Valentine's day

Ahhhh Valentine’s Day! Celebrating love and affection between intimate companions, yet like most of us we feel it’s too commercial, or it’s too expensive, I personally believe it was a holiday invented by greeting card companies.   If you’re single then well the holiday pretty much like a sorority party you’ll never be invited too.  If you’re married or with someone then it’s the same old mushy cards with lame sentiments about a fantasy relationship that only exists in Disney films; and over priced flowers that smell like chemicals and you get to slowly watch die, perhaps a reflection of your sex life? 

Well enough is freaking enough!  I’m tired of Hallmark telling me how I should feel every year.  Yes every kiss may begin with Kay, but I’m certain that kisses begin with a good beer and some yummy hot wings, hey I’m just saying……

But the one thing I do know is that there is no reason to not express your love with chocolate, and there is also no reason to not express it to your family, friends, and hey if you’re lucky enough to have a loved one, seduce them already!  Most importantly seduce yourself a little, nothing is more sexy than having a great attitude.

 Beef Wellington  

   

·         1 beef tenderloin, trimmed and chain removed (about 3 to 4 pounds)

·         5 tablespoons olive oil

·         1 cup minced sweet onions (Maui or Walla Walla)

·         2 tablespoons minced shallots

·         4 cups assorted mushrooms  (crimini, oyster, morel)

·         1 cup boiled chestnuts

·         2 teaspoons chopped garlic

·         3/4 cup red wine

·         1/2 cup chopped parsley

·         2 pieces of defrosted puff pastry

·         1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

·         Gorgonzola Foam with Port Wine Reduction Sauce (recipe to follow)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Season the tenderloin with salt and freshly cracked pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, sear the tenderloin for 2 to 3 minutes on all sides. Remove from the pan and cool. In a sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and sauté for 1 minute. In a mini food processor, add the mushrooms in batches and pulse the mushrooms a few times to finely chop the mushrooms. Repeat with the chestnuts, and then add the mushrooms and chestnuts to the onions mixture and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the red wine and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until most of the liquid as dissipated and the mixture is dry. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley.  Re-season the mixture if necessary. Cool the mixture completely.

 To assemble; place the two sheets of puff pastry together, vertically, sealing the ends and forming one big piece of pastry. Lay the seared tenderloin in the center of the puff pastry. Smear the mixture over the top of the tenderloin. Wrap the tenderloin in the puff pastry, tucking the sides in completely. Brush the entire tenderloin with the egg wash and place on a baking sheet. Bake the tenderloin for about 30 to 35 minutes for medium rare, or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove the tenderloin from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving. To serve spoon the port wine sauce onto the plate, place the sliced Wellington on top with a dollop of the gorgonzola foam.    

For Port Wine Reduction:

·         3 cups sweet port wine

·         1 tablespoon finely grated dark chocolate

      2 cups chilled heavy cream

      5 ounces gorgonzola, crumbled

      Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the port wine in a medium-sized non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the wine is reduced to a syrup. Add 1-2 tablespoons of finely-grated, semi-sweet dark chocolate. Remove from the heat and allow the reduction to cool. Transfer to a covered container or squeeze bottle and refrigerate until needed.

Pour the cream into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Watch closely!  As soon as the cream boils, remove from the heat.

Add the gorgonzola cheese and using a handheld immersion blender, puree until smooth. Or you can transfer the cream and cheese to a food processor and process until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; season to taste, with salt and pepper and set aside to cool at room temperature.

Pour the cheese mixture into the chilled canister of a foamer. The amount will fill it halfway. Charge it with 1 or 2 charges. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.