they begin to brown. ADD the beef stock and champagne and cover. COOK until barely tender but still a bit firm. REMOVE cover and PLACE on high heat until the liquid is almost cooked away. ADD lemon juice and dill weed and SERVE.

Truffles “Nutella”

about 24 truffles

——TRUFFLES——

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

9 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons  Nutella

——COATING——

6 ounces chocolate

5½ ounces skinned and toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped 

MIX the cream, butter and corn syrup together in a saucepan. PLACE over medium heat and bring to a full boil. TURN OFF heat.  ADD 9 ounces of the chopped chocolate, and gently SWIRL the pan. Do not stir. Allow to REST for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, ADD the nutella and WHISK slowly to combine. TRANSFER the mixture to a bowl and REFRIGERATE for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. In the meantime, LINE baking sheets with parchment paper. After 45 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken quickly, keep refrigerated another 11 to 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, FORM the mixture into 1-inch balls and PLACE on the prepared sheets. CHILL until firm, about 10-15 minutes. While the balls are chilling, MELT the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate. After it is completely melted, allow to COOL slightly before continuing.

PLACE chopped hazelnuts in a small bowl. REMOVE the balls from the refrigerator. Using one hand, DIP the balls into the melted chocolate. ROLL it around in your hand, allow the excess to drip back into the bowl. PLACE the truffle in the chopped hazelnuts. With your clean hand, COVER the truffle with the nuts.

LIFT it out and PLACE on the baking sheet. REPEAT with the remaining truffles. PLACE back in the refrigerator for 5-8 minutes to set.  May be stored up to one week in an airtight container.

Champagne Punch

16 cups

1 cup triple sec

1 cup brandy

½ cup chambord

2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

1 quart chilled ginger ale

2 750-ml bottles dry champagne, chilled

In a bowl, COMBINE the triple sec, the brandy, the chambord, and the pineapple juice and CHILL the mixture, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight. In a large punch bowl, COMBINE the triple sec mixture, the ginger ale, and the champagne and add ice cubes.