Wow, your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, with a special meal they’ll be swooning over the rest of the year. Our romantic menu features a litany of luxurious delicacies: from premium caviar to silky foie gras, each course promises more gourmet delights than the last. Browse through our suggestions below to get inspired.
Appetizer
Caviar: An Elegant Opening
Dazzle them from the start; by featuring gourmet ingredients in every course. Caviar lends itself well to the introduction of a meal and is one of the easiest things to prepare. To fully appreciate the delightful nuances of fine caviar, serve it simply and very well-chilled. Present it as the crowning garnish atop lightly buttered toast points or blini. A touch of creme fraiche fills out the flavors and adds a silken finish.
Not only does caviar promise a feast for the tastebuds but also for the eyes. To serve caviar, bring it to the table atop a bed of crushed ice to maintain its cold temperatures. Even the serving vessels used for caviar are luxurious. We recommend glass or mother of pearl to ensure you and your loved one get to appreciate its pure, authentic taste. Avoid metals, which will oxidize and impart off flavors.
Caviar is synonymous with celebration, which is why it’s a natural choice for Valentine’s day, and what better to pair it with than a glass of crisp champagne? Nothing complements the briny taste of fresh caviar better than a bubbling brut.
For more inspiration, here are a few of our favorite ways to serve caviar:
Smoked Salmon and Caviar Canapes
Caviar Deviled Eggs
Entree
Wagyu: The King of Beef
Keep up the momentum of this Valentine’s Day dinner by opting for a stand-out main like Wagyu. The undisputed pinnacle of beef, Wagyu is considered legendary for its buttery texture and umami-rich flavor profile. Wagyu is so far superior to most other meats that you need to know how to prepare it properly to get the most out of the experience.
When prepping your Wagyu: give yourself plenty of time and thoroughly defrost it in the refrigerator. Allowing your meat to come to room temperature on the counter is not an option with Wagyu, as its fat has a lower melting point than other beef. Be sure to season this exceptional meat sparingly to let its delicious authentic flavor come through. When cooking Wagyu, there’s no need to oil your pan. The high ratio of fat present in this exceptional meat is more than enough for cooking. Stick close to these few cooking tips, and you’re sure to dazzle your partner.
Rich with a relatively delicate taste, we recommend medium to full-bodied wines that are high in tannins. Bold reds like Shiraz, Bordeaux, or even a Cabernet Sauvignon are the perfect partner to Wagyu’s buttery flavor.
While there are endless ways to prepare and enjoy this delicious meat, here are a few ideas to get things started:
Wagyu Tenderloin in Foie Gras Mushroom Sauce
Wagyu Beef Brisket
Sides
Foie Gras: The Dish of Kings
A luxury item once only enjoyed in the homes of royalty Foie Gras is synonymous with luxury. Because it’s superbly rich, a little of this delicacy goes a long way making it the ideal candidate as an appetizer or side dish. A single slice is a perfect portion, and when accompanying a multi-course meal splitting a serving is recommended.
Like caviar, you’ll want to enjoy good quality Foie Gras simply with just a couple of well-chosen accompaniments. To make the buttery flavor of Foie sing, opt for sweet and acidic flavor pairings. Dried fruits and nuts are classic accompaniments, or a drizzle of honey, fig chutney, or plum sauce and a few rounds of brioche make a tasty choice.
To drink: a lightly aromatic sweet wine like a good Riesling or Sauternes is the perfect foil for this dish.
Get your imagination going with these delicious Foie Gras sides:
Foie Gras Stuffed Squash
Country Paté with Apple Chutney
Truffles: The Diamond of the Kitchen
Black or White, Summer or Winter, no matter your favorite variety, truffles offer the ultimate culinary experience. To take this Valentine’s Day meal from amazing to unforgettable, be sure to feature truffles somewhere on the menu. Earthy and aromatic with an almost indescribable taste, truffles do well when paired with cream and cheese-based sauces. The delicate flavor of chicken, soufflés, omelets, and pasta are the perfect foundation allowing the delicious complexities of the truffle to shine.
Fresh truffles should never be cooked; high heat will damage the flavor. The best way to incorporate this luxe mushroom is to grate or finely slice it onto the top of your dish. Infusing it into butter, salt, and oil is also a great way to drive home that flavor and incorporate it in multiple ways in a single dish.
Your drink selection depends on the variety of truffles featured in your dish. Full-bodied white wines like aged Chardonnays or Trebbiano d’Abruzzo are safe bets when paired with the garlicky profile of white truffles. Black truffles are at their finest when matched with more rustic reds like a medium-weight Sangiovese.
Here are a few tasty ways to use your truffles:
Truffled Scalloped Potatoes
Truffle Risotto
Dessert
Chocolate: A Valentine’s Day Essential
What special occasion can be considered complete without dessert? Especially if you happen to be celebrating Valentine’s Day. While fruity desserts abound, we think the classic choice is usually the best, and what’s more traditional than celebrating your love with chocolate? From bonbons and mousse to a chocolate cake, you can’t go wrong with this tried and true ingredient.
Whether you’re creating handmade stuffed chocolates or a stunning chocolate centerpiece, the most important thing is to allow your chocolate dessert to come to room temperature before enjoying it. Room-temperature chocolate offers a more open, full-bodied flavor than if it’s cold.
Serve dark chocolate desserts alongside a rich red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel. The sweet taste of white chocolate does best with Reisling or Moscato, and milk chocolate benefits from the jammy complexities of Pinot Noir or Merlot.
Chocolate Ganache Champagne Cake
Chocolate Marquis Cake
From luxurious starters to indulgent desserts: this menu covers it all, offering a taste of some of the culinary world’s most beloved ingredients. With our menu of gourmet delights at hand, you can look forward to making this the tastiest Valentine’s Day dinner you or your loved one has ever had.