With what will chocolate NOT marry?

This is a question I have been asking myself regularly of late. To me, chocolate is as necessary an accessory to taste as salt. It rounds out flavors, adds depth and rewards the palate with layers of tasting sensation. For me, chocolate is not a matter of if, but a matter of which chocolate will best marry the food I am presently creating.

It is easy to understand how this particular combination works. Sweet, fried plantains wrapped in salty, smoky bacon and drizzled with dark, barely sweet chocolate? All of the flavor profiles are touched and the myriad of textures are represented from liquid to soft to slightly crunchy.

Make this recipe and try just one of the bites before drizzling the dark chocolate over top. Then, drizzle high quality dark chocolate atop your next taste. See? Continue on this path with me and find my understanding. You can no less have a proper kitchen without salt than you can a recipe without chocolate!

When buying plantains, be sure to choose specimens that are almost completely black. Since bananas are a more familiar food, it is hard for most to get used to buying the black-skinned fruits. But, plantains truly must be black to be ripe enough for recipes calling for sweet plantains.

Your bacon choice is also important. I have yet to find a bacon I enjoy more than Nueskes. Whatever you choose, find a smoked option to add flavor. And, a thinner cut of bacon will wrap around the plantains better for this recipe.

Bacon Wrapped Plantains with Dark Chocolate

Chocolate Sauce:
3/4 oz butter, unsalted
3 oz dark chocolate, 62%

Plantains:
2 sweet plantains, completely black and soft
2 oz Butter
1 package Nueskes bacon

Peel plantains and cut in 1/2 thick pieces at a slight angle. In a large sauté pan on medium high heat place your butter to melt. Work in batches and fry the plantain slices in a single layer until they are deep golden brown. About 3 minutes each side. I like to press on the plantains while I cook them to flatten them out slightly. When finished, place on a towel to absorb excess oil.

Wrap each plantain in a piece of bacon and sauté in a large saute pan until the bacon is crispy on both sides.

Make your sauce while crisping your bacon wrapped plantains. Melt your chocolate and butter on the stovetop on very low heat stirring all the while.

Place plantains on a plate and drizzle with chocolate sauce. They are great along aside black beans and rice with jerk rubbed chicken.

Inspiration finds me in a variety of places. Sometimes, it is actually found on non edible piece that drive me to create a recipe.

While meandering in Lexington, Kentucky, one of my favorite cities in the world, I found my way into a haunted, old antique shop that had vintage punch bowls, sterling silver mint julep cups and carved wooden knives. Next to the old football team photo with a line up of lovely, burly gentlemen, I spied a wooden disk haloed in a red, painted edge with a buxom knife.  It is a seemingly simple piece but its unknown history called to me. I imagined it was a hunting marker and that southern farmers used it as a cutting board to fillet their venison.

My instinct was to use the round, weathered board as a serving piece, offering up simple fare to some last minute lunch guests. A few figs and some good cheese were the perfect mates to a bunch of lucky arugula that was dressed in a dark chocolate vinaigrette. Chocolate salad dressing? Yes. Don’t spend time questioning it, refocus your energy on buying the ingredients so you can give it a try.

Chocolate Sherry Vinaigrette

1/4 cup melted dark chocolate
1/4 cup balsamic or sherry vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil ( I used Apollo olive oil Gold Series from California)

Combine oil and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk in dark chocolate. Toss over organic, fresh greens.

Chocolate Enhances an Age Old Traditional Dish

In the past year, I have been seeking out interesting and healthy recipes for my two-year old son. Ground meat is easy for him to eat and also serves as a good vehicle to sneak in all the kale I desire !

From my old Moroccan and Syrian cookbooks, I was inspired to try my hand at kefta. Kefta is a traditional Middle Eastern food made by combining ground meat with an assortment of spices. It is often shaped into cylinders of meat instead of balls. The omnipresent kefta is found on street corners, as appetizers and as the focal point of meals. Each Middle Eastern chef is as likely to adjust and personalize her kefta recipe as an Italian is her bolognese.

I remember when I was in Israel, a peaceful time in March of 2000. I went with this very cheap boyfriend who had a friend that attended the London School of Economics and who then worked for the Palestinean goverment. We stayed with this friend because my boyfriend didn’t want to spring for a hotel.  Anyway… our host was living in Ramlah and my boyfriend was Jewish, so it was a very interesting stay and conversational ping pong.  The point of this journey down memory lane is just to tell you that my first experience with kefta was on the second floor of a romantic, dilapidated Palestinian grill house.   It was by far my most memorable and romantic experience (with the kefta)  in Israel and will forever hold its place as the kefta mecca.

