Oysters Rockefeller

Yield: 2 servings

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Oysters have always been one of our favorite date night meals. On our first trip to Chicago, we took a private river cruise that was complete with bubbles and oysters Rockefeller, so they hold a special place in our hearts. Plus, this preparation is the perfect way to introduce oysters to a first-timer because they are milder when cooked, which makes them less intimidating. We guarantee your date or partner will quickly become obsessed with them.

Ingredients

For the Breadcrumb Topping

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh dill
• 1 green onion, cut into thirds
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons grated Asiago cheese
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 bunch spinach, washed
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon Pernod
• 12 medium or large oysters, freshly shucked (oyster liquor reserved)
• ¼ lemon

Special equipment:

• Oyster knife (optional)

Directions:

1. In a blender, pulse all the ingredients for the breadcrumb topping until they come together into a doughlike paste. Set aside.
2. In a medium cast-iron frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until soft. Toss in the spinach, season with the salt, and sauté until beginning to wilt. Deglaze with the Pernod and continue to cook until the spinach is completely wilted. Set aside.
3. Have an oven rack in the top position and turn the oven broiler on high. Sprinkle kosher salt on a sheet pan in two rows, about 1 inch deep; this will serve as a bed for the oyster shells to help them stay upright.
4. To assemble, remove the oysters from their shells, leaving the juice in the shells. Place six of the shells on one row of salt and the other six shells on the other row of salt. Evenly divide the sautéed spinach among the shells, then return the oysters to their shells. Scoop up about 1 tablespoon of the breadcrumb topping and press between your hands into a thin blanket to completely cover the oyster. Place on top of an oyster, then repeat with the rest of the topping mixture until all the oysters are topped with the paste.
5. Broil for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Squeeze the lemon over the top and serve.

LOVE TAP: If you are unsure about shucking, ask your fishmonger to shuck the oysters for you and keep the oyster liquor. This can be done up to 4 days in advance.

Peach and Endive Salad for Two

Yield: 2 servings

Prep time: 8 minutes

Cook time: 4 minutes

The best salads are meant to be shared. The next time you’re looking to impress your date, try this salad for two. Grab your forks and dive into it together.

Ingredients:

• 3 heads Belgian endive, root ends trimmed and leaves separated
• 2 peaches or pears, sliced
• ½ cup crumbled extra-sharp cheddar or blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons very finely sliced fresh chives 
• ½ cup raw walnut pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Juice of ½ lemon

Directions:

1. Arrange the endive leaves cup side up on a large plate and top with the peach slices, cheese, and most of the chives.
2. In a small frying pan over medium-low heat, toast the walnuts in the olive oil for 4 minutes, or until golden. Season with the salt and pepper.
3. Dress the salad with the maple syrup and lemon juice. Garnish with the remaining chives and toasted walnuts and enjoy.

LOVE TAP: Belgian endive is a great green to have around. It lasts for weeks and has an incredible flavor and crunch. It does come across as a little bitter, so don’t be afraid to use the maple syrup to sweeten the deal. Look to the season when selecting your fruit: use peaches in summer, or swap them for pears in the cooler months. For the cheese, a nice three-year cheddar will lend the sharp bite you’re looking for.

Rapini Linguine with Burrata

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

We consider rapini to be the cruciferous green in our household. It’s beautiful, bright, and blends perfectly with the strands of linguine and creamy burrata in this pasta dish. Plus, pasta is the way to almost anyone’s heart. Once you whip up this recipe, they’ll fall for you quicker than you can refill their bowl.

Ingredients:

• 4 shallots, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• ½ pepperoncini, sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish
• 1 cup dry white wine
• ½ cup vegetable stock
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 bunch rapini, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cashews
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 1 pound linguine
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 (4-ounce) balls burrata

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, sauté the shallots, garlic, and pepperoncini in the olive oil.
2. Deglaze the pan with the wine, stock, and lemon juice, then stir in the rapini and season with the salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer for 4 minutes, or until fork-tender.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully transfer the rapini mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the lemon zest, cashews, and basil and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan and set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it’s not quite al dente (it should be about 70 percent done). Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
5. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding a little of the pasta water as needed to finish cooking the pasta and achieve a creamy consistency. Toss in the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
6. Top each serving with half a burrata ball and garnish with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

LOVE TAP: Cooking the pasta to about 70 percent done in the water and finishing it off in the sauce, until al dente, makes for the best-tasting pasta since the flavor of the sauce infuses the pasta as it finishes cooking.

Brûléed Figs with Sabayon

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 8 minutes

Did you forget dessert? No problem! Whip up some sabayon sauce and serve it with brûléed figs. (Sabayon is simply frothed egg yolks, sugar, and sweet wine gently cooked over a water bath.) This is the easiest dessert to make in a pinch because it takes almost no time, and it’ll definitely put a smile on your partner’s face.

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh figs, halved
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 4 large egg yolks
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup Marsala wine, divided
• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup macadamia nuts, chopped, for garnish
• Special equipment:
• Kitchen torch

Directions:

1. Lightly sprinkle the figs with 1 tablespoon of the sugar and blowtorch them on the flesh side until golden. Cut into quarters and stand them up in a large serving bowl with shallow sides.
2. Make the sabayon: In the top of a double boiler, or in a heatproof bowl that fits snugly in a saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, salt, and a splash of the wine until the mixture is frothy. Place over a simmering water bath and whisk aggressively until the sauce has doubled in volume, about 6 minutes. While continuing to whisk, add the remaining wine and the lemon juice. Continue whisking until it reaches ribbon stage (you’ll know it’s at ribbon stage when you lift the whisk and you get a long, steady flow that holds its shape and falls back into the bowl like a ribbon). This will take some effort, but you will be rewarded.
3. The flavor of the finished sauce should be sweet, boozy, and velvety. Taste and add a drop more lemon juice if needed, or, if you don’t find the sauce sweet enough, a drop of wine.
4. To serve, pour the warm sauce in between the figs. Torch the figs one more time, garnish with the macadamia nuts, and serve.

LOVE TAP: Fresh figs have a short season. Don’t let that stop you from trying this recipe. Other soft seasonal fruits can be used at other times of the year: peaches, nectarines, and plums would be good options.