Domini Kemp: Get planning now for your Valentine’s Day feast

I promise not to attempt any form of romantic persuasion here, telling you that this is the only meal to win hearts and minds. Rather, it will be a delicious meal that will demand stretchy pants.

This blini recipe is from Thomas Keller (á la French Laundry fame) but has been doctored a little - quelle surprise. When you layer up the warm, buttery, potato mounds with delicious quantities of trout roe, fresh crab, horseradish crème fraîche…well they were like very posh loaded potato cakes rather than anything too dainty or French Laundry.

I like the idea of creating your own blini, so would invest in lots of little portions of the appropriate condiments and if Champagne isn’t your thing, then some ice-cold vodka would be delicious.

A good risotto is always a winner and with the addition of simply charred gambas, huge portions are not necessary; this was a real treat to eat. The soufflé had me feeling more nervous than a Euro-Toques young chef, but luckily, my photoshoot companions Jordan Mooney and Dean Carroll are very gentle critics.

Soufflés are a bit of fun, and this recipe is pretty forgiving. I even let the egg whites go flat and made a leftover batch late that night for my daughters and although the rise was a bit ropey, it was still delicious.

The white chocolate no-churn ice cream doesn’t require any kind of ice cream machine due to the vast quantities of fat from the white chocolate and evaporated milk. A little goes a long way and even a scoop of it with some fresh passion fruit would make a lovely dessert and give you an alternative to the old chocolate-focused recipes we tend to trot out every February.

All recipes serve two, but probably with some leftovers

Potato blinis with horseradish crème fraîche and seafood toppings

Ingredients

For the blinis

250g potatoes

15g flour

25g crème fraîche

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

Small bunch chives, finely chopped

A small grate of fresh horseradish

Salt and black pepper

Butter, for frying

For the horseradish crème fraîche

4 tbsp crème fraîche

Small bunch chives, chopped

Grated horseradish, to taste

Toppings

50g smoked salmon or trout

Trout roe or caviar (I love the Goatsbridge rainbow trout caviar)

100g cooked crab

Lemon juice, to taste

Olive oil

Red onion, finely chopped

Method

1. First make the blinis. Place the potatoes in cold water with plenty of salt, then bring up to a boil and cook until really tender. Drain and remove the skin then, working quickly, mash or, even better, put through a potato ricer. It’s important not to blitz in a food processor, as it will go too starchy. Once you have finely mashed or minced the potato, add the rest of the blini ingredients and season well. You can do this up to an hour before cooking.

2. Make the horseradish crème fraîche by mixing in the chives and horseradish. Season to taste and reserve.

3. Next prepare the toppings. Flake the smoked trout or salmon – I used the BBQ smoked rainbow trout from Goatsbridge – into smaller pieces to place on top of the blinis. Drain the crab and pick through the meat to make sure there is no shell, then mix it with salt and pepper, some lemon juice and a little olive oil. Lay out your toppings on your table so that you’re ready to go when the blinis are done. If you wanted to go veggie, then some devilled eggs would be delicious on top.

4. When you’re ready to start making the blinis, heat up a small knob of butter in a non-stick frying pan. Spoon in small ladles of the mix and cook until golden brown on both sides, then drain on kitchen paper. Place in an oven on a wire rack to keep warm for a few minutes if necessary - they are fine served warm rather than hot. Repeat with the rest of the mixture, then top as you like and enjoy.

Chilli and thyme risotto with lemon and charred gambas

Ingredients

For the risotto

150g butter

1 large white onion, peeled and very finely diced

Few sprigs thyme

Good pinch chilli flakes

Salt and pepper

150g risotto rice

100ml white wine

1 litre vegetable/chicken stock, warmed

80g Parmesan

For the charred gambas

Olive oil

6 shell-on gambas (tiger or king prawns)

Pinch chilli flakes

Knob butter

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed, optional

1 lemon, halved

Method

1. First prepare the risotto. In a very heavy saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter and very gently cook the onion with the thyme, chilli and lots of seasoning until really soft.

