In Good Taste: Valentine’s Day Challenge: Cooking Up Romance
Chef John Ondo dishes out an easy, make-ahead dinner for two
Valentine’s Day Challenge: Cooking Up Romance
Chef John Ondo dishes out an easy, make-ahead dinner for two
As co-owner and executive chef of Lana Restaurant & Bar, John Ondo knows all about Valentine’s Day dinners. As many as one third of all Americans celebrate the occasion by dining out, and he’s been serving sweethearts for 16 years running. Candlelit and intimate, with its popular menu of new-Mediterranean dishes cooked from local ingredients, Lana is a hot spot for a swoon-worthy tête–à–tête for two. So with his new bride, Angela Hall, at his side, John made a great match for designing an at-home Valentine’s meal.
With a full-time career as a jewelry artist and gallery owner, Angela’s day ends about the time husband John starts cooking the supper orders at Lana, so the possibility of a romantic sit-down dinner together is rare. With this in mind, the chef created a do-ahead menu that doesn’t take all day to execute and, when served, doesn’t require constant dashing back and forth to the kitchen.
The result? The formula for the perfect couple’s dinner. With the lighting low and the music set to your selection, you can command the table of your choice and impress your sweetie with a memorable date night in. The bonus? There won’t be any angst over the check.
The Challenge
Chef: John Ondo, Lana
Goal: Create a beautiful yet basic four-course dinner that can be prepared in advance
Number of guests: 2
Per person budget: $15
Menu: Soup: Curried sweet potato Salad: Arugula with toasted pecans, goat cheese, prosciutto, and lemon dressing Main Course: Herb-brined roast chicken with potato gnocchi, root vegetables, and chicken jus Dessert: Zabaglione with berries
Soup
John and Angela prefer starting a winter dinner with a hot soup, whether served in bowls at the table or in cups by the fire. The curry powder in this sweet potato rendition delivers simultaneous nuances of hot and sweet, bringing complex flavor to the basic ingredients. John suggests pairing the soup with a glass of a Spanish albariño or a Portuguese vinho verde. “The freshness and crisp acidity will clear your palate so that you realize a different taste with each sip,” he says.
The Shopping List
- Onion $0.65
- Celery $1.49
- Garlic $0.69
- Sweet potatoes $0.74
- Coconut milk $1.29
- Parsley $0.99
Final Cost: $5.85
From the Pantry
- Canola oil
- Curry powder
- Dried thyme
- Bay leaf
- White wine
- Chicken stock
- Salt and pepper
see Curried Sweet Potato Soup recipe below...
Salad
All of the elements of this simple salad—which provides an essential textural component of the meal—can be prepared in advance, leaving only the dressing to be added just before serving so that the arugula won’t wilt. Ahead of time, slice the prosciutto, crumble the goat cheese, toast the pecans, wash and dry the arugula, and juice the lemon so the assembly will take just a minute or two. The wine from the soup course can be continued with the salad, serving as a nice counterpoint to the saltiness of the prosciutto.
“It’s really crucial to use fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil,” John advises. “Each ingredient in this salad has to hold its own. Typically, I find white pepper to have a more subtle taste and to be more appealing to the eye, and I use it for everything except green salad and red meat. Here, you want the assertiveness of black pepper.”
The Shopping List
- Arugula $2.99
- Prosciutto $1.39
- Goat cheese $2.25
- Pecans $2.00
- Lemon $0.43
Final Cost: $9.06
From the Pantry
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
see Arugula Salad with Toasted Pecans, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, & Lemon Dressing recipe below...
Main Course
Many a restaurant critic has judged a chef’s skill by the success of his roast chicken; New York magazine just voted it “best dish for two.” Moist and flavorful with a crisp skin, John’s would earn three stars. His secrets are several: a brine that includes fresh tarragon, parsley, and lemons instead of just water and salt; four hours uncovered in the refrigerator after brining to dry the skin and make it crispier; and a base of aromatics for the chicken to roast upon, which flavors the jus. His choice of side: gnocchi.
Sometimes referred to as mashed potatoes with style, these little pillows of potato dumplings are favorites at Lana. “They’re a treat for me though,” confesses Angela. “John rarely makes gnocchi at home since he prepares them at the restaurant every day!”
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1. To help the potatoes absorb flour and cut down on clumpy dough, rice them while they are still warm (almost hot). |
2. If you don’t have a screen or sifter handy, whisk the flour quickly for a few seconds to break up any clumps before adding it to the potatoes. |
3. Use the paddle attachment on an upright mixer to mix the dough. Once a ball has begun to form, turn off the mixer and finish the dough by hand, just as you would biscuit dough. Overmixing releases too much gluten and leads to tough gnocchi. |
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4. To keep the dough from sticking, place a bit of flour nearby and dust while you are rolling it. |
5. Gently roll out the dough, working outwards from the center and going back and forth to make long ropes. |
6. Line the ropes up four or five at a time, then flour them and cut into one-inch gnocchi. |
The Shopping List
- Tarragon $1.99
- Lemons $0.86
- Chicken $4.47
- Onion $0.65
- Carrots $0.89
- Potatoes $1.19
- Eggs $0.85
- Parsnip $0.60
- Turnip $0.30
- Celery root $1.60
Final Cost: $13.40
From the Pantry
- Water
- Kosher salt
- Sugar
- Parsley, leftover from soup
- Peppercorns
- Garlic, leftover from soup
- Celery, leftover from soup
- Flour
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Wine
- Chicken stock
see Herb-Brined Roast Chicken with Potato Gnocchi, Root Vegetables, & Chicken Jus recipe below...
