Cherries braised in your favorite wine can inspire a first course for a Valentine menu or any romantic evening. Just add a few teaspoons of this warm sauce on your greens along with candied pecans and your evening will be set on course.
Sacrificing a cup of prized Barolo will pay off as you romance your partner with this recipe. The rest of the wine will perfectly complement your dinner.
1/2 cup of pitted cherries
1/4 teaspoon of finely minced shallots
1 teaspoon of truffle oil
1 cup of Barolo or other red wine
1/4 cup of sugar
pinch of salt to add at very end
In a sauté pan, add the truffle oil and the minced shallots on medium flame and cook until transparent. Then, add the pitted cherries and the sugar and sauté for 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and braise for another 10 minutes or until the liquid begins to reduce.
Candied Pecans
1/2 cup of whole pecans
1 tablespoon of EVOO
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of salt
dash of chili powder
In a separate sauté pan, add the EVOO to a heated pan and then add the pecans, sugar, salt and chili powder and shake your pan until all the nuts are coated. Taste a nut and adjust your seasoning, adding more salt or chili powder to taste.
Assembling the salad
When ready to serve the salad, toss your greens with about a teaspoon of balsamic vinaigrette per serving and arrange on a plate. Then, garnish with the nuts and pour warm cherry mixture onto each salad and serve.
