A romantic dinner for two

Entree:
Sake Duck with Snow Peas and Avocado

Best made just before serving
 

• 100g snow peas
• ½ red pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (about 200g) single duck breast fillet
• ¼ cup sake
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• ½ small avocado, chopped

• Boil, steam or microwave peas and pepper until just tender; drain, rinse under cold water, pat dry with absorbent paper. 
• Heat oil in pan, add duck, and cook skin side down until skin is well browned and crisp. Turn duck, cook on other side for about 5 minutes or until duck is just tender. Remove duck from pan, stand 10 minutes before slicing thinly.
• Combine sake, sauce, sugar and vinegar in a clean pan, simmer, uncovered, about 2 minutes or until sauce is thick and syrupy. Remove from heat, add duck; coat well. Serve duck warm with snow peas, pepper and avocado. ​ 

​Main:
Fish Parcels with Mint Seasoning
Squash and Asparagus in Saffron Butter
 
Fish Parcels

• 4 sheets filo pastry
• 40g butter, melted
• 2 white fish fillets
• Lime wedges to serve

 
Mint Seasoning

• 1/3 cup coconut cream
• pinch turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon sambal oelek
• 1 teaspoon mango chutney
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon grass
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

• Layer two pastry sheets together, brushing each with butter. Place a fish fillet at a short end, spread fish with mint seasoning, roll pastry, folding in ends to form a parcel.
  
• Brush with butter, place on a greased oven tray. Repeat with remaining pastry, butter, fish and mint seasoning.
  
• Bake parcels, uncovered, in a hot oven (around 200°C) for about 15 minutes or until pastry is browned and fish is cooked through.
• Serve with squash and asparagus in saffron butter and lime wedges.  ​

Squash and Asparagus in Saffron Butter

• 6 spears fresh asparagus
• 10 baby yellow squash, halved
• 40g butter
• pinch saffron
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• ​Cut asparagus into 4cm pieces. Boil, steam or microwave asparagus and squash until just tender.
• Heat butter in a pan, add vegetables and saffron. Stir-fry until heated through. Stir in herbs. 

Dessert: 
Orange Soufflés

A perfect dessert after the rich entrée and main course. They are as light as air and subtly tangy. Don’t use thin-skinned oranges as the skin may shrivel during cooking.
 

• 2 oranges, washed and dried
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. flour, sifted
• 40g sugar

• 1 tbsp. orange curacao
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites
• 2 ½ teaspoons icing sugar
• Mint leaves to garnish.

• Cut the tops off the oranges and scoop out the flesh, creating two orange cups. Microwave the orange flesh for 5 minutes at 600 watts. Strain the juice and set aside.
• Combine the egg yolks, 10 grams of sugar and the sifted flour in a saucepan. Slowly add in the milk and mix well. Heat on low until the mixture starts to thicken. Turn off the heat and mix in the orange curacao. 
• Beat the egg whites until white and frothy. Add 30 grams sugar in thirds and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  
• Gently fold the meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Pour into the orange cups. Place them into an oven-safe pan.
• Pour hot water into a baking pan. Place the pan with the soufflés in the centre of the baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C. Sprinkle with icing sugar and garnish with a mint leaf.  
  
• Serve with ice cream, sliced orange and mint leaves if desired.