Cook Like a Pro with this Three Course Valentines Menu

With Valentines quickly approaching and may be your budget wont stretch as far as the local restaurant, why not show off your culinary skills at home. You never know you may even find you have hidden talent.



This three course menu ticks all the right boxes: It looks elegant, tastes delicious and you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen.

STARTER

Frosted Melon Cocktail

with tropical fruit salsa

MAIN COURSE

Pan Fried Seabass Fillet

with provencal sauce

DESSERT

Plum Charlotte

with calvados foam



Preparation Tips:
1. Shop before the big day which gives you time to prep and get ready yourself
2. The salsa for the melon can be made the day before
3. Coat the melon with sugar at least two hours before serving
4. Get your fish on the day so its nice and fresh and get your fishmonger to fillet the fish for you
6. The plum charlotte can be made in advance (not the foam)
7. The provencal sauce can be made in the morning on to the big day

Now for the ingredients

Starter: Prep time approx 20 minutes plus 2 hours chilling

Ingredients	Method
1 egg separated 100g caster sugar 1 diced and pealed papaya 1 diced and pealed mango 1 small diced onion 1 half cantaloupe melon diced 1 tbsp fresh orange juice 1 tbsp lime juice 1 small red jalapeno chile 4 leaves of fresh mint	step 1. Place the egg white in a bowl and whip lightly to break up and loosen. step 2. Put the caster sugar on a plate. Using a small pastry brush, paint the melon first with egg white then sprinkle and dip gently in the sugar step 3. Place on a tray lined with non-stick baking parchment and leave to harden and dry. step 4. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl ASSEMBLE WHEN READY TO SERVE step 1. Put mixture in a shallow dish or glass step 2. Stack melon and garnish with mint leaf

Main Course: Prep time approx 30 minutes

Ingredients	Method
2 Seabass fillets 2 tbsp olive oil 1 small red onion, chopped 1 small green pepper, chopped 1 medium courgette, quartered lengthways and chopped 1tsp chicken bouillon, dissolved in water 1 tin chopped tomatoes half tsp sugar 1 tsp tomato puree black pepper 2 tbsp fresh chopped basil 1 garlic clove, crushed	FOR THE PROVENCAL SAUCE step 1. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large heavy saucepan. step 2. Add the onions, garlic, pepper and courgette and gently cook until onions are soft. step 3. Add the tomato puree and sugar, mix well together. step 4. Add chicken stock, tomatoes and basil. step 5. Season and simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes. FOR THE SEABASS step 1. Descale and trim into neat fillets, keeping skin on. step 2. Score the fillets with a sharp knife. step 3. pan fry, skin side down in a small amount of oil. step 4. Season the top of the fillet and cook from the bottom up. step 5. When the fillets are 90% cooked , flip over and finish on the other side. step 6. Spoon over some of the cooking oil to add an extra crispness to the skin. step 7. Serve the fillets skin side up on top of provencal sauce.

Dessert: Prep time approx 25 minutes plus 25 minutes cooking time

Ingredients	Method
115g (4oz) butter 50g (2oz) demerara sugar 450g (1lb) ripe plums 25g (1oz) caster sugar or rapadura 2tbsp water 1 pinch ground cinnamon 25g (1oz) ground almonds 8 to 10 slices of brown or white bread FOR THE CALVADOS SAUCE 3 egg yolks 40g (1.5oz) caster sugar or rapadura 2tbsp Calvados	step 1. Pre heat oven gas mark 5 (190c/375f) step 2. Line base of four ramekin dishes (10cm/4in-diameter deep) with silicone paper step 3. Melt butter and brush inside ramekins thoroughly, then sprinkle with sugar until coated evenly step 4. Roughly chop plums and place in saucepan with the caster sugar, water and ground cinnamon and cook gently for five minutes or until softened slightly. set aside to cool step 5. Cut crusts off bread and using a pastry cutter cut out four rounds to fit the base of each ramekin step 6. Dip the bread rounds into the melted butter and and fit them into the dishes step 7. Cut another four rounds for the tops of the ramekins and set aside step 8. Cut the remaining bread into strips and dip into the melted butter and use to line the sides of the ramekins completely step 9. Stir in the ground almonds into the plum mixture and divide into the ramekins step 10. Place the remaining bread rounds on top and brush with butter step 11. Place the ramekins on a baking tray and cook for 25 minutes CALVADOS SAUCE step 1. Place the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl whisk together until pale step 2. Places the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk in the calvados. step 3. Continue whisking until the mixture is light and frothy step 4. Serve immediately

For more information about Sampson Barton