Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner: Cooking with Chef Eagle

Do you want to impress a very special person? Here’s a delicious cake recipe and a special chicken Wellington entrée that you can prepare for the Valentine’s Day dinner special. Please keep in mind the cake and the chicken dish are a very time-consuming process, but for that very special person, time means NOTHING, correct?

Sacher Torte (cake)

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups apricot jam, pureed

Chocolate Ganache (glaze): 1 cup heavy cream; 16 ounces fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (you can use chips without chopping them).

Make the torte: In a saucepan combine the butter, the oil, and 1 cup water and bring the mixture to a boil. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together the sugar, the flour, and the cocoa powder for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is combined well, add the butter mixture in a stream, beating, and beat in the eggs, the buttermilk, the vanilla and the baking soda. Beat the batter until it is just combined well, pour it into a buttered and floured 9 inch cake pan, 2 inches deep, and bake the torte in the middle of a preheated 350F oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the torte cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, turn it out onto the rack, and let it cool completely. With a long serrated knife carefully cut the torte horizontally into 3 even layers, invert the top layer onto a small rack and spread it with about 2/3 cup of the jam. Top the first layer with the middle layer, spread it with about 1/2 cup of the jam, and invert the third layer onto the middle layer. Spread the top and sides of the torte with the remaining jam and chill the torte for at least 2 hours, or until it is very cold.

Make the glaze: In a saucepan bring the cream to a boil, put the chocolate in a bowl, and pour the hot cream over it. Stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and it forms a smooth glaze and let it cool until it is lukewarm and thickened but still pourable.

Put the torte on the rack over a jelly-roll pan and pour the glaze over it, spreading the glaze to coat the top and sides evenly. Chill the torte for 1 hour, or until the glaze is set, and serve it with whipped cream.

Hint: you can substitute apricot jam with Raspberry preserves. This will make it even better. You can as well add some nuts of your choice.

If time is the problem. Go to your local supermarket bakery section and ask for plain chocolate round cake with no icing or any fillings. These supermarkets usually have them in storage for quick assembly of cakes. It can be about a dollar each depending on the supermarket. Once you get that, just add the jams and nuts and the chocolate glaze. Chicken Wellington

Chicken Wellington

• 4 cups whole mushrooms
• 3 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Dash of salt & pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces each)
• 1 sheet of a 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 beaten egg

1. In a food processor bowl or blender container, process or blend mushrooms till very roughly chopped.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Sauté Garlic Add mushrooms, onion, Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper (to taste) . Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or till most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; Drain, cool.

3. Meanwhile, rinse chicken breast halves; pat dry. Place each breast half, boned side up, between two pieces of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the edges, pound lightly with the flat side of a mallet to form 1/8-inch-thick rectangles. Remove plastic wrap.(if no mallet available, use the bottom of a heavy sauté pan)

4. Season the chicken with salt pepper and minced garlic then sear the chicken on a saute pan (do NOT cook all the way) just sear it(brown it on each side),this is the key to the dish. It keeps the juice inside instead of going out while baking. Let it cool.

5. Cut pastry sheet into 4 rectangles. On lightly floured surface, roll out each rectangle into a 8 inch square.

6. Divide mushroom mixture among chicken breast pieces. Fold breasts over mushroom mixture to cover completely, tucking in edges. Place each chicken roll on a square of pastry. Brush edges of dough with beaten egg. Fold in two sides of dough over chicken, overlapping dough; fold in remaining two sides. Seal edges. Tuck dough ends under. Place, seam side down, in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Brush pastry lightly with beaten egg.

7. Bake in a 400°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown. Serves 4 people (1-hour preparation).

Sauces: a simple brown gravy will enhance the dish.

Hint: you can substitute beef (preferably filet) for chicken , do the exact same thing but make sure the beef is seared well.. For gravies, try adding raspberry preserves or variety of wines such as marsala, maderia or even champagne into it.

If there is a certain recipe request you would like to see in a future publication, please e-mail chefeagle@webbynet.com. If you prefer a private reply, just indicate it and I will try my best to reply if I am able to do so.