Did you know that, in Japan and Korea it’s traditional for only women to buy their partners gifts on Valentine’s Day? They even have to buy for male colleagues and friends. I bet half of you are now thinking, “God, I’m living in the wrong country.” I mean, imagine life without that annual trip to the petrol station for a card and flowers, or those last-minute attempts to book a meal in your favourite restaurant – which you were told to do weeks ago. Yes, life would be a lot simpler in the Far East.

Oh, come on, you unromantic lot, you can do better than that. And it can involve a lot less time, effort and money than you might think. I’ve put together a mouthwatering make-ahead menu just for the occasion, which is easily achieved on a school night. All it requires on your behalf is some preparation the night before. This way, you’ll look like you’ve been slaving for hours but will actually be able to spend more time wining and dining. Cunning or what?

To start, scallops baked in their shells with sautéed carrot and leek, infused with an aromatic herb butter. It might not quite be the jewellery box on the wish list, but serving the scallops in their shells will create some drama of its own, and the sweetness of the scallops should begin to break the ice. The main course of pork stuffed with apricot, pistachios and cumin with baked polenta can all be assembled a day ahead, leaving you just to roast the meat, bake the polenta and dress the rocket salad on the evening. And finally, a special combination of chocolate, honeycomb, coffee and cream in my tiramisù recipe. That’s got to be enough to melt anybody’s heart.

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