RECIPES: Make a restaurant-worthy meal for your valentine
On Valentine’s Day, restaurants often create romantic menus to celebrate the occasion.
In Atlanta, the two 5Church locations in Midtown and Buckhead are offering a four-course prix fixe dinner on Feb. 14, with a choice of several starters, entrees and desserts, along with optional cocktails and wine pairings.
We asked executive chef Rodney Smith and executive pastry chef Ben Collins to share some recipes from this year’s 5Church Valentine’s menu.
They obliged with a starter, a main course and a dessert, plus a special cocktail, all adapted for home cooks.
“We wanted to do new dishes that celebrated the inspiration of Valentine’s Day,” Smith explained. “We sat down with our entire culinary team and started picking and choosing ingredients, then we went from there. Working as a team, it was nice to see that kind of passion and camaraderie in the kitchen come through in the dishes.”
One of the favorite starters is a Sweet Potato Bisque made with chicken stock and topped with creme fraiche.
“We have these amazing, robust local sweet potatoes that we use as chips and roasted in risottos,” Smith said. “You can bite into them raw and they just have this natural sugar.”
For the main course, steak is one of the stars of the show, and Smith is doing it with a couple of twists.
“We’re presenting a coffee-rubbed filet mignon, with a bearnaise sauce, and charred shishito peppers,” he said. “The way I always do a steak is in a pan, and you get that nice crust, and it adds that level of umami you wouldn’t get any other way.”
He added that when he’s pan-searing a steak, he always uses a thermometer to check for the correct internal temperature.
“It’s scientific,” he noted, “and if it’s properly calibrated, it’s always right.”
For his part, Collins’ Valentine’s dessert is a seemingly simple red velvet layer cake, which he adapted for home cooks and made decadent with rich cream cheese frosting and a silky chocolate glaze.
“We try to make things that are approachable, and that guests know, but we put them in a form they haven’t seen before,” he explained. “But I like sticking with the classics.”
Sweet Potato Bisque
This Valentine’s Day starter is a sweet and savory soup that comes together quickly, with flavors of ginger and coconut milk, and a dollop of sour cream to finish.
- 1 gallon water
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 pounds peeled sweet potatoes
- 12 ounces chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 16 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
- 4 ounces creme fraiche or sour cream
- In a stockpot, bring the water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and stir to dissolve completely. Add sweet potatoes and cook until soft, 10-15 minutes.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and set aside. Using the same stockpot, bring the stock to a boil. Add ginger, rosemary and thyme and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid.
- Transfer potatoes and stock to a blender, add cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and blend on low speed, then add the coconut milk and increase gradually to high speed, until potato mixture is smooth and velvety. Pour into soup bowls, garnish with creme fraiche or sour cream, and serve immediately.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 405 calories (percent of calories from fat, 67), 5 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 30 grams fat (24 grams saturated), 17 milligrams cholesterol, 1,022 milligrams sodium.
Filet Mignon
- 2 tablespoons fresh coffee grounds
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 2 (6-ounce) filet mignon steaks
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 sliced and seeded shishito peppers
- 4 ounces julienned or pickled onions
- 6 ounces Coffee Demi-Glace (recipe follows)
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the coffee grounds, brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, vanilla and 1/2 tablespoon black pepper in a small bowl. Pat the steaks dry and rub with seasoning evenly and thoroughly on both sides. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Place steaks flat/cut side down in the pan and using a tong, slide in a circular motion to ensure an even brown sear. Sear steaks until deep brown color, approximately 3 minutes. Flip steaks and repeat sear. Add butter to pan and allow to melt completely. Spoon butter over steaks 4 times and place in the oven.
- For medium rare, 130-135 degrees, remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 120 degrees on a meat thermometer.
- For medium, 140-145 degrees, remove from oven when internal temperature reaches 130 degrees.
- Remove steaks from pan, and place on a resting rack for 5 minutes.
