The word itself means love… from Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. The most Romantic meals are often the ones you make at home. Even better if it’s something you can share off the same big plate (or straight out of the pan) together. Science tells us the foods in these recipes can help create an appropriate mood for you and your sweetheart.
CHICKEN-FRIED OYSTER SANDWICH
Putting a little bit of southern spin on it, may give you the courage to try them.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup buttermilk • Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce • 12 jumbo oysters, shucked
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, for dredging • 4 rolls or buns
- 2 cups finely sliced romaine lettuce • Pinch kosher salt
Combine buttermilk and chili sauce and mix well. Soak the shucked oysters in the mixture and refrigerate; overnight if you can.
Preheat the vegetable oil to 350 degrees F.
Pour the flour out onto a plate.
Gently remove the oysters one by one from the buttermilk, being careful not to tear them, and lay them quickly in the flour. The excess buttermilk will help for the delicious crunchy bits so don’t worry about making a mess.
Cover the oysters completely with flour, using clean hands, and gently press them down to make sure they are completely coated. Remove from the flour, shaking off the excess, and place them in the fryer.
Cook until nicely browned, just past golden (think of your favorite fried chicken).
While the oysters are cooking, toast the insides of the buns and set aside. Transfer the oysters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and season with the salt.
Spread tartar sauce on both sides of the buns. Place the oysters on the bottom half then top with shredded romaine.
CHILI-INFUSED HONEY
The intense flavor of this honey is great for salad dressing, meat marinades, cheese dip, or even on ice cream.
Ingredients
- 4 dried chipotle chiles
- 6 dried chiles de árbol, divided
- 1-1/2 cups wildflower honey (about 1 lb.)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Place all the chipotle chiles and 5 of the chiles de árbol in a mini food processor.
Pulse until chiles are coarsely chopped.
Combine chile mixture, honey, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; cook 15 minutes, keeping temperature under 180°F.
Remove pan from heat; cool 1 hour.
Place remaining chile de árbol in a 2-cup glass jar with a sealable lid. Strain honey mixture through a fine sieve into jar, discarding solids. Seal jar, and store honey at room temperature.
BLUSHING POMEGRANATE CHICKEN
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 ½ pounds bone-in chicken pieces
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
Arrange sweet potatoes and chicken in a 9×13” baking dish. Mix pomegranate juice, sherry vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and salt and pepper. Pour over chicken and sweet potatoes. Cover, and marinate for 1-2 hours, turning once.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, 45 minutes, or until chicken and sweet potatoes are cooked through. Baste with cooking juices several times while cooking. Sprinkle with green onion and pomegranate seeds, serve over hot rice.
FOOD FACT
Honey never spoils as long as you keep the air out. The acid content is so high that bacteria can’t survive and multiply. High acidity comes from the high concentration sugar, with only 1/5 of the original water content. If you leave your honey unsealed, it will absorb water from the air and create a less acidic environment where bacteria can thrive. Bottom line: If you want to keep any honey good forever, keep a lid on it.