A Valentine’s Day Special Dinner

Pan-Fried Striploin Steaks

Steak frites (thin crisp French fries) is such a classic combination that there is a restaurant in Paris whose whole menu is just this one combination – and the lineups to get in are legendary. Joanna has added a luscious rich beauty, chocolate and cream of course, to make for your significant other – and the cracks in the roulade just show that you made the dessert especially for Valentine’s Day.

LEFT BRAIN: Pan-Fried Striploin Steaks

Cold temperatures and winter storms often put a crimp in outdoor grilling. Instead pull out a cast iron frying pan and sear steaks indoors – the old fashioned way. The fond (the browned bits) left in the pan is the basis for a quick and robust sauce. And I like to add a pat of butter on top of the seared steak for even more richness. Serve the steak with frites (French fries), either homemade as in the photo or of the oven-heated frozen variety – just make sure they are hot and crisp when served.

2 thick striploin steaks, each about 10-11 oz (284-312 g)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed but intact
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tbsp dry sherry or even a bit sweet like Harvey’s Bristol Cream
1/2 tsp salt
Several grindings of black pepper
2 pats of butter (optional)

1. Place heavy frying pan, preferably cast iron, over medium low heat. Add oil and garlic cloves. Trim any excess fat from the steaks; discard.
2. Increase heat to medium high; when cloves are browned, remove and add steaks. Allow about 3 minutes per side for medium rare; then remove steaks to warm serving plates.
3. Stir in red wine, sherry, sand and pepper. Stir to get up all browned bits. Let bubble until slightly thickened. Pour over steaks; top with a pat of butter. Serve right away with red wine, tossed salad and slices of baguette.

Serves 2

Joanna’s comments:
Sound good doesn’t it! It is only Valentine’s Day once a year. If you can’t finish the steaks toss strips into a salad next day so you won’t feel guilty finishing my chocolate roulade.

Chocolate Roulade

RIGHT BRAIN: Chocolate Roulade

Make sure to read through the instructions before you start. You just want to keep the chocolate liquid at a slightly higher temperature than the eggs so the mix doesn’t solidify.

7×11” pan, lightly buttered and lined with parchment paper
Preheat oven to 350F

90g (3oz) good chocolate (preferably half Lindt 90% cocoa chocolate and the rest bittersweet)
90g (3oz) granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

To finish:
1 cup of 35% whipping cream
Dr Oetker’s whip it (optional)

1. Melt broken up chocolate pieces in a bowl over a pot of simmering water and leave to cool down a while. Don’t let it fully get to room temperature as it might get lumpy when added in stage 3.
2. In a large bowl blend the sugar and egg yolks at high speed until light and creamy.
3. Add the chocolate to egg mixture and blend together thoroughly.
4. In a separate bowl whisk the whites until stiff but not dry.
5. Fold a small half of the whites into the wet mix very gently and then the rest mixed with the cocoa to just equalize the colour.
6. Spread in the prepared pan smoothing the top. Bake for 17-20 minutes and the surface is firm but not overly cracked. Remove from the oven covering the roulade with a tea towel while cooling. (It can go into the fridge or freezer, here well wrapped).
7. Turn out the roulade onto the tea towel with a short side close to you. One inch up from the side closest to you run a knife just to cut the surface about 1/4-inch deep. This will help as you begin to roll.
8. Whip the cream until firm peaks form, preferably using Dr. Oetker’s Whip It.
9. Spread the cream over the entire surface of the roll (there might be a bit too much – add an extra dollop to each serving) and roll with the aid of the towel to make as tight a roll as you can. Don’t despair over any cracks, it just proves you made it yourself!
10. Scatter about the roulade with some fresh fruit and lightly sieve icing sugar over top. Thickly slice before laying on serving plates, dividing the fresh fruit.

Serves 4

Marilyn’s Comments:
This is a rich dessert, not terribly sweet, thus something I personally enjoy eating after a meal – and what better occasion than Valentine’s Day with the rest of the bottle of red wine. However if you want to make it a bit sweeter, use semi-sweet chocolate and when preparing the cream for the filling, add a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar to the cream before whipping.
One item of note about this roulade is that is uses no flour so is an elegant dessert to serve to someone who is avoiding gluten. However for a celiac, consult this website for the safest chocolate:

I’ll be making this roulade this summer for a family reunion for just this reason.
Dr. Oetker’s “Whip It” is an inexpensive whipping cream stabilizer, preventing the cream from deflating over time. I use it whenever whipped cream is needed for a cake filling. This product consists of only dextrose, modified corn starch and tricalcium phosphate.