When I began experimenting with my own kefta recipe, it of course wasn’t long until the appropriate chocolate found its way into my mise en place. Along with the Mo’s Bacon Bar, I use cilantro, parsley, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, coriander and smoked salt. The recipe is easily adjusted based on what you have in your pantry.

Serve kefta with a salad and tahini dressing. Pickled purple cabbage would be good with this too. I prefer to toast and grind my spices in a mortar and pestle fresh. You will be rewarded if you take the time! And, if you want to make these for little ones, try chopping in a few leaves of kale cut in a chiffonade and remove the paprika from the recipe.

Chocolate Kefta

2 lb ground lamb
1/4 cup parsley, curly finely chopped
3/4 cup cilantro
2 oz bacon bar, milk grated red fire, organic milk, naga try what you like
1 medium onion, minced (1 1/4 cup)
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp coriander
1/2 tsp smoked salt

Mash all together wearing gloves. Shape into 3 inch long logs about and 2 inches in diameter. Place in refrigerator wrapped until ready to cook. When ready, sprinkle with smoked salt and black pepper. Broil in the oven for 5 minutes or grill a few minutes on each side.

Chocolate Rubbed Ribs

The past days have been gorgeous – Chicago is showing us her grandest moments… blue skies, warm sunlight, colorful gardens, a rustling breeze and the smell of fresh cut grass. As I drive home in the evening with the window down, I often catch a sniff of smokin’, hot wood grills. Chicagoans make the most of summer even if we don’t have a backyard, we have small grills perched on decks, on the sidewalk, at the park or atop a rooftop illegally.

This coming weekend, I’m thinking about making my BBQ Chocolate Ribs. For years, we have had a grumpy UPS driver named Harold who comes, begrudgingly to take away all of our chocolate parcels at Vosges Haut-Chocolat and start them on their journeys to new homes. Every now and again on a lighter day his levity comes out in a jestful joke, “Hey, you need to sell some chocolate ribs. How about making chocolate ribs?” He chuckled as if it was a joke. Little did he know, chocolate invades ALL food groups in my kitchen!

The dark chocolate rub soon emerged and found a wonderful compliment to the pork ribs – think umami bath. It is important to cook them long and slow at the beginning for the best flavor. Then, top the ribs with Harold-Inspired Vosges Haut-Chocolat BBQ Sauce.

BBQ Chocolate Ribs

Serves 4 people
Ingredients:

3 racks Baby back ribs

Dry rub:
¼ cup Balinese peppercorn or telicherry
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chipotle
1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 300F
Mix dry rub ingredients together.
Coat your baby back ribs on both sides with dry rub. Place ribs in a baking sheet, they can overlap. Fill with water half way up the pan and seal tightly with aluminum foil. Cook for 2 hours. This can be done in advance, just keep the ribs wrapped in aluminum foil as they cool.

Turn on the grill or light up the hard wood charcoal.
Place ribs over medium heat (careful it’s not too hot or it will burn), bone-side down. Cook for 5 minutes flip the ribs and with a brush, baste them with chocolate barbecue sauce. Continue to shellac them a few more times until they are well sauced and crispy. Remove from heat, place on a platter, brush again with BBQ sauce and cover with aluminum foil until ready.

Place the ribs on a cutting board and cut the ribs into individual pieces and serve with extra sauce.

The ribs may be grilled up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, in which case do not brush extra sauce at the end. Wait until you heat through the next day and finish with a hefty brushing of chocolate BBQ sauce.

Accompany with coleslaw, cocoa Habana corn on the cob and extra Harold-Inspired BBQ Sauce

Harold-Inspired Vosges Haut-Chocolat BBQ Sauce

1 medium onion minced
2 tbsp corn oil
1 dried ancho chili
1 1/2 sea salt
1 1/2 crushed telicherry peppercorns, coarse ground
1 cup apple cider vinegar, organic
28 oz. Canned whole tomatoes, organic
8 oz. Tomato sauce, organic
1 tbsp Volcano Island ginger honey, organic
2 tbsp molasses
1/4 cup dark molasses brown sugar
1 tbsp exquisite grade sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 1/2 oz Red Fire Bar {4 squares}
1 cup Aztec Elixir Couture Cocoa Mix
1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup cilantro leaves

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions and ancho chili pepper in hot oil stirring often until golden brown, about 10 minutes. De-glaze pan with apple cider vinegar cook on hi heat for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to extra low and simmer, uncovered until thickened. stirring occasionally, cook time roughly 2.5 hours.

