Cook the perfect steak this Valentine’s with help from The Cherry Tree

Since we can’t indulge in a romantic dinner out this year, many of us are wondering what to cook to make Valentine’s Day special at home.

If you’re looking for inspiration, you can’t go wrong with a perfectly pink juicy steak in our opinion.

But cooking a steak just right takes skill, and it’s not something you want to mess up, especially not on a special occasion. The stakes (ahem) are too high.

Luckily, award-winning Bolton restaurant The Cherry Tree at Blackrod have done all the hard work for you with their tempting Valentine’s menu, which is just £30 for three stunning courses.

All you need to do is finish the dishes off at home by following some simple steps. And then bask in the copious compliments that are bound to follow.

The chefs have kickstarted the cooking process on their succulent steaks, sealed with butter, thyme and garlic and slowly part-cooked sous vide style for two hours at a very low temperature for the ultimate in tenderness. 

And the family-owned restaurant and bar, voted Bolton’s best restaurant 2020, have a few tips on how to create a restaurant quality steak in your own kitchen, too.

Firstly, you should take your steaks out of the fridge for at least half an hour before you cook them, so they can get to room temperature. 

You then oil the steaks, season generously with coarsely ground sea salt and black pepper, and gently lay them in a very hot pan, letting them sizzle and pick up a lovely caramelisation for around a minute before turning. 

Add butter, garlic and thyme and baste the steaks in the foaming butter, then just make sure you rest the steaks before serving. It couldn’t be simpler.

When it comes to cut, you can go for a 28-day aged ribeye steak, full of flavour and beautifully marbled, as your main course with The Cherry Tree’s elegant Valentine’s menu. Or for a small supplement, you can choose a classic, tender fillet if you prefer.

Both are served with garlic and thyme fondant potato, tenderstem broccoli, heritage carrots and peppercorn sauce. 

If you don’t fancy steak, you can choose from plenty of other mouthwatering treats. 

A luxurious lobster mac and cheese is topped with truffled breadcrumbs for the ultimate decadence. Or there’s fresh spinach and ricotta ravioli with a rich roasted tomato ragu sauce.

Starters include creamed wild mushroom soup with toasted gruyere croute, mascarpone and tarragon oil, duck liver pate with toasted pistachios, or king prawn orecchiette pasta with a fragrant roasted shellfish bisque.

And we mustn’t forget puddings – not when The Cherry Tree have created a choice of three knockout desserts all designed to share.

The sharing strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake comes with roasted macadamia nuts and a champagne gel, while a sharing chocolate platter includes white chocolate and passion fruit mousse, dark chocolate fondant with cherry compote, and white chocolate and pistachio doughnuts.

Not got a sweet tooth? Then go for the perfect British cheeseboard, comprising of a blue, a hard and a soft cheese from Longridge in Lancashire accompanied by chutneys, artisan biscuits and flavoured butters.

A seductively sophisticated menu at home, without the hassle. The Cherry Tree knows the way to our hearts.

The Valentine’s menu is available for collection from The Cherry Tree at Blackrod, BL6 5LA, on Saturday 13th February from 12pm – 4pm (it can all be refrigerated overnight to eat on 14th), and costs £30pp for three courses with a £2 supplement for fillet steak. Last orders are 8pm on Tuesday 9th February.