Chef’s Menu for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day Menu

Chef Eric Fraudeau created this special menu for February 14th for our Perfectly Provence followers. The chef and his wife Yetunde are the power couple behind Cook’n with Class with cooking school locations in Paris and Uzès. The team has developed a wide variety of cooking classes, hands-on workshops, wine tasting, and culinary holiday programs. Learn how to make French bread, cook fish to perfection or put on an apron for a week-long culinary adventure in the South of France.

The meal outlined below is wonderful for a romantic evening, but just as well-suited for a group of good friends. After all, Valentine’s should really be every day.

Enjoy!

The Chef’s Wife

Yeah, I won’t lie, there are certainly some perks to being a chef’s wife. You get to be the guinea pig for his latest recipe obsession for one. I get to watch him perfect his talents while I indulge in little tastings. And while my wardrobe may not always be as forgiving after years of decadent delights, my taste buds will more thank me over and over again.

People often suppose that because I am married to a chef, I must eat extraordinary meals every day. It isn’t always a gourmet dinner at our house and I do do my share of the cooking, being an avid cook myself, but after the creation of a French cooking school in Paris and the second one in Uzès, my husband knows my tastes.

Let’s face it, it is easy to become cynical over this pseudo-holiday. Why do we need one day a year to remember to say, I love you. Sure you could have your own anti-valentine’s day party but frankly, does it hurt to have one more occasion to try to let someone know that you care? Not to mention that some of us need that little alarm on the calendar to remember to do something extra special – you know who you are.

So let’s make this event THE event. Something a delicious for that special someone. Anyone knowing me would tell you that I love any chance to create an occasion. So when Carolyne asked us if we could offer up an idea for a Valentine’s Menu I was more than ready . . . to ask Eric to get to work that is. And we don’t do things the easy way. We could have pulled out any old recipe from our database of recipes and handed them in and I’m sure Carolyne and her readers would have been happy. But we thought, here’s a chance to try something we haven’t before – at the same time helping out a friend and also building on what we have with photos to boot!

It ended up being pre-Valentine, Valentine’s Day dinner (lunch really – better lighting), but in our line of work, you often have to anticipate these things well ahead of when the general public starts thinking about it. This is the time of year that though classes are fewer, we are still working liking crazy. Refining recipes, doing small renovations and planning the year of cooking (and entertaining). We are pretty much thinking about food from Breakfast to bedtime.

I am particularly pleased with Eric’s selection this year – it was delicious and our son also eagerly wanted to take someone photos.

Please click on links below for full recipe details.

Chef’s Menu for Valentine’s

Starter Course:

We start with our 1st course, a sole and salmon tresse. elegantly woven strips of fresh fish served with supremed orange and an orange, butter cream sauce.

Main Course:

Our second course is the famous beef wellington – a succulent beef tenderloin cooked just right, enrobed in mushrooms and foie gras and then wrapped in pâte feuillitée.   

Dessert:

And to finish it all off, a chocolate banana charlotte cake – rich, delicious and a perfect way to end a perfect meal.

While your mouth is still watering (mine too), think about which special someone you want to share this meal with and have a happy Valentine’s Day, we’ll see you in class.

Wine Pairings:

We have moved a bit beyond Provence in the wine category, but you will not be disappointed. Please follow this link for our suggestions for wine pairings with each course of the menu.