Are you looking to celebrate Valentine’s at home rather than heading out for a meal?
Gia from Gia’s Kitchen and AJ Snetler, bartender at Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront suggest you whip up these delicious recipes that are easy to make at home and spoil your loved one on a romantic night in.
Celebrate your Valentine’s night at home with these recipes. Picture: Wendy Lategen.
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder
This sweet and spicy dish is bound to impress anyone on Valentine's Day. It's a melt in the mouth recipe that takes minimal effort to pull off but brings that wow factor to any romantic date at home. I have simplified the recipe to include a store-bought sweet chilli sauce or a homemade one for those cooks that want to be a bit more daring and impress their loved ones to the max!
Ingredients
1 lamb shoulder (approximately 2kg), washed and dried
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups store-bought or homemade sweet chilli sauce
2 cups white wine
1 lemon, juiced
3 cups beef or lamb stock
2 bay leaves
Method
Preheat the oven to 200’c. Rub the lamb with ½ cup olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast the lamb in the oven for about 20 minutes on each side in order to achieve a nice exterior crust on the meat.
While the lamb is in the oven, begin the sticky sweet chilli sauce by heating the other ½ cup of olive oil in a wide-based pot on medium heat. Fry the onions until golden brown. Add the garlic, homemade sweet chilli sauce, white wine, lemon juice, stock, bay leaf, and seasoning. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down so that the sauce can simmer.
Remove the lamb from the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 150’c. Discard any excess juices in the roasting dish and pour the sweet chilli sauce (can be store-bought) all over the lamb. Seal the roasting dish tightly with tinfoil. Roast the lamb in the oven for 3½ hours or until it falls apart. Pull the lamb into bite-size pieces using two forks.
Serve with rice, a fresh salad and enjoy.
Celebrate your Valentine’s night at home with these recipes. Picture: Supplied
Ludus Cocktail
If you’d prefer to have a professional mix this cocktail for you, it is available at Tobago’s Bar and Terrace at Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront.
Ingredients
50ml Warwick Rose
12.5ml Fabbri Violet
12.5ml Fabbri Rose
20ml lime
1 bar spoon strawberry jam
Method
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, and fill almost three quarters with ice, shake, and strain. Serve over ice in a rocks glass or short tumbler, and enjoy.