Valentine's Day Menu Ideas from Authentic Pizza Ovens Australia

It’s the love month once again. There’s nothing wrong with going a little extra for special occasions like this. If you’re looking for romantic dinner ideas for two or more on Valentine’s Day in these uncertain times, we have it right here for you. Celebrate it in the comfort of your homes. We can all agree that the safest place to celebrate occasions during these times is right where we are, at the comforts of our homes. You can deck your backyard with Valentine decors and set the mood to what you like.

Whether it’s a traditional homemade pizza or a barbie, this is the perfect opportunity to show off your cooking skills. With nice weather outside, your Authentic Pizza Oven in your outdoor kitchen is perfect for the occasion and for creating memories with your loved ones and family.

True to the saying that the way to a man’s heart (or your family) is through the stomach, they will appreciate the effort and love you for it. Here’s a little not-so-secret-secret: the secret ingredient to cooking delicious and heartwarming food is TLC (tender, loving, care). 

Bring out the pots and pans, start the fire in your grille or your wood fire pizza oven, and let’s start cooking. Deck out your backyard with Valentine decors and make this a Valentine to remember.

Here are Valentine’s Day menu ideas you can try. For a more intimate or formal dinner, you may want to try the Grilled Filet Mignon with Mushroom Butter Sauce. See recipe below. 

Grilled Filet Mignon with Mushroom Butter Sauce

See the wood-fired oven perfect in cooking steaks at home!

This is an incredible steak recipe for Valentine’s. It’s tender with buttery flavor topped with a rich brown butter mushroom sauce, mouthwatering!

Ingredients

4 10 – 12-ounce filet mignon steaks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt

1 ½ tablespoons coarse ground pepper

1 ½ tablespoons granulated garlic

Brown Butter Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus 1 tablespoon for sauté)

6 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

2 tablespoons diced shallots

2 cloves garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons diced fresh sage

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

For the Grilled Filet Mignon

1. Remove fillet from the refrigerator. Pat dry and allow them to come to room temperature (30 minutes to 1 hour).
2. While filets are coming to room temperature, prepare grill for two zone or direct indirect method. Ideally the temperature directly above the charcoal is over 500 degrees.
3. Lightly coat the steaks with olive oil. Combine the salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl and apply liberally to the steaks, including the sides.
4. Place the steaks over direct heat for 2 minutes (enough to get a sear, but not burned). Flip the steaks and cook the other side for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Move the steaks to the indirect side of the grill, and finish cooking until the internal temperature of the steak is 125 – 130 degrees F for rare (or longer for your preferred finishing temperature). Remove steaks and let rest. While resting, prepare the brown butter.

For the Mushroom Brown Butter Sauce

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil. Allow butter to melt and then add mushrooms. Saute mushrooms for 10 – 12 minutes to brown and slightly caramelize. 
2. After 10 – 12 minutes add shallots and garlic, and saute for additional 4 minutes to soften. Remove the mushroom, shallot, garlic mixture from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Bring butter to a small simmer, stirring occasionally for additional 10 minutes or until the butter starts turning brown and has a nutty aroma. Add back the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic mixture to the brown butter. Finally add salt and sage and immediately remove from heat, stirring to combine.
4. Spoon brown butter over the steak and serve.

Source: vindulge.com/grilled-filet-mignon

Related: Meat Dishes You Can Cook in a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

Wine Pairing : Cabernet Franc , Merlot

If you want a more laid-back, easy to make Valentine Dinner, you can never go wrong with a traditional homemade Italian Wood Fire Pizza that you can make with your wood-fire pizza oven. See recipe below.

Italian Traditional Wood Fire Pizza

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (125ml) garlic oil, plus extra to drizzle 
• 2 cups (500ml) good-quality tomato pizza sauce 
• 1 cup (150g) kalamata olives 
• 10 slices prosciutto, torn 
• 2 x 150 g fior di latte, sliced 1 cm thick 
• 250g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes 
• 1 cup basil leaves 

Pizza bases

• 7g sachet dry active yeast 
• 2 tsp caster sugar 
• 500g strong (baker’s) flour 

Instructions:

1. For bases, stir yeast and sugar in a bowl with 300ml warm water. Stand for 15 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface. Place flour in a large bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons of salt. Add yeast mixture to flour and mix with your hands to just combine. Place in a mixer with a dough hook and knead for 5 minutes. (Or knead with your hands until smooth.) Divide into 6 balls. Place on a lightly oiled tray spaced apart, cover with a clean tea towel and stand in a warm place for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

2. Preheat the oven to 220°C or the woodfired oven to 400°C. Roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface, rolling from the inside to the outer edge, to form a 24cm round. Brush each base with 1 tablespoon garlic oil, then spread with a thin layer of sauce, leaving a 2cm border. Scatter with olives, prosciutto, cheese and tomatoes. 

Wine pairing : Lambrusco - 2017 Cavicchioli Vigna del Cristo Lambrusco 

Source: delicious.com.au

If you’re not pairing your pizza with wine, a coldie would do!

Our recommendation...

Can’t decide which recipe or menu to go for on Valentine’s Day? Go for both.  Your Authentic Pizza Oven can handle high temperatures and all-day cooking. Whichever menu you go for, remember that it’s the thought and the effort that counts. Check out our very own Cookbook for more menu ideas. 

Interested in owning one of our traditional or modern ovens? Authentic Pizza Ovens ships from Sydney to any part in Australia. Our wood fire pizza ovens are specially handcrafted by local artisans from Lisbon, Portugal. 

For more information, call us at 0411-331-911 or send us an email at info@authenticpizzaovens.com.au.

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