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Serve your sweetheart this Italian feast

Cook up a festive meal from the Scottos for Valentine’s Day

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Valentine’s Day with the Scottos
Feb. 9: TODAY host Matt Lauer talks with Marion, John, Anthony, and Elaina Scotto of the New York restaurant Fresco by Scotto about some romantic dishes to serve your loved one.

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TODAY
updated 1:29 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2007

Whether it's making dinner for the family you love or a romantic meal for that special someone, Marion, John, Anthony and Elaina Scotto of the New York restaurant Fresco share this special menu.

Crispy arborio rice crusted oysters with arugula, shaved fennel, radicchio and citrus salad
The Scottos

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

To prepare oysters

24 selected shucked oysters
1/2 cup all-purpose flour in a small bowl
2 eggs, whisked in a small bowl
6 ounces arborio rice
1 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil

To prepare salad

3 blood oranges, trimmed and cut into segments
3 red or pink grapefruits, trimmed and cut into segments
2 fennel bulbs, cored and sliced paper-thin
2 heads of arugula, trimmed, washed and carefully dried
2 heads of radicchio, cored and cut into 1-inch ribbons

To prepare citrus vinaigrette

Juice of blood orange (collected from segmenting)
Juice of grapefruit
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon aged sherry or balsamic vinegar
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Recipe continues below ↓
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DIRECTIONS

To prepare oysters
Place the arborio rice on a sheet pan and toast in oven at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Place in blender and grind into fine powder. Place oysters one by one in flour and toss carefully and pat off excess flour. Dip in the egg wash and then dredge fully in the arborio rice powder. Heat oil in sauté pan to approximately 350°. Quickly fry oysters on both sides until golden brown. Place on top of salad and serve immediately.

To prepare salad
1. Wash, trim and clean all lettuces and fennel; dry and toss together in a bowl. Place in refrigerator and chill until salad is ready to be assembled.
2. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut off and discard the peel and white pith from oranges and grapefruit.
3. Working over a small bowl to catch juices, cut between the membranes to remove the orange and grapefruit segments; refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare citrus vinaigrette
1. In a small mixing bowl, add citrus juice, vinegar and seasoning; slowly whisk in olive oil or place ingredients in a blender to blend together.
2. When ready to serve, remove lettuces from refrigerator, dress with citrus vinaigrette, add orange and grapefruit segments, and set fried oysters on or around salad.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES


Maine lobster risotto with snow peas (lobster broth, Prosecco and fresh basil)
The Scottos

6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

For risotto

8 cups lobster (or shrimp) stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup Vin Santo (or Prosecco)
1 1/2 cups snow peas, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat, tail and claw, cut into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, sliced in thin strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, combine 2 tablespoons butter, the olive oil, onions, and garlic; cook over medium heat until the onions, and garlic are soft and translucent.
2. Add rice and stir for 2 minutes until it is almost opaque. Add enough stock to just cover rice, and then turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until the stock begins to be absorbed, then add another ladle full of stock. As level of stock dips below level of the rice, continue to add stock, one ladle at a time to keep rice covered. After 15 minutes, taste rice; it should still be quite hard.
3. Add a little more stock if necessary until rice is tender and creamy, yet still al dente. Add wine and continue to stir. The risotto should be quite moist, but not swimming, even so, you may have stock left over.
4. Remove from heat, add snow peas, lobster, remaining butter, and stir vigorously for half a minute or until rice becomes very creamy. Season with salt and pepper, fold in basil, and serve immediately.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES


Bittersweet chocolate truffle cake
The Scottos

10 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds bittersweet chocolate, divided
12 ounces unsalted butter
9 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups heavy cream
4 ounces white chocolate

DIRECTIONS

1. Break half of the chocolate into pieces and melt with butter in a bowl over simmering water.
2. Combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip on high till pale yellow and tripled in volume.
3. Fold together chocolate and egg mixtures.
4. Line the bottom of a 10-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and wrap the outside tightly with aluminum foil.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan, place in a water bath, cover loosely with buttered foil, and bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove buttered foil and bake 20 minutes more.
6. Chill cake well and remove from spring form pan. Bring cream to a boil and pour over remaining bittersweet chocolate to melt. Pour this over the cake, covering completely. Chill again.
7. When cake is again well chilled, melt white chocolate and pour over the top of the cake.

MANAGE YOUR RECIPES


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