recipes

A Valentine's Day Menu from the city's top chefs

A make at home meal from Joe Cicala, Mike Solomonov and Brad Spence.

Photo courtesy of Mike Solomonov on Instagram

Mike Solomonov’s slow-roasted short ribs are made for sharing.
Neal Santos

This year, the stars have aligned and Valentine’s Day is falling on a Saturday. That means that unless you had the superhero foresight to book a table, say, back in 2014, your chances of scoring the romantic corner table of your (or your date’s) dreams is about as slim as the selection of roses at the florist around 6 p.m. on the 14th. Instead of dashing all hopes of Valentine’s Day romance and relegating yourself to some less-than-dazzling takeout options, we’ve tapped chefs from some of the most sought-after Valentine’s Day destinations in town and asked them to share a menu that’s big on the wow factor, not too heavy on the shopping or prep, and conducive to canoodling in the kitchen. 

Alici Innamorati

The name of this recipe from Le Virtù and Brigantessa chef Joe Cicala translates to “anchovies in love” and is a traditional dish from Cetara on the oh-so-romantic Amalfi Coast. 

•  1 egg

•  1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

•  6 fresh anchovy fillets, butterflied

•  1 ball buffalo mozzarella

•  Sunflower oil for frying, enough to fill a small pot to 2 inches

Beat egg and Parmigiano together in a bowl to make a batter and set aside. Cut the mozzarella into four long slices and sandwich each slice into each anchovy filet. Dip the mozzarella-stuffed anchovies into the egg batter and fry until golden brown. Lightly salt after frying. Can be served warm or at room temperature. Serves 2.

Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu and Mint

Chef Brad Spence’s menu at Amis has all of the Italian-accented amore of Roman Holiday and so does this rich and saucy pasta finished with bright sprigs of mint.  

•  2 pounds lamb leg, cut into four, 8-ounce pieces

•  Salt and pepper to taste

•  Flour for dusting lamb

•  4 tablespoons olive oil

•  1 onion, chopped

•  2 carrots, peeled and chopped

•  2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped

•  2 cloves garlic, minced

•  1/2 cup canned whole tomatoes

•  2 cups dry red wine

•  2 to 3 cups water

•  2 sprigs rosemary

•  1 Parmesan cheese rind

•  1 pound rigatoni

•  2 tablespoons butter

•  4 tablespoons fresh mint sprigs

•  1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pan to medium. Season the lamb with salt and pepper and dredge in flour to coat. Add oil to pan and sear lamb for about 5 minutes on each side or until dark golden brown. 

Remove meat from pan and reserve. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic to pan and cook until lightly caramelized. Add tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes. Deglaze with wine and reduce by half. Add water and reduce for 5 minutes. Return meat to pan along with rosemary and Parmesan rind and cook covered over low heat until tender (about 30 to 40 minutes). Then remove meat and shred with fork and return to sauce. 

Cook rigatoni in salted boiling water 1 minute less than instructed. Add cooked rigatoni to ragu and cook until the pasta is clinging to the sauce, stirring in pan to coat. Stir in butter, mint and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Plate on a large warm platter, family-style and top with the rest of the Parmesan. Serves 4.

Slow-Roasted Short Ribs

Mike Solomonov’s slow-roasted short ribs are heavy on the wow factor. After all, is there anything better than sharing a caveman-sized cut of meat with a special someone? Plus the prep time is minimal and the low-and-slow cook allows for plenty of pre-dinner downtime. 

•  One 3 to 4 pound short rib plate

•  Kosher salt

•  Spice blend (below)

For the spice blend, combine equal parts: 

•  Turmeric

•  Black pepper

•  Cumin

•  Cinnamon 

•  Fenugreek

•  Ground ancho chili 

Two days before serving: Heavily season short ribs with kosher salt and spice blend. Allow to cure for two days, uncovered in fridge.

To cook: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place short ribs in a roasting pan, uncovered. Roast in oven for 6 hours. Rest for at least 10 minutes, then carve short rib in slices to serve. Serves 2.

(caroline@citypaper.net)

To round out your Valentine's Day menu, head over to citypaper.net/mealticket for Marcie Turney’s deal-sealing Salted Caramel Budino from Barbuzzo and a customizable risotto from Lucio Palazzo that’s engineered to stir up some heat in the kitchen.