Dessert
Rich as velvet and smooth as satin, zabaglione makes a sweet seduction of what would be a basic berries dessert. A wine-enriched custard sauce that has to be hand-whipped over a double boiler, it can also be made with vin santo, Moscato d’Asti, or prosecco. While zabaglione is traditionally served slightly warm, few cooks would want to interrupt a tender moment to tend a sauce on the stove. Happily, it will hold for an hour once cooled to room temperature. For the wine pairing, John prefers prosecco, as the sauce is Italian; not a fan of the bubbly, though, Angela would rather sip a Riesling.
The Shopping List
- Strawberries $2.50
- Marsala $4.30
Final Cost: $6.80
From the Pantry
- Sugar
- Eggs, leftover from gnocchi
see Zabaglione with Berries recipe below...
The Results:
By dressing up basic ingredients, John Ondo made a delicious supper for his sweetheart, spending just slightly more than his budget of $30. But, as he says, “It’s Valentine’s Day, and my wife is worth the extra!”
Amount Spent: $35.11
Herb-Brined Roast Chicken with Potato Gnocchi, Root Vegetables, & Chicken Jus
For the Chicken:
- 1 gal. water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 bunch tarragon
- 1 bunch parsley
- 3 Tbs. cracked black peppercorns
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed with a knife
- 2 lemons, halved
- 3-lb. chicken
- Onion, quartered
- Celery, large dice
- Carrots, large dice
For the Jus:
- Juices and drippings from roasting chicken
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp. unsalted butter
For the Root Vegetables:
- 1 carrot
- 1 parsnip
- 1 turnip
- 1 small celery root
- 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Potato Gnocchi:
- 2 Idaho potatoes
- Pinch salt, plus more for boiling
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. unsalted butter
For the Chicken:
Place first eight ingredients in a pot large enough to hold the chicken and bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from stove and let brine come to room temperature. Add chicken and refrigerate for eight to 12 hours. Remove chicken from brine, pat dry, and place on baking sheet with sides. Refrigerate uncovered for four hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chicken on bed of onions, celery, and carrots and roast, basting occasionally, for 75 to 90 minutes, or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced. (You can make stock from the vegetables.)
For the Jus:
Take juices and drippings created from roasting chicken, skim off and
discard any fat, and place in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add wine and
chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until thick enough to very
lightly coat a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving,
whisk in butter.
For the Root Vegetables:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Peel and cut vegetables into half-inch by half-inch dice. Place in a bowl,
toss with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place vegetables on
heavy baking sheet with sides and roast for 45 minutes, or until soft. Add
more salt and pepper to taste.
For the Potato Gnocchi:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pierce potatoes several times with a knife, wrap in foil, and bake for one
hour, or until they are soft. Remove from oven and let cool enough to
handle. Peel off skin and put potatoes through a ricer into bowl of a stand
mixer. Add salt and egg yolk. Sift flour into bowl. Using paddle attachment,
mix on low until a ball is formed. Let dough rest for five minutes.
Using a lightly floured surface and hands, roll dough into ropes
approximately half an inch thick. Cut ropes into one-inch gnocchi. If using
immediately, to serve two, boil half of gnocchi in heavily salted water for
two to three minutes, or until they float. Drain well and toss with butter,
root vegetables, and a quarter-cup of chicken jus.
To make ahead, after cutting gnocchi, place on a floured baking sheet and
freeze. Once frozen, place gnocchi in a freezer bag and boil them when
needed, adding an additional minute to cooking time. Gnocchi can keep in
freezer for up to a month.
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
- 1/2 Tbs. canola oil
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 1/2 clove garlic, chopped
- 3/4 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- Pinch dried thyme
- Bay leaf
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 7 1/4 oz. coconut milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion and celery and cook on low, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 20 minutes. Add garlic, potatoes, curry, thyme, and bay leaf, and stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in wine and stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 35 to 45 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Remove bay leaf. Add coconut milk and purée with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Strain soup through a fine sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.
Arugula Salad with Toasted Pecans, Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, & Lemon Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups arugula, washed and dried
- 2 oz. prosciutto, julienned
- 3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup pecan halves, toasted
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Arrange arugula, prosciutto, goat cheese, and pecans on a platter. Squeeze lemon juice over everything. Drizzle with olive oil and toss lightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Zabaglione with Berries
- 2 cups strawberries, halved
- 1/2 cup plus one pinch sugar, divided
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine
Mix strawberries with a pinch of sugar. Divide between two wine or martini glasses.
Place yolks, sugar, and wine in mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until yolks become pale yellow, double in volume, and reach ribbon stage (when whisk is held up, custard falls into bowl like a ribbon without immediately disappearing), about a minute and a half. Remove bowl from over pot, continuing to whisk gently until custard cools to room temperature. Spoon over berries.
