In just a few days couples all over the world will be celebrating their love for each other and enjoying a Valentine’s Day at home. Some restaurants are open but around the world there are some strange situations and a great number of restaurants will not be taking reservations. And so if we have to cook at home then I have a recipe which is to die for, and no matter who you are, there is no reason you can’t prepare it and make it delicious for your loved one.
I can’t take the credit for all of the recipe however, that falls on the brilliant Javier Burillo who showed me it, and then I made a couple of tweaks.
The Dish
The dish which you will be making is sirloin steak with a roquefort cheese sauce, served with asparagus spears and some buttery, herbilicious potatoes.
The Ingredients
What you will need for this recipe is two sirloin steaks, size is up to you, one 200g block of roquefort cheese, one cup of whole milk, 250g of baby potatoes, asparagus spears – 5 per person usually works well, and then some basic condiments.
Steak First
This is a meal which is all about timings but the first place that we want to start here is with the steak, because of course this is the main event. Always remember that you should take your steak out of the fridge at least half an hour before you are going to cook it, this will ensure it stays soft and juicy when you cook it. Season the raw steak on both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Now when you cook the steak you need a super hot pan, and the steaks in on one side and allow them to sear for 30 seconds to a minute. Once you have done this flip the steaks and then leave them until they are done, on a medium heat. Timings here are 6 minutes for rare, 8 for medium and 12 if you like it well done. Once the steaks are cooked, leave them to settle for 5 minutes before you serve.
Sauce and Veggies
After you have taken the steak from the fridge it is the perfect time for you to start preparing the sauce and the veggies. The sauce will take no more than 5 minutes so this can be prepared when the steak is cooked, but you should have your milk measured out and all of the cheese broken up so that it melts easily.
With the asparagus spears these take 5 minutes too, and can be seared in the pan after the steak is done, to absorb all of those flavors. For the baby potatoes, simmer these for 25 minutes in salted water until they are soft, take out of the water and dry off. Once dry, add parsley, rosemary and coriander to a pestle and mortar and give it a good crush. Pre heat the oven to 180 and play the potatoes on a baking tray with generous cubes of butter and the herbs sprinkled over, cook for 25 minutes.
And there you have it, the perfect recipe for your Valentine’s Day.