Puree sauce with a immersion hand blender, transfer to an air tight container and refrigerate overnight, {I love using old jars I save from Martinelli’s mini apple juice bottles, they are the perfect gift size too} this will really let the flavors set in. The sauce can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

When ready for use, add cilantro. Brush chicken, ribs or vegetables with sauce 2 minutes before they are finished cooking and brush again after removed from the grill.

Chocolate Polenta Poached Eggs

It is my dream to someday open a breakfast salon. I first fell in love with the ritual of breakfast when I was going to college and the had-to-go-breakfast spot was The Pancake Pantry where invariably you’d wait 1 hour+ to get a table. But it was all worth it when you first sunk your fork into their buckwheat and buttermilk cakes.

Later when I was traveling around the world and my palate was being trained in the subtlety of flavor and balance, I had the most blissful breakfast experience of modern, simplicity and cool at bills in Sydney, Australia. One of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had. I’ll never forget it.

So, now that my world is filled with chocolate I am most curious to see how far its boundaries can reach. Chocolate and eggs… oh certainly yes.

Chocolate Polenta Poached Eggs

Yields 6 servings:

Guajillo Paste
1 tomato, large and organic
2 guajillo chillies, seeded and stems removed leave in the veins (this is the hottest part)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp canola oil
¼ tsp smoked salt (Iburi Jio Cherry by The Meadow is lovely)

Chocolate Polenta
2/3 cup polenta, I like Moretti fioretto
2 cups of whole milk
2 tsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 pinches of salt to taste
pepper
2 tbsp butter

12 Poached eggs

Garnish
Chopped cilantro
Avocado slices
Sour cream
Olive oil

Guajillo paste:
With a mortar and pestle, crush coriander and cumin seeds. Heat a griddle, cast iron skillet or a comal over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Add the tomato and turn occasionally with tongs until each side is completely charred. Do the same thing with the chillies for about 30-45 seconds per side. Then soak the chillies in boiling water to soften for 15 minutes. Drain the chillies and place in a blender with tomato, coriander, cumin, canola oil and smoked salt and pulverize into a paste. (The best blender is a Vitamix.)

Polenta:
To make the polenta, heat the milk in a sauce pan, when it is just about to boil add the polenta, and cocoa powder. Stir continuously over a low heat until it is a thick and smooth mass. Cook for about 30 minutes stirring slowly and evenly. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Poaching Eggs:
Poach your eggs by bring a water bath to a hot simmer (140F) and add 2 teaspoons of vinegar. The vinegar helps the egg congeal more easily. With a spoon swirl the water aggressively to form a mini tidal pool and crack a couple eggs at a time into your water bath. The twisting motion of the water helps the whites fold over the egg yolk. You can also nudge the egg whites closer to their yolks with a spoon. Turn off the heat. Cover. Let sit for 4 minutes, until the egg whites are cooked. Lift eggs with a slotted spoon and rest on a towel to absorb excess water.

One trick to make the eggs stay somewhat contained is to take a cookie cutter ring or the ring part of a lid from a mason jar and place it in the pan. Drop the egg over the ring and let the egg settle in the ring, then turn off the heat and cover.

Assembly:
Take your warm plate, place a nice dollop of the polenta in the center. Place 2 poached egg atop then drizzle with the guajillo chili paste, slices of avocado, chopped cilantro, sour cream and a touch of olive oil.

yummmmm

White Chocolate + Olive Panini

I get on panini kicks now and then and usually make a plethora of different recipes at once. Maybe it is because it is such satisfying result for such few ingredients and little effort. People don’t commonly think to put chocolate between bread in this country or alongside savory ingredients; but, I promise that once you get started doing both, you won’t look back.

This week, stay tuned in as I take you through a panini flight from white to milk to dark chocolate. In chocolate tasting, like win sipping, we begin with the lighter flavors (white chocolate) before moving to the darker flavors so that your palate is not overwhelmed.

White chocolate often gets a bad rap. Many argue that it is not chocolate at all. I disagree! White chocolate is made from the cocoa butter that is derived from the cacao bean. The cocoa butter is separated from the dark cocoa solids and combined with sugar and milk to create white chocolate. It is usually quite sweet and very creamy. I usually combine white chocolