Around the seafood world in three Valentine’s dishes

We venture to some of the world’s most romantic locations to find some sensational seafood dishes to delight your taste buds on Valentine’s Day.

Venetian-style scallops

Venice tops many people’s romantic places list. It might not be an option to visit at the moment, but how about some Venetian-style gratinated scallops as a starter for your romantic night in?

Ingredients

8 scallops in their shells
80g breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves
A small bunch of parsley
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Method

1. Finely chop the garlic and parsley.
2. Add a little olive oil to each shell, topping it with a tablespoon-full of garlic and parsley.
3. Place the scallop into its shell, sprinkling it with a little salt and pepper.
4. Add the breadcrumbs.
5. Cook in the oven at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 for ten minutes.

Classic French-style fillet

Of course, the French might argue that we Brits only need to look to the other side of the Channel when it comes to seeking the world’s most romantic country. French cuisine is steeped in tradition, and here’s a classic take on cooking a fish fillet.

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
White fish fillet of your choice – 1 per person
1 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp fish stock
2 tbsp cream
Fresh herbs, finely chopped to garnish

Method

1. Melt some butter in a pan. Cook the fillets for just a minute or two each side for a very thin fillet like sole or flounder, and two or three minutes per side for thicker fillets like cod. Remove from the pan and keep the fish warm.
2. Deglaze the pan with some white wine. Turn up the heat, adding the fish stock and reduce until it’s almost syrupy in texture.
3. Add the cream and whisk for a minute or so, keeping an eye on it to prevent the sauce from splitting.
4. Add the chopped herbs (e.g. chives or parsley) before pouring the sauce over the fillet. Serve with boiled potatoes and greens.

Grilled sea bass and salsa – Hawaiian style

Another romantic location we can mostly only dream of during the cold, wet winter is Hawaii. It’s a superb location for all sorts of seafood dishes, and we think you’ll like this local spin on grilled sea bass fillets.

Ingredients

Half cup 1/4-inch pieces pineapple
1/3 to half cup 1/4-inch pieces mango
Half cup 1/4-inch pieces red bell pepper
1/4 cup 1/4-inch pieces tomato
1/4 cup 1/4-inch pieces cucumber
1/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces red onion
1.5 tbsp minced fresh coriander
1 tbsp minced fresh mint
1 tbsp minced seeded jalapeño chili
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 sea bass fillets
Olive oil

Method

1. Add the first 10 ingredients into a medium bowl; toss to blend.
2. Season the salsa with salt. Chill to blend flavours, between one and four hours, tossing occasionally.
3. Brush the fillets with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Grill at medium to high heat roughly five minutes each side.
5. Place onto plates, top with salsa and serve.