10 easy romantic recipes from Michelin-starred chefs

With a fluffy centre, crisp coating and zingy, caper-fuelled dressing, these fish cakes aren’t the all potato, no fish varieties you can pick up in the supermarkets. You can even shape them in advance, then breadcrumb and fry them just before serving. The presentation is easy, too – just make a little pile of shaved fennel, plonk the fish cake on top and finish with a clump of dressed rocket and some capers. Simple!

OK, so you have to prep a little in advance with this one – the salmon is lightly cured and needs to sit in the fridge wrapped in cling film for about three hours. However, to serve, you just need to slice the fish up and arrange it on the plate. The rémoulade requires nothing more than julienning an apple and a celeriac, while the simple sauce just needs reducing over the hob (which again, can be done in advance then reheated). The finished dish is light, refreshing and bursting with flavour; buy the best salmon you can afford and prepare to wow your other half.

Camembert and figs are a match made in heaven, as will you and your beloved once you’ve cooked this dish. Chef Marcello Tully is known for his expertly paired flavour combinations, and this tart is a perfect example. The dressing has quite a few ingredients but really elevates the dish and is simple to make, so don’t leave it out, and if you haven’t got a blowtorch to give the cheese a bubbling crust, a quick blast under a hot grill will do just as well.

The key to this rich, luxurious risotto is the fresh mushrooms – if you can’t find wild ones, it’ll work with good old button mushrooms too. The truffle oil should be good quality as well, so it’s worth splashing out on a decent bottle (and you’ll find yourself drizzling it over everything before too long). Risotto is a very easy dish to plate up, too – just pile it in a bowl, scatter a few of the mushrooms on top, drizzle it with oil and scatter over a few leaves.

Pierre Koffmann is a truly legendary chef, and in his later years he has turned his hand to more classical French cuisine that’s easy to replicate at home. This pan-fried duck breast with seasonal vegetables might look simple, but the secret is in the incredibly flavourful sauce that’s fruity, aromatic and very, very delicious.

Now we’re talking – a massive piece of lobster smothered in flavoured butter. Just whizz up a stick of soft butter with ginger, lime, garlic, chilli and coriander, shape it into a log and keep it in the fridge until needed (up to a week in advance), then boil and grill your lobsters for just five minutes.

Arguably the pinnacle of French cooking, soufflé tends to scare home cooks who hear lots of horror stories about how volatile they can be. But this recipe from two-Michelin-starred Daniel Clifford is easy to follow and, if you follow it to the letter, you’ll be rewarded with an incredibly light and fluffy dessert to round off a delicious meal. Just 50g of cocoa powder is all that’s needed to turn this into a chocolate-lover’s delight.

It’s all in the name with this one – you can make your intentions pretty clear by serving any dessert with passion fruit in it. The beauty of Simon Hulstone’s cheesecake lies in one special ingredient – passion fruit purée – which essentially does all the hard work for you. The base is just whizzed up biscuits and butter, the creamy cake is flavoured with orange, lemon and vanilla, while the topping is a striking orange and set like a jelly thanks to the addition of gelatine.

Want to impart a little Italian romance into your menu? Then Paul Ainsworth’s tiramisu is the answer. It’s little more than an assembly job, but presented in a glass bowl it looks simply stunning. Buy good quality chocolate to sprinkle on top and serve with a small glass of amaretto or Tia Maria for the full effect.

Forget the bunch of roses, this rosewater-infused cheesecake from the inimitable Marcus Wareing is a much sweeter gift. Make it a day in advance and present it, straight from the fridge, to your loved one – you can even add a splash of colour to the top with some crushed pistachios or rose petals.