- Add the shishito peppers and onions to the pan and saute in the hot butter mixture over medium-high heat until slightly wilted. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- To plate, spoon cooked pepper and onion mixture on center of plate, reserving hot butter mixture. Place steak directly on top of peppers and drizzle with butter mixture from pan. Top with Coffee Demi-Glace and serve immediately.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 818 calories (percent of calories from fat, 66), 50 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 60 grams total fat (20 grams saturated), 182 milligrams cholesterol, 898 milligrams sodium.Coffee Demi-Glace
- 4 tablespoons espresso coffee
- 4 ounces veal demi-glace, available at DeKalb Farmers Market and Cook’s Warehouse
- In a small saucepan, combine the espresso and the veal demi-glace and heat on medium until a kitchen thermometer reads 150 degrees, then remove and reserve.
Nutritional information
Nutritional information not available
Red Velvet Cake
This delicious and decadent Red Velvet Cake created by 5Church executive pastry chef Ben Collins features a cream cheese frosting and a silky chocolate glaze, making it the perfect ending to a romantic dinner.
- 1 ounce cocoa powder, such as Valrhona or Cacao Barry
- 3 tablespoons red food color
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 cup sour cream
- 12 ounces (2 3/4 cups) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) butter
- 12 ounces (1 3/4 cups) sugar
- 3 cold eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
- Chocolate Glaze (recipe follows)
- Heat oven to 325 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder, red food color and hot water. Whisk in the sour cream and chill until ready to add.
- Sift together the cake flour and salt and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater attachment, cream the butter until soft and fluffy, then slowly stream in the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and wet ingredients, starting and ending with flour (2 additions of liquid and 3 of flour). Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each wet addition.
- In a small bowl, combine the baking soda and vinegar, and immediately fold the mixture into the cake batter.
- Divide the batter evenly into 2 (8-inch) cake pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Once the cakes are cooled, place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Once the cake is very cold, cut each cake into 2 even layers.
- Stack layers with even amounts of cream cheese frosting in between, using an ice cream scoop to measure. Once the cake is frosted, place in the freezer to set while you make the chocolate glaze.
- Pour glaze over the cake so that it gently drips down the sides of the cake.
- Serve at room temperature.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per slice, with frosting and glaze: 1,087 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 11 grams protein, 103 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 74 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 235 milligrams cholesterol, 771 milligrams sodium. Per slice, Red Velvet Cake only: 434 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), 6 grams protein, 63 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 20 grams total fat (11 grams saturated), 104 milligrams cholesterol, 495 milligrams sodium.Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 7.5 ounces (1 3/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
- 17.5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and confectioners’ sugar.
- Mix on medium speed and gradually increase to high speed as the butter begins to soften.
- Once the mixture is completely smooth, add chunks of cream cheese and continue to mix until smooth and fluffy.
- Add vanilla paste and lemon juice, and mix to combine.
- Before using, let it come to room temperature and mix until smooth again.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 380 calories (percent of calories from fat, 72), 3 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 31 grams total fat (19 grams saturated), 87 milligrams cholesterol, 158 milligrams sodium.Chocolate Glaze
- 8 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, such as Valrhona or Cacao Barry
- 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) butter
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Place the bowl over a double boiler.
- Once the mixture has melted halfway, remove it from the heat and stir until fully melted.
- Stir the glaze often to prevent it from separating and use at room temperature.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 273 calories (percent of calories from fat, 76), 1 gram protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 23 grams total fat (14 grams saturated), 45 milligrams cholesterol, 118 milligrams sodium.
The Violet Valentine
This cocktail is gin-based, with a floral and fruity taste, perfect for a romantic night out. The Creme de Violette adds a unique floral aroma and a hint of sweetness. The violet garnish adds a beautiful color and a touch of elegance.
- 2 ounces Empress Gin
- 1 ounce lime juice
- 3/4 ounce simple syrup
- 1/4 ounce Creme de Violette
- Measure gin, lime juice, simple syrup and Creme de Violette into a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice to the shaker.
- Shake well for 15-20 seconds.
- Strain the mixture over fresh ice in a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a big rock and a lemon slice.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per cocktail: 167 calories (percent of calories from fat, 0), trace protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, trace total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 1 milligram sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
