February 3, 2006

Love Bites

V-Day Dinner Ideas from Table 8

Valentine’s Day makes people do some crazy things — like braving the frenzied masses with low blood sugar and love on the brain.

So this year, host your lovey-dovey party at home. We asked Table 8 chef Govind Armstrong for a few recipes that you won’t find on his menu. (More on what you will find on it in a minute.) The sweetie had great ideas:

Chilled Oysters with a Frozen Sparkling Mignonette

For the oysters:
* Chill twelve freshly shucked oysters. (Govind suggests Kumamotos.)

For the granita:
* Freeze 1/2 cup sparkling wine, 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar, and 2 teaspoons water in a metal pan for one hour.
* Use a fork to scrape the icy sheet into granita.
* Add 1 tablespoon each diced chives, shallots, and parsley.
* Mix thoroughly, season with freshly ground pepper, and store in the freezer.

To serve:
* Arrange six oysters around a granita-filled ramekin on a serving plate packed with crushed ice.

Broiled Lobster with Risotto and Winter Truffle

For the lobster:
* Easy way: Pick up fresh, precooked lobster tails. Hard way: Boil fresh lobster for five minutes.
* Preheat broiler.
* Split tails lengthwise, remove visible vein (a.k.a. mojo kryptonite), brush with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside on a baking sheet.

For the risotto:
* Place 1 cup instant risotto in a small pot on a medium heat.
* Add 8 ounces fish broth in small amounts. Stir constantly until the rice is cooked to your liking.
* Turn off heat, stir in 2 teaspoons unsalted butter and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan.

Put it together:
* Broil lobster tails until warm, about two minutes.
* Place the risotto on the plate with the lobster tail curled around the rice. Drizzle with truffle oil and the juice of one-half lemon.

Serve … and seduce.

What to eat until then? New on Mondays, try Govind’s Make Your Own Tasting Menu. (Pick any three items from the daily menu, choose cheese and a dessert, and B.Y.O.B. — corkage is waived!)

Table 8, 7661 Melrose Avenue, between Stanley and Spaulding Avenues, West Hollywood (323-782-8258 or table8la.com).