Cooking in:Shellfish, sole and chocolate get a sprinkling of spice for a seductive Valentine's feast, writes Hugo Arnold.
Cooking seasonally doesn't get harder than in February, yet this is the month of seduction. I am finding it hard not to crave veg and fruit from far-flung shores. The days are getting longer, but what is there to show for it? More root vegetables, a little cheer from citrus fruit, more cabbage, the forced rhubarb.
There was a time when spices were as valuable as gold. What better way to proclaim love than with a little cinnamon to warm things up, a grating of nutmeg to lift the spirits, a star anise or three to bring cheer? Then there's Thai spicing for that roast pumpkin soup; ginger to add to the butter for roast organic salmon; sweet chilli jam to sit on top of some grilled sea bream.
So I am steadfastly sticking to my mantra of eating seasonally, but cheating a little with the likes of chilli, spiced butters, and the odd exotic ingredient such as lemongrass, and fish and soy sauces.
It's time to hit the steamer, the wok - and the hotpot, for not all "foreign" food is fast and furious. The Persians, for example, are keen on lamb cooked really slowly with turmeric and saffron, the whole assembly finished off with verjus and butter. Or look to Mexico, where frijol con puerco is black beans cooked with stewing pork, the trotters, ribs and ear also added to give a rich unctuousness to the dish, which is cut with coriander, radishes and tomato.
My global whistlestop tour for February does not stop there. Mussels can be starved of white wine, but given a kick with lemongrass and coconut; chicken benefits from being overhauled with a blast of cajun spicing; goulash may sound very 1970s, but who will be counting when that unmistakable aroma of paprika seeps out of the kitchen? Stay seasonal, just think globally. And remember that for a Valentine's dinner at home, ease and lightness are key.
Recipes serve two
SWEET AND SOUR SCALLOPS
Mirin and garlic chilli sauce are available from ethnic stores.
2 scallions
small bunch coriander, picked
100ml lime juice and zest
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 dessertspoon mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 tsp garlic chilli sauce
4 scallops
vegetable oil
Trim the scallions and cut them as thinly as you can lengthways; the thinner the better. Combine these with the coriander in a bowl of iced water. This will make them curl up.
Combine the next four ingredients, mix well and set this aside (you can do this in advance).
Lightly oil the scallops and season them with salt. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan and when it is almost smoking, add the scallops. Turn the heat down to medium and cook them for one minute, or until they are just starting to colour. Turn them over and repeat on the other side.
Slide the scallops on to the shells, or small shallow plates and spoon the sauce over them. Shake excess water off the coriander and scallions and mould into a nest. Place on top of the scallops and serve.
STEAMED BLACK SOLE WITH FENNEL SALAD
1 head of fennel, well trimmed
juice from half an orange
zest and juice from one lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 black sole, filleted
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp sake
1 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp very finely chopped chives
Slice the fennel as thinly as possible. Using a mandolin is the best way to do this, but a sharp knife and patience also work well. Season it with salt, combine it with the orange and lemon juices and zest, and the olive oil, and set aside.
In a plate or shallow bowl that will fit in your steamer, combine the sole fillets, garlic and ginger. You can fashion a makeshift steamer by scrunching up tin foil in the bottom of a saucepan. Pour in boiling water, sit your plate on top of the foil and cover with a lid. Pour the sake, sesame seed oil and soy sauce on top of the fish.
Steam the fish for six to eight minutes, or until cooked. Transfer to two warmed plates and pour the steaming juices over the fish. Strain the fennel, lay it alongside the fish. Sprinkle the chives over the dish and serve.
SPICED CHOCOLATE SORBET
100g good quality dark chocolate, chopped up
100g sugar
225ml water
3 cloves
2 star anise
25g cocoa powder
Combine the sugar, water, cloves and star anise in a saucepan. Bring this to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil it for two minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate and stir until the chocolate dissolves. Pick out the spices. Pour the mixture into a shallow tray and freeze it, stirring with a fork every hour or so to prevent crystals forming.
Remove the sorbet from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Scoop it into balls and serve in glasses. Freezing the glasses beforehand looks dramatic and also stops the sorbet from melting too quickly. u