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.”
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
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.”
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
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.
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Filet Mignon
Coffee Demi-Glace
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
Credit: CHRIS HUNT
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.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Glaze
Credit: Brandon Amato
Credit: Brandon Amato
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.
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