Nothing says romance quite like a beheaded Roman priest.

With apologies to naive romantics everywhere, St. Valentine wasn’t a fat-faced cherub who rendered couples love-struck with an oddly enjoyable arrow to the left ventricle.

The truth is much more interesting.

A Catholic priest, St. Valentine refused to renounce his faith and thus was beaten, stoned and decapitated.

Martyrdom is never pleasant.

But while a few former flames out there are guilty enough for the guillotine, Valentine’s Day isn’t about beheading. It’s about nibbling, noshing and other oral gratification.

Leave oysters to the amateurs, return the pine nuts to the pantry. Forget the Spanish fly and skip the sparrows, a favorite snack of that mythical Greek babe Aphrodite, for whom food-as-foreplay is named. Instead, take a hint from a few other legendary lovers: It’s spice that makes seduction nice.

Queen Sheba snagged her man Solomon with cinnamon. Marc Antony was captured by Cleopatra’s cardamom. Garlic was lauded as erotic by ancient Ezra and the Kama Sutra sexperts prescribed ginger for “performance.”

But you can’t just spoon-feed your love a helping of smoldering spice; enhanced endurance requires a bit more sustenance. So blend the above with yogurt and add intrigue with cloves, cumin, paprika and pepper. Pour over poultry and let marinate overnight. Bake this aromatic mix and you have an Indian-inspired dish certain to send your amore into the sweetest submission.

And remember, it’s better to lose your heart to love than to lose your head.

Spicy Chicken with Tomato Chutney

Marinade:

2 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons mild paprika

2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons ginger

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of cloves

Pinch of salt

A few squeezes of fresh lemon

4 to 6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Chutney:

3 cups chopped tomatoes

1/2 chopped red onion

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint

4 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

3 tablespoons lime juice

Mix yogurt, spices, salt and lemon juice together. Add chicken, coating thoroughly. Let marinate at overnight.

Heat oven to 425 F and place chicken in baking dish. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until cooked thoroughly.

For chutney, combine all ingredients in bowl and season with salt and pepper. Serve over chicken.