Continental Cooking in Your Crib

Tell her you know a place where the food is great.

Your place

You took her to the movies. You took her to your favorite trattoria. You took her clubbing. So now you think you might want to amp up the intimacy level. Now's the time to let her see what you can do when it's just the two of you. Take her home and fix a dinner that will leave you both ready for the next course.

Here we'll tell you how to prepare flank steak with potato gratin, roasted brussels sprouts and a salad with classic French vinaigrette.

We'll assume that you know your way around a kitchen and how not to cook everything on high. To prepare a meal, especially while you're being watched, requires forethought and organization. If you can pull it off--and we say you can--you will present her with a dazzling dinner and irrefutable evidence that you have competencies she never dreamed of. The important thing is how you pull it off. Make a simple plan and then break everything down into its parts. What follows is a dinner that's easy to make and makes a good impression.

You'll want to give her something to nibble on as you cook. Marinated olives and a slice or two of Brie or gruyère with some bread or crackers are reliable candidates.

As for the olives, drain two cups of assorted good-quality ones. Combine them with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a segmented (concluded on page 142)Cooking(continued from page 108) lemon (without skin), several peeled garlic cloves and a few sprigs of rosemary. Toss and let sit (covered) for an hour or so before you'll need them.

Hand her a glass of wine in the color of her choice, and let her watch.

The idea behind this dinner is that it's a meat-and-potatoes meal disguised as a bistro-style classic. The flank steak prepared this way is flavorful--the oil-and-soy marinade creates an appealing caramelized crust when grilled or broiled. The potato gratin is quick and virtually foolproof. It looks like magic at its best--simple and startling. The brussels sprouts are the biggest surprise. Roasted with a lot of salt, they become crunchy and flavorful--sort of like french fries.

Here's how it all works together.

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Place a flank steak (a little over one pound is about right) in a shallow pan. Whisk together three tablespoons of olive oil, three tablespoons of soy sauce and salt and pepper. Pour over the flank steak. Turn the steak several times to completely coat. Let it sit.

Wash and then trim 15 or so brussels sprouts. Dry them. Place them in a bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss to coat. Place on a cookie sheet and heat in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan to turn the sprouts every 10 minutes or so.

Peel and thinly slice two or three baking potatoes. Arrange in circular layers in an ovenproof saucepan along with salt and pepper, a few pats of butter and finely sliced garlic. Pour enough milk (or milk and half-and-half) to cover the potatoes halfway. Cook over medium-high heat until a light foam forms. This is what will brown when you put it in the oven. Grate some gruyère cheese over the top and cook for 10 minutes or so, then remove from heat.

In the meantime, break up and wash a head of romaine lettuce. Dry on towels. In a large bowl, combine three tablespoons of safflower oil, one tablespoon of red wine vinegar, one tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Whisk until blended and the dressing thickens.

At this point your brussels sprouts should be just about ready. Reduce the temperature to 350° F.

Heat the gratin of potatoes in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top begins to brown. When the top browns, take both the sprouts and the gratin out of the oven.

Turn on the broiler. Place the flank steak on a broiler pan and broil for up to five minutes on each side. Learn to tell how well cooked a piece of meat is by feel. The firmer it is, the more well done. Err on the rare side--you can always return it to the oven. When it's to your taste, let it sit on a cutting board for at least five minutes. (Allowing roasted or grilled meat to rest lets its juices be reabsorbed.) Turn off the broiler and return the gratin and the sprouts to the oven. If you think of it, put a small baguette of French bread in there to warm.

Break up the lettuce leaves and toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat. Avoid using too much dressing. If you like, you can finish the salad by grating a little Parmesan cheese over it.

Carve the steak, slicing it at a diagonal across the grain. Present it on a serving dish. Serve the gratin in its oven dish. Place the sprouts in a bowl. Serve the salad on separate plates.

Pour a good Côtes du Rhône with the meal.

For dessert, keep it simple. In a small saucepan, reduce a package of frozen blueberries over medium heat. Add a quarter cup of sugar. Stir until the mixture has a medium, saucelike consistency. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar. Spoon a few tablespoons over a scoop or two of French vanilla ice cream.

Basic equipment (these are things you will need to do serious cooking):

Measuring spoons

Measuring cups

Broiler pan

Cookie sheet

Whisks in several sizes

Several large stainless steel bowls

One chef's knife

One peeler

One paring knife

Stainless steel colander (with a handle)

Tongs in several sizes

Spatulas in several sizes

A ladle that holds a cup of liquid

Pyrex pans in assorted sizes

Stainless steel saucepans in two or three sizes

Two nonstick frying pans--one large, one small

A well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan

Perfex pepper grinder

Cheese grater

Basic provisions (things you should always have in your kitchen):

Several heads of garlic

Several kinds of pasta

Extra-virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Red wine vinegar

Kosher or sea salt

A wedge of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Several varieties of onions

Shallots

Fresh rosemary

Fresh basil