Not seen my GF in 6 months, spec me a 3 course meal

Going to Cali

Going to Cali

Going to Cali

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23 Aug 2004
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Long short my girl is Canadian, we met in Germany, went travelling in Canada and the US. She's got her visa and is moving in with me in a weeks time. I love cooking, I want to do something special, have a romantic meal to make up for some lost time.

I love a curry but I don't think that would go down well, and maybe my meatballs should wait until later. We love seafood (crab,lobster,prawn) a main/starters with these would be great, alternatively, Italian is always good. Desert's strawberries, if anyone has a twist on just those and cream would be welcome.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated, in my shoes what would you serve up?
 
How about a crab and chilli risotto? Are you confident with it?

Have a recipe for a good prawn, scallop and proscuitto risotto if you like - could serve it as a starter or a main, depending on how much you make/serve!
 
To serve 4:

large knob of butter
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
300g risotto rice
300ml white wine
1.2 litres veg stock
1 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
100g proscuitto, cut into strips
1 200g pack scallops
200g prawns
handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
4tbsp mascarpone

Melt the butter in a large, deep pan, with the olive oil added in. Cook the onion for around 8 mins till soft. Add the garlic and cook for around 4-5 mins. Add the rice, stir till coated in butter and going opaque, then add the wine and bubble for 2-3 mins.

Add the stock slowly, stirring as you add it. Add the bay leaves. Keep stirring til the rice is creamy - around 20-25 mins. Throw in the prawns around 5 mins from the end. Check the seasoning, cover, and leave to rest for 2-3 mins.

Fry the proscuitto until crisp in olive oil. Set aside on kitchen paper. Cook the scallops in the same pan (around 3-4 minutes).

Stir the parsley and mascarpone into the rice. Divide it between bowls, top with the proscuitto and scallops, and season with black pepper.

Simple, but effective. We both love it.
 
For strawbs, marinade them halved in black pepper and balsamic vinegar. Serve with a shortbread.

May sound a little odd, but utterly immense.

Starter: Scallops with black pudding and pea puree?

Main: Simple seafood pasta?
 
Going to Cali said:
Desert's strawberries, if anyone has a twist on just those and cream would be welcome.
Click to expand...

Get some dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher). Put it in a bowl and melt it over a pan of hot water. Wrap a plate in tin foil. Dip the strawberries in the chocolate (hold them from the stalk, and dip them about 2/3's of the way up). Then put them on the tin-foiled plate, trying to keep the chocolate off the plate/foil as much as possible, for presentation later.

Stick the plate of chocolate covered strawberries in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Serve with cream or ice cream = absolute treat!

Best thing is, it's a 15 minute job max.
 
Last edited:
How about Baileys panna cotta with poached strawberries

160g caster sugar
420ml double cream
200ml milk
150ml Baileys
4 sheets gelatine

250g Fresh Strawberries
50g Caster sugar
50ml Water

For the Panna cotta

Place the gelatine in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave for 5 minutes or prepare as packet instructions

Bring Cream, Milk and Sugar to the Boil. Remove from heat and add Gelatine. Stir until Dissolved. Add Baileys and allow to cool. Pour into four Dariole Moulds/Ramekins and refridgerate for 4 hours.

For the Strawberries

Hull the strawberries. Heat sugar and water until sugar has dissolved. Add strawberries and poach for 5 minutes. Set aside

To serve

Remove panna cotta from mould by running warm water on the outside of the mould for a few seconds to loosen it.

Turn Panna cotta out onto a plate and serve with a spoonful of warm poached strawberries.
 
vicisthebest said:
To serve 4:

large knob of butter
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
300g risotto rice
300ml white wine
1.2 litres veg stock
1 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
100g proscuitto, cut into strips
1 200g pack scallops
200g prawns
handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
4tbsp mascarpone

Melt the butter in a large, deep pan, with the olive oil added in. Cook the onion for around 8 mins till soft. Add the garlic and cook for around 4-5 mins. Add the rice, stir till coated in butter and going opaque, then add the wine and bubble for 2-3 mins.

Add the stock slowly, stirring as you add it. Add the bay leaves. Keep stirring til the rice is creamy - around 20-25 mins. Throw in the prawns around 5 mins from the end. Check the seasoning, cover, and leave to rest for 2-3 mins.

Fry the proscuitto until crisp in olive oil. Set aside on kitchen paper. Cook the scallops in the same pan (around 3-4 minutes).

Stir the parsley and mascarpone into the rice. Divide it between bowls, top with the proscuitto and scallops, and season with black pepper.

Simple, but effective. We both love it.
Click to expand...

That looks brilliant, gonna make that this week. :)
 
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