For Cook’s Sake! Make Valentine’s Day a seasonal seduction with sole poached in red wine and veg

Each month our very own Global Cool food expert Neil Coleman will bring you the tastiest (and greenest) meals around. For Cook’s Sake let’s you can chow down on all the food you love without worrying about the planet…

This month, the plan was to make a special, sexy, seductive, seasonal meal for Valentines day. Checking what seasonal produce is available can spark ideas, so I checked out Eat The Seasons to find out what, and when, veg are at their best. And it just so happens that (rather conveniently) many of the seasonal ingredients are aphrodisiacs – perfect for cooking up a storm for your special someone…

Carrots, were highly considered in Ancient Greece where they were called ‘philtrons’ (love-charms). Beetroot a.k.a. ‘Nature’s Viagra’ has a high boron content, a mineral that increases production of sex hormones. Red wine contains resveratrol, which helps boost blood flow, whereas sole contains Vitamins A, B, D, phosphorus, and calcium, which are all believed to enhance sex drive and even performance (oo-er)!

So guys and girls, if you are looking for a way to get more than just (eco-)friendly this year, just read on…

Ingredients…
2 fillets of sole
20 Chanterey carrots/ 4 regular carrots (peeled and thickly sliced)
Large glass of red wine (250ml)
Fish stock (250ml)
1 UK-grown squash – e.g. Acorn/Onion. (Halved & seeds/membranes removed)
2 raw whole Beetroot
3 Shallots – Red Onions will also do (diced)
1 Leek (sliced)
1 Punnet of Mushrooms (cut into quarters)
Bunch of Thyme
200g Mascarpone
50g Butter
1tbs vegetable oil

How to do it…
1. Firstly, arrange the squash, beetroot and carrots onto a baking tray with the squash cut side up. Drizzle over oil, sprinkle thyme leaves over everything and roast at 180c. (The beetroot is to be taken out after 40 mins, the squash and carrots 60.)

2. Sweat the shallots in some butter then add red wine and stock. As you are waiting for the sauce to come to the boil, butter a casserole dish well and season. Add the sole fillets and pour over the wine/stock mix. Cover with tin-foil and heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

3. Gently fry the cut mushrooms and leeks.

4. Take the beetroot from the oven and remove skin. Roughly chop and add mascarpone.

5. Remove the sole from the casserole dish. Pour the sauce into the mushrooms and leek pan and turn up the heat to quickly reduce.

6. Arrange everything on a plate and spoon the beetroot mix into the squash. Cue the romance!

Extra tips:
– After removing the fish, pour the sauce into a separate pan if you’d prefer to keep your mushrooms and leeks crisp
– If you can, cut a heart shape into the squash. I managed this in my experiments but not the actual meal!

Here comes the science bit…
Global Cool wants you to lead a green and happy life. This article can help you to be green by:

1. Trying to always opt for seasonal produce rather than forking out on expensive out-of-season buys.
2. Using up things in your fridge rather than tossing them away.

Pics: Neil Coleman

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