COOKING WITH CHOCOLATE

Chocolate is an edible combination if roasted and ground cocoa seeds that are made into a form of liquid paste or block which might be used for flavouring in other foods.

The earliest signs of use were in Mexico suggesting consumption of chocolate beverages, dating from the 19th century BC.  Most of the Mesoamerican people made chocolate beverages including the Mayas and the  Aztecs.

The seeds of the cocoa tree are extremely bitter and must be fermented to develop the flavour, After fermentation, the seeds are dried, cleaned and roasted,  The shells are removed to produce cacao nibs then ground to cocoa mass, unadulterated chocolate in a rough form.  Once the chocolate mass is liquified, by heating, it is called chocolate liquor. It is then cooled and processed into two components cocoa solids and cocoa butter. 

Baking chocolate is called bitter chocolate, without added sugar,  Most of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, a combination of chocolate solids, cocoa butter, vegetable oil and sugar.  Milk chocolate is a sweet chocolate that contains, additionally, dried or condensed milk,  White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, milk but no solids.   

(Most of the information given above is from Wikipedia and cookery books the authors of which I sincerely thank like Roland Goock, Jane and Sophie Griegson, Tselemtes, Tessa Kyros, and my very  dear friend June Marinos and  her co-writer Dianna Farr Louis.)  

     

Here are a few recipes for dishes and one dessert made with chocolate.  

 

                                             SPICY CHOCOLATE SOUP

An interesting, tasty soup.

 

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tsp red pepper flakes

4 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, grated skins discarded

1 onion, peeled and grated

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 heaped tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp sugar

1500 ml (6 cups) tasty chicken soup

90 g (3 oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

250 ml (1cup) thick cream,  whipped

 

Sauté the tomatoes, pepper flakes and onion for 10 minutes, then blend the mixture with the garlic, cinnamon powder, cumin powder and sugar to a smooth paste and scrape into the saucepan.

 

Pour in the chicken stock and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, remove from the heat, stir in the chopped chocolate until smooth, taste and season if necessary and serve with whipped cream.

 

                          PRAWNS WITH CHOCOLATE  SAUCE AND ORANGE

 A delightful first dish.

1 kg (2 lbs) prawns, shelled, deveined, washed and butterflied

A dash of olive oil

1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced

2 tbsp Metaxa brandy

1 finely chopped fresh red chilli

Salt to taste

90 g (3 oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped

3 large oranges

 

Sauté the prawns in olive oil with the garlic and chilli for 3 minutes or until the prawns change colour and season with salt.

 

Deglaze the pan with brandy then add the chopped chocolate, squeeze in the juice of 2 oranges and simmer until the chocolate has melted and the sauce bubbles.  Serve garnished with orange fillets.     

 

 

                                         STEAK AND CHOCOLATE STEW

Do prepare this dish for your family and friends, it will be a great hit.

1 kg (2 lb) steak cut into bite-sized pieces

180 g (6oz) streaky bacon, chopped

90 g (3 oz) dark chocolate, chopped

1 onion, peeled and diced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 tbsp olive oil

3 knobs of butter

250 ml (1 cup) white wine

2 bay leaves

250 ml (1 cup) cream

 

Massage the steak with olive oil, garlic and bay leaves and set aside for for1 hour.  Meanwhile sauté the onion in a knob of butter until caramelised,

 

Blend the onion with the wine until thick and reserve.  Sauté the meat over high heat for 2 minutes on each side, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and set aside.  Also, sauté the bacon until crisp add the onion puree and cook for two minutes more. 

 

Return the meat to the saucepan and pour in the cream and sprinkle with  pink peppercorns, stirring until the sauce begins to bubble.

 

Stir in the chopped chocolate and cook until it melts, sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve immediately. 

 

 

                                           BANANA CHOCOLATE CAKE

A lovely chocolate cake

 

175 g (6 oz) sugar

175 g (6 oz) self-raising flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

4 tbsp of sifted cocoa

 

100 g (3.5 oz) finely chopped chocolate melted with

100 g (3.5 z) butter

200 g ( 7 oz) bananas mashed

3 eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff with a pinch of salt

50 ml cream

 

Ganache:

100 g dark chocolate, chopped

100 g light cream

1 tsp Greek honey

(Simmer and mix everything well together until smooth and glossy)

 

Heat oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a round 30 cm (12 inch) diameter tin with buttered parchment.

 

Mix all the dry ingredients together, do the same with the wet ones and mix he two mixtures together.   Fold in the whipped egg whites, scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour.  Wait for 10 minutes before reversing on a dish.

When cold spread with the cake with ganache and garnish with sliced bananas, whipped cream and chocolate shavings.    

   

I always use Ygeias Pavlidou and ION chocolates when preparing desserts.   Both delightful and flavourful chocolates!