The Food of Love
Wishing Lovers everywhere, a wonderful St Dwynwen’s Day on 26th January.
And for all you Welsh romantics out there, what could be a more delicious gesture than a specially-prepared intimate meal to share with your loved one…? Here’s a sexy selection of dishes which is sure to melt the frostiest of hearts – so turn the music down low, light the candles & pop open the bubbly….
♥ MENU ♥
Starter: Carmarthen Ham-wrapped Scallops with Marsala & Sage
Main: Fillet of Welsh Saltmarsh Lamb with Passionfruit & Redcurrant Jus
Dessert: Spiced Honey-roast Figs with Welsh Lovespoon Gelato
Welsh Cheeseboard: Gorwydd Caerphilly; Teifi Cheese’s Celtic Promise, Pant Mawr’s Golden Cenarth; Pont Gâr Brie; Boksburg Blue; Caws Cadog Vintage Cheddar; Oak-Smoked Talley Mountain Goats’ Cheese; Pantysgawn Goats Cheese Log, rolled in a Crushed Black Peppercorn Crust (couldn’t resisit the latter for a sexy Valentine’s day meal… 
!).
- Serve with a selection of fine biscuits for cheese; red & white grapes; & fresh celery batons. –
To Complete Your Fine Dining: Fresh-ground Preseli Coffee complemented by Chocolat Noir Natural Mint Lovespoon Gelato served in wafer-thin Dark Chocolate Shells.
♥
THE RECIPES
STARTER: Carmarthen Ham-wrapped Scallops with Marsala & Sage
- Serves Two -
Plump scallops wrapped in Carmarthenshire’s famous wafer-thin dry-cured Ham – which easily rivals the finest Parma – makes a memorable starter with a deliciously Welsh twist.
Ingredients
12 scallops; 12 small fresh sage leaves; 25g/1 oz butter; 6 slices Carmarthen Ham, cut in half; 3 tbsp Marsala wine; pinch of vegetable stock powder; seasoning of Halen Môn sea salt & freshly-ground black pepper to taste; wild rocket or watercress leaves to garnish.
Method
Place a sage leaf on top of each scallop & wrap half a slice of Carmarthen Ham around each one. Heat the butter in a frying pan & add the Parma Ham-wrapped scallops, cooking them for approximately two minutes before turning them over to cook the other side. Add the Marsala to the pan, along with 2 tbsps of hot water & the pinch of stock powder. Simmer for 2 – 3 minutes to reduce the liquid until you have a delicious sauce. Take care not to overcook the scallops though; as they can quickly become tough. Serve the scallops on warm plates, drizzled over with the cooking juices & seasoned to taste. Garnish with a few wild rocket or watercress leaves for a simple yet elegant starter.
MAIN COURSE: Fillet of Welsh Saltmarsh Lamb with Passionfruit & Redcurrant Jus
- Serves Two -
Plump, pouting slivers of tender, pink lamb must be one of the most romantic foods for a truly seductive, melt-in-the-mouth main course Valentine’s Dinner. Our famous Welsh Saltmarsh lamb is hailed as the ultimate in fine cuisine; & when married with the tang of the redcurrant jus & that cheeky hint of sexy passionfruit, it’s an irresistable combination.
Ingredients
For the Dish: 2 fillets of lamb; a little French wholegrain mustard; dash of olive oil; squeeze of fresh lemon juice; scattering of fresh, finely-chopped rosemary; seasoning of Halen Môn sea salt & freshly-ground black pepper.
For the Jus: 1 whole, fresh Passionfruit; 100 ml beef stock; 100ml red wine; 2 tsp redcurrant compote/jelly; 1 walnut-sized knob of butter.
Method
First, cut a piece of tinfoil in which to wrap each fillet into a neat parcel. Lay one of your lamb fillets into the centre of each piece of foil & spread the lamb with a gentle smear of the wholegrain mustard. Drizzle a little of the olive oil over the fillets & season to taste with the salt & pepper. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice & sprinkle about half a tablespoon of freshly-chopped rosemary leaves over each fillet. Seal the foil parcels, place them on a baking tray & cook in a preheated oven at 190°C for approximately 20 minutes for perfectly pink, tender lamb (check after 15 minutes that the meat is cooking as required).
Now, it’s time to prepare the jus. Carefully juice the passionfruit & reserve both the juice & those lovely jewelled seeds. Put the stock & red wine into a saucepan & bring to the boil. Cook it briskly until reduced by half. Now add the passionfruit juice & the redcurrant compote, then bring back to the boil & cook briskly until the concoction forms a sumptuously thick gravy. Stir in the butter & keep warm until ready to be served with the meat….
So, back to the Lamb…! When cooked to perfection, discard most of the rosemary & carefully cut each fillet into slices. Gently rest each slice against the next, imitating the shape of the original fillet. Serve with crushed new potatoes & fine green beans – drizzled with your passionfruit & redcurrant jus, with a little spoonful of the reserved passionfuit seeds, spilled seductively over the last slice of the lamb….a truly winning romantic dish.
DESSERT: Spiced Honey-roast Figs with Welsh Lovespoon Gelato
- Serves Two -
Apart from being both healthy & (allegedly!) a potent aphrodisiac, when married with unctuous honey, sweet spices & the coolness of top-quality ice cream, these delicious fruits can’t be beaten. And as ‘Lovespoon’ is lower in fat & sugar than normal dairy (cows’ milk) ice cream, it’s a marriage made in heaven…!
Ingredients
3 tbsp clear New Quay Welsh wildflower honey (alternatively use orange blossom or acacia, if available); knob of butter; 1 tbsp orange liqueur; 12 ripe figs; 1 sp fresh-torn thyme; 1 large scoop Lovespoon ‘Simplicity’ Gelato.
Method
Put the honey, butter, orange liqueur & cinnamon into a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until liquid.
Using a small, sharp knife make a cross-like incision in the top of each fig, cutting almost down to the base of each ripe fruit. Place the figs upright in a roasting pan, splaying them out shamelessly & slowly pouring the warm liquid all over them. Roast thus for 15 minutes.
Remove the gelato from the freezer, allowing it to temper; & sprinkle a little of the fresh thyme over each fig. Return the figs to the oven & switch it off (unless it’s a Rayburn/Aga, in which case just open the door a little wider!), leaving the door ajar. Keep the figs in the warm oven for approximately 1o minutes whilst waiting for the Gelato to reach the perfect soft, scooping consisitency. Serve together….& enjoy!
