Mushroom pappardelle

The perfect dinner-for-two!

Home cook Julie Miguel is here with a delicious Valentine’s Day meal for two. “This is one of my favourite date night dishes.”

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. While you are waiting for your water to boil, on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until it is hot.
  2. Add half the mushrooms to the pan and let them cook to create space for the rest of the mushrooms. When you start to see them shrink and wilt, add the rest of the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. If you get a lot of water from your mushrooms, increase the heat so that the liquid evaporates. This also allows the mushrooms to caramelize.
  3. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the mushrooms and wilted and golden brown.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Cook until the butter melts.
  5. Stir in the garlic and add in the rosemary, thyme and red pepper flakes. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  6. Deglaze the pan with white wine.
  7. Cook off the alcohol in the wine for about 30 seconds and then add the broth. Let the broth simmer until it is reduced by half.
  8. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream. Stir and then keep the sauce warm on the lowest setting while you cook your pasta.
  9. Add the pappardelle to the pot with the boiling water and cook until al dente. When the pasta is cooked, using tongs, carefully transfer the pappardelle to the pan with the mushroom sauce.
  10. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle the parsley and toss to coat.
  11. Remove the pan from the heat and add 2-4 tablespoons of pasta water to the pasta and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
  12. Toss the pasta to coat with the sauce and serve hot. You can add more grated cheese on top to serve as well.



Crème Brulee

Satisfy your sweet tooth with crème brulée!

Indulge yourself with this fruit topped creamy and caramelized dessert.

METHOD

  1. Combine heavy cream and coffee beans. Seal and infuse together in the fridge overnight.
  2. The next day – Preheat oven to 300 F and heat some water in a kettle.
  3. In a saucepan, strain heavy cream, reweigh and top back up to 400 g. Combine innards of vanilla bean, and the pod.
  4. While this comes to a simmer, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and sea salt.
  5. When the cream comes to a gentle simmer, remove the vanilla pod and slowly start to pour it into the yolk mixture while constantly whisking. Please do this slowly so not to cook the egg yolks.
  6. Pass mixture through a mesh sieve into a large pouring vessel. You may use a large glass measuring cup.
  7. Place ramekins into a larger, rimmed baking pan.
  8. Fill the pan with hot water so it reaches about ¾ – 1” up the ramekins. Fill ramekins with cream mix.
  9. To eliminate any bubbles, use blow torch very lightly over the cream mix. It will pop all the surface bubbles.
  10. Bake for 45-50 mins. Custard will be set but they will jiggle in the middle. Do not over bake as the custard will lose the creaminess we want. If the whole ramekin jiggles, leave in the oven a while longer.
  11. Remove tray from oven, and then carefully remove the ramekins. Let them cool to room temp, and then place them in the fridge overnight. You can do this process 3-4 days ahead of time.
  12. When you’re ready to serve, coat with a thick layer of icing sugar and toast with a blow torch.
  13. Top with berries and serve.