Valentine's Day Menu ‘Per Due' by Italian Cookery Legend Valentina Harris

These recipes below have been adapted for the perfect dinner for two this Valentine's Day from Valentina's new book: The Italian Regional Cookbook (Lorenz Books, February 14th 2018, £25).

"This is a simple three course menu, created for a romantic dinner for two people. Scallops to begin, always sexy and sweetly delicious, followed by the richness of a Saltimbocca, which translates as being so wonderfully tasty it literally leaps up off the plate and into your mouth, and finally the most sensual of all desserts - the classic light and creamy Zabaglione, which requires a little work but never disappoints..."

High resolution images to go with these beautiful recipes are available in the online press folder:http://bit.ly/2B32d48. For more information about The Italian Regional Cookbook, to interview Valentina Harris, or for more recipes/extracts, please get in touch:dianaashlee@literallypr.com(www.literallypr.com).

CAPESANTE ALLA VENETA

SCALLOPS COOKED IN THE VENETIAN STYLE

In this recipe, fresh scallops are gently poached in their own juices with white wine, lemon juice and garlic, to make the simplest of dishes. The tender, sweet meatiness of the shellfish is beautifully offset by the other flavours. Scallops are popular in Venice and they feature in many rice and pasta dishes, or are served simply, as in this recipe. You can buy them cleaned and prepared from any good fishmonger - be sure to ask for the shells for serving the scallops. You could also serve it as an appetiser for eight people.

SERVES

8 large scallops with their shells, cleaned and prepared (see Cook's Tip)

85 ml/3 fl oz olive oil

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 heaped tbsp finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1 scant tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp dry white wine

Sea salt and ground black pepper

Lemon wedges, to serve

1 Scrub the scallop shells and put them into a low oven to warm. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then add the chopped garlic and the parsley. Fry everything together for 2-3 minutes.

2 Add the scallops (but not the corals) and lower the heat to the very lowest setting.

3 Season, add the lemon juice and wine, and then simmer very gently for 8 minutes.

4 Add the corals and cook for 2 minutes more. The scallops should be just firm and white. Transfer the scallops back into their clean shells with all the cooking juices and serve immediately, with lemon wedges.

COOK'S TIP To prepare scallops in their shells, first scrub the shells in cold water. Cut the hinge muscles at the base using a knife, and then carefully lift off the rounded shell. Scrape away the beard-like fringe. Remove the intestinal thread. Ease the scallop from the shell, then detach the orange coral from the scallop and set it aside.

SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA

VEAL WITH SAGE, PROSCIUTTO AND MOZZARELLA

Although veal for saltimbocca is sometimes served rolled up, like a beef olive, the original recipe from Rome calls for it to be flat, with mozzarella melting on top, sealed in by a lightly fried slice of prosciutto. Fresh and fragrant sage tucked between the layers and added to the butter for frying is an essential part of the dish, as is the generous glug of dry white wine. Use Frascati, if you can get hold of it, to continue the authentic Roman theme. Chicken or turkey breast escalopes can be cooked in this way too.

SERVES 4

4 thin veal escalopes, about 115g/4oz each, trimmed (or equivalent chicken breast escalopes)

125g/ 4 ½ oz mozzarella

4 slices prosciutto crudo

8 fresh sage leaves

1/2 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp unsalted butter

60ml/2fl oz dry white wine

Sea salt and ground black pepper

1 Put the escalopes between two sheets of clear film, plastic wrap or baking parchment and beat with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about 3mm/1 ⁄8in thick.

2 Cover each slice of meat with a slice of mozzarella and prosciutto, slipping a sage leaf between the meat and the mozzarella. Dredge the underneath of each saltimbocca in flour to just coat.

3 Melt the butter in a large frying pan with the remaining sage leaves. Lay the meat, covered side down, in the pan to seal the prosciutto to the meat with the cheese.

4 Turn and fry the other side until opaque, making sure the butter does not colour and burn. Season to taste.

5 Cover the pan and cook gently for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is oozing out and the saltimbocca is cooked through. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.

6 Pour the wine into the pan and boil quickly, stirring and scraping the juices from the base of the pan, for 3 minutes to create the sauce.

7 Pour the sauce over the meat and serve. Lovely with creamy mashed potato and some lightly buttered spinach.

COOK'S TIP Rose veal can be used instead of standard veal for this dish. This is a flavoursome product that makes use of the meat from male bullocks, that are not required for dairy herds.

ZABAGLIONE

This classic, world-famous dessert is a true labour of love - a combination of fresh egg yolks, Marsala wine and sugar, beaten into a frothy mousse texture that is just warm. It is very light and delicious served with poached apples, amaretti, savoiardi biscuits or slices of panettone.

SERVES 2

2 egg yolks

30ml/2 tbsp dessert wine, Marsala or sweet sherry

30ml/2 tbsp caster sugar

Amaretti, to serve (optional)

1 Whisk together the egg yolks, dessert wine or sherry and sugar in a large, round, heatproof bowl.

2 Place the bowl over a pan of very hot, but not boiling, water.

3 Whisk for 20 minutes (or 10 minutes if using an electric whisk), or until foaming, thick and shiny.

4 Pour the mixture into stemmed wine glasses and serve.

 --Ends--