We always look forward to Valentine’s Day in the restaurant. After our January break we really know things are back in full swing. Like most restaurants, we are booked solid. Lots of people do not go out on the actual night but on the weekend so today I have two recipes for your celebration at home that any loved one will be delighted to be served.

The béarnaise sauce is the most difficult part of this recipe but it is worth learning. It goes well with grilled meat, particularly steak, but is also good with grilled lamb. The fillet steak is expensive but fabulous for special occasions. You could, of course, use sirloin or ribeye. In this recipe it is served with potato wedges but you might prefer chips or roast potatoes. Sweet potatoes would be nice also.

For dessert, who doesn’t like chocolate? Cavan is home to fabulous master chocolatier Ann Rudden of Áine Hand Made Chocolate. Her website is worth a visit and she supplies a 70% cocoa solid to Simply Better that is ideal for this recipe. Some people prefer rum or Coole Swan instead of brandy, and if you want alcohol free use vanilla extract.

Happy cooking.

Chateaubriand with Béarnaise sauce

Serves four

350g (12oz) piece thick end of a whole fillet (called the chateaubriand)

1 tbsp olive oil

Good pinch of sea salt

Good pinch freshly ground black pepper

For the Béarnaise sauce:

125g (4 1/2oz) unsalted butter

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp tarragon vinegar

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1 egg yolk

1/2 small lemon, pips removed

1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Pinch cayenne pepper

Pinch salt

Fresh watercress sprigs, to garnish

Roasted potato wedges, to serve

  • 1 Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas mark 9. Allow the chateaubriand to come to room temperature before cooking. Rub all over with the olive oil, then sprinkle with the sea salt and black pepper.
  • 2 Heat a heavy-based ovenproof frying pan. Seal the chateaubriand over a high heat for about six minutes until golden brown on all sides, turning regularly. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the steak for about eight minutes for medium-rare, or to your liking. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
  • 3 Meanwhile, prepare the Béarnaise sauce. Melt the butter in a small pan or in the microwave. Combine the white wine vinegar, one tablespoon of the tarragon, the shallot and the ground white pepper in a pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce until about one tablespoon of liquid remains. Strain into a liquidiser or mini blender, pushing down the tarragon leaves to extract the liquid.
  • 4 Add one tablespoon of warm water to the liquidiser together with the egg yolk and turn on the machine. Pour the hot butter into a jug and start to pour the butter very slowly on to the egg yolk. As the sauce emulsifies, increase the butter flow to a thin steady stream.
  • 5 As the Béarnaise sauce thickens, you will notice a change in the sound of the machine. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more warm water or lemon juice to taste. Add the remaining tarragon leaves, the parsley and cayenne pepper and blend briefly. Season with salt. Keep warm in a bowl or jug set in a pan of hot but not boiling water.
  • 6 Carve the chateaubriand into six slices, divide between warmed plates, garnish with watercress and serve with béarnaise sauce on the side and a big bowl of roasted potato wedges.

    • Chocolate parfait with cherries

    Serves two to four

    75g (3oz) plain chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids)

    40g (1 1/2 oz) butter

    5 tbsp caster sugar

    2 eggs, separated

    1 tbsp brandy

    3 tablespoons cocoa powder

    175g (6oz) fresh cherries, stoned and chopped

    150 ml (1/4 pint) double cream

    Vegetable oil, for greasing

    225g (8oz) mixed berries, such as blueberries, strawberries and raspberries

    Raspberry sauce, to serve (optional)

  • 1 Break the chocolate into pieces and melt with half the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Leave to cool slightly.
  • 2 Place the rest of the butter in a bowl with two tablespoons of the sugar and, using an electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg yolks, brandy and cocoa powder – adding a little cocoa after each addition of egg yolk stops the mixture from splitting. Fold in the cooled melted chocolate mixture with the chopped cherries.
  • 3 Place the cream in a bowl and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until they have also formed soft peaks, then add the remaining sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture and finally fold in the egg whites until just combined.
  • 4 Line a 450g (1lb) loaf tin with oiled cling film and carefully pour in the chocolate mixture. Cover with clingfilm and freeze for at least four hours or preferably overnight until solid.
  • 5 Remove the parfait from the freezer about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve, then turn out on to a flat plate and carefully peel away the cling film. Cut into slices and arrange on plates with the summer berries and a dribble of raspberry sauce, if liked.