2. After a good ten minutes (and probably with the lid on) add the risotto rice and cook on a slightly higher heat to “toast” the grains and get a bit of flavour onto them. Once they turn translucent, deglaze the pan with the wine. When the wine has absorbed into the rice, add a ladleful of the stock, stirring gently, but with intent. Once well absorbed, add another. The whole process should take 15 minutes or so, depending on how high the heat is and how warm the stock is. Taste and season as you go – I like risotto buttery, full of Parmesan and quite “wet”. If it’s a bit al dente, you can pause for a bit and go back to finish it off after your starter. It’s not as needy or fussy as the soufflé.

3. The gambas won’t take long so cook them when the risotto is almost done. Heat up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy frying pan or chargrill pan and when hot, add the gambas - they will only take a few minutes to cook. Season with chilli flakes, salt, butter, and maybe some crushed garlic. Put the lemon halves in the pan to char a little alongside the prawns. When they’ve gone from grey to bright pink and are hot through, you can be confident they are fully cooked.When all the stock has been added to the risotto, add the Parmesan, another knob of butter and douse with some of your loveliest and most expensive olive oil, if you fancy some additional unctuousness. Spoon risotto onto plates and top with the gambas. Serve with the charred lemon halves.

Passion fruit soufflé with white chocolate ice cream

Ingredients

275g bottle of passion fruit coulis

1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

20g butter, melted

3 egg whites

40g caster sugar, plus extra to coat the ramekins

2 fresh passion fruits, pulp removed, to serve

For the white chocolate ice cream

3 egg yolks

25g caster sugar

250ml milk

175g white chocolate

1 x 175g tin evaporated milk

Method

1. Make the white chocolate ice cream at least the day before as it takes a while to freeze. Ideally, a plastic container with a lid on it is best to use in the freezer. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until really pale, thick and creamy. Gently heat the milk in a small non-stick pan until just simmering, then remove from the heat.

2. Pour the hot milk onto the eggs, whisking continuously, then when all the milk is added, pour this mix back into the non-stick saucepan and gently heat until the mixture coats the back of the spoon.

3. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and add to the hot ice cream base, whisking continuously. Add in the tin of evaporated milk, then cool down before putting it into a plastic container and freezing. You can break it up by occasionally mixing it with a fork to improve the texture every few hours.

4. To make the base for the soufflés, bring the passion fruit purée to a boil and reduce for about five minutes, then stir in the cornflour paste - you’ll immediately feel it thicken as you keep stirring. Chill the mix.

5. To cook the soufflé, preheat an oven to 190C and preheat a baking tray that the soufflés will sit onto. Brush the insides of the ramekins with the melted butter, then sprinkle with some caster sugar and tip out the excess. Chill down the ramekins.

6. Whisk the egg whites until foamy, then add the caster sugar and keep beating until you form soft peaks. When you’re ready to go, work quickly. Add about a third of the whites to the chilled passion fruit base and fold in, but not too carefully as this is simply to loosen the mixture up and get it ready for the next fold of egg whites. Fold in the rest of the egg whites a bit more carefully to preserve the air bubbles and ensure a good rise.

7. Distribute the mixture between the ramekins and gently smooth out the top of the mixture with a pallete knife or spatula, then tap the ramekins on a hard surface to get out any big air bubbles. Using the tip of your thumb and forefinger, try to create a very slight rim at the top edge of the ramekin, which will help it rise and give it a “top hat” appearance. If you are completely confused, don’t worry about it, or else google David Lebowitz’s top soufflé secrets… the final two pictures will demonstrate it, although he does the rim part with a knife instead.

8. Place the ramekins onto the preheated tray and bake for about 8-9 minutes. They should have risen but still be a bit wobbly. Serve with a dollop of ice cream and some fresh passion fruit pulp.