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The Perfect Dine-In Valentine's Meal For 2 |4-Course Menu To Cook At Home
Nights in have definitely been the theme of the year, and it’s looking like valentine’s day will be the same. With restaurants shut and romantic evenings far trickier to plan, never before has good home cooking been such a desirable skill. Food really is the language of love, so bring the fine dining experience into your kitchen to woo your special someone or to share with your best friends. In fact, sharing food is even proven to improve relationships and encourage emotional openness, so open your heart with some restaurant quality food, made easy.
If you have no idea were to start, we’ve put together a full 4 course meal that’s all perfect to make and share together. For the ultimate Valentines evening, follow along with our dine-in for two meal plan, including wine pairing and cocktails!
Starter- Cheese & White Wine Fondue
A perfect start to a romantic shared meal, fondue is an ideal food to enjoy while the conversation flows. Paired with bread, meats or veg, along with a nice wine, you can’t go wrong with a cheese fondue. We love this cheese and white wine fondue, easily made in our swiss style fondue set for cookware that’s practical and pretty.
- 150g grated gruyere cheese
- 150g chopped camembert
- 150ml of white wine
- 1 teaspoon of cornflour
- 1 glove of garlic
- Salt, pepper & nutmeg to taste
- Things to dip – How about: crusty bread, broccoli, pickles, cured meats or even apple.
- Place the chopped and grated cheese into the pot with the wine and gently heat on the hob.
- Stir consistently until all melted and combined, and allow the mixture to come to the boil.
- Turn it down to a simmer then add in your cornflour and garlic. This will help thicken the mixture to a classic fondue consistency.
- Add in your seasoning to taste and remove the pan from the hob to place onto a flame on the table.
- Cut up and prep your bread and things to dip, then enjoy.
Wine Pairing
For with a bloomy cheese like camembert with a more mild, creamy taste, a dry white wine pairs best for both drinking and cooking. So start off your meal with something like a chardonnay or a Riesling.
Main - Yaki Soba
No need to interrupt your conversation or scurry off to the kitchen, you can cook right there at the time! Bringing the Japanese restaurant experience to your home, a teppanyaki grill is so versatile and easy to use. For this noodle recipe, some parts will require some time at the stove, but you could always pre-prepare this part if you don’t want to disrupt the meal.
For the sauce
- 120ml Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
To garnish
- Pickled ginger
- sesame seeds
For the dish
- 2 ounces of soba noodles
- 1 onion
- 2 scallions
- 60g of bean sprouts
- 1 pepper
- Protein of your choice – Beef, prawns, tofu: we’ll leave it up to you
- On the hob, cook your noodles till soft. Also use this time to mix up your sauce, and prep your protein and veggies by chopping them.
- Place your noodles into some cold water, before you grill them you want them to be slightly chilled.
- Over at the grill, use a small amount of oil and grill your protein and veggies as you would with any stir fry.
- While that’s cooking, stir most of your sauce into your noodles and place them onto the grill to heat. Use a spatula and a spoon to combine all the ingredients until it’s all cooked.
- Serve up and drizzle the remaining sauce on top with the ginger and seeds.
Dessert - Lemon Meringue Ice Cream
A perfect sweet treat and palette cleanser to wrap up the meal, we love this lemon meringue ice cream. Full of zesty lemon flavour and sugary meringue bite, this is an ideal dessert to prep beforehand and have ready.
- 250g fresh custard
- 70ml single cream
- 70ml double cream
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons
- 3 meringues
- Berries or biscuits to garnish
- Start off by taking your anger out on the meringues, smashing them up into small chunks.
- Set them aside, then in a bowl combine the custard and single cream.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until it forms peaks, then fold in the lemon zest and juice.
- Combine the two mixtures by folding them gently. Pour the mixture into your ice cream machine and allow it to work its magic.
- When its done churning, mix in the meringues and place into a container and allow to freeze for a couple of hours before serving. We like ours topped with raspberries or ginger biscuits.
Cheese & A Cocktail To Finish
To top it all off, how about some cheese and a cocktail?
Lay out a cheeseboard with plenty of different flavours and matched chutneys and fruits to pair up, perfect to pick at while you watch a film.
The perfect pairing for with your cheeseboard is a classic Manhattan, balancing out the flavours with its signature sweet yet strong taste. Here’s how to make the perfect Manhattan cocktail for two
Manhattan
Ingredients
- 120ml bourbon
- 60ml sweet vermouth
- 4 dashes of bitters
- Cherries to garnish
Method
It couldn’t be easier to make. Simply combine the ingredients with plenty of ice, stir well, strain and serve.