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Valentine’s Day is a big day for restaurants, no doubt about it. It’s an evening where couples are expected, almost required, to treat themselves to a decadent meal (with wine – and dessert) and splurge, in every sense of the word. Usually you’ll find something “love-inspiring” on the menu – passion fruit, oysters, caviar, pomegranate seeds, and the like. Do you know what my trouble is with Valentine’s Day restaurant fare? It’s too good. I can remember one evening a few years ago when we went out to dinner and every single thing that came out to us was so amazing, so delicious, and so over the top that I ate every single bite in front of me. When you’re dealing with a multi course menu, well ... nothing puts quite a damper on romance like a tummy ache.
I’m seriously considering staying in this year. I’ve made special
dinners in the past, and the problem I’ve run into is I fuss over
everything all day to such a degree that by the time dinner is on the
table (along with lit candles and soft music), I’m worn out and don’t
want to even look at the food anymore, much less eat it. I’m determined
to take a different approach in 2008. One of the very best meals
that I’ve ever had was in France, but it’s probably not what you might
be thinking. My father and I had taken the trip together, and Papa’s
friend Jacques invited us to dinner at his home in Lourdes. He made us
the simplest of meals – just pan-roasted duck breast and a simple salad
– but it was delicious and I remember it to this day. So! While
I’m busy putting dinner together this year I’ll keep my sweetie
occupied by serving a tray of whatever fruits and cheeses I can find at
Newcastle Produce. If you haven’t tried the Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, I
highly recommend that you do so. The Mt. Tam is a soft-ripened, mild
and buttery triple-cream cheese, and for the more adventurous, the Red
Hawk is a triple cream washed rind offering that, while some might find
it a bit stinky, is perfectly delicious to my taste. I’ll also be
picking up crackers, jams, and chocolates to go with my nibbly platter. The
meal itself will consist of pan-roasted duck breast, roasted potatoes
with rosemary, fresh bread and a green salad. Perhaps clafoutis for
dessert. Simple, easy – and I can enjoy dinner with my Valentine
without wanting to throw the pans at his head. Please don’t be
afraid of duck. The duck breast cooked this way is as easy to make as a
strip steak, but the flavor is better than any steak I’ve ever had (and
I do like red meat). You can find whole duck breasts at Longhorn Meats,
and they will be happy to help you. Roasted Duck Breast Pick
up a couple of whole, skin-on duck breasts. First, preheat your oven to
350 degrees. Score the fat side of the meat by making shallow,
crosswise cuts. Season both sides of the breasts with salt and pepper.
Heat a tablespoon of oil (with a high smoking point) in an oven-safe
pan over medium high heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. Sear
the duck breasts fat side down until much of the fat has melted away
and the skin has become brown and crispy (about four minutes). Flip the
breasts over and sear the other side for two minutes more. Pour off
most of the fat, and put the pan into your preheated oven. Cook until
the thickest part of the duck breast registers 125 degrees (about 8 –
10 minutes). Let the meat rest for about 10 minutes before slicing at
an angle. Roasted Rosemary New Potatoes “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember...” – Ophelia, from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Ophelia
was stark raving mad when she said the above, but, in truth, rosemary’s
memory-stirring powers were so relied upon that Tudor brides wove
sprigs of it into their wedding wreaths so that their marriage vows
might not be forgotten. What better herb to work into a Valentine’s Day
menu? If you were really thinking ahead, you would have made a
test duck breast the day prior and saved the duck fat poured from the
pan. If not, you’re still in good shape – olive oil is fine. The nice
thing about the potatoes is you can pop them in the oven before you
start to work on the duck breast, and, given the resting time,
everything will be ready at just about the same time. You can use
either baby new potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into about six
similarly sized pieces. You’ll only want as many potatoes as you can
eat, so you’ll probably only need about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds total. Place
the potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil (or
duck fat!), sprinkle with salt, pepper, and about 2 tbsp. of fresh
chopped rosemary, then toss to coat. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 30
– 40 minutes or until browned and the potatoes are tender. Nothing to
it. Add a green salad and some fresh bread, and dinner is served! Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone. Rachel
Chaddock is the food editor for the Sentinel newspaper. She welcomes
recipe submissions from readers. She may be contacted via e-mail at
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or at
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Her
"Comfort Food" column usually publishes every other week in the
Sentinel's Home and Garden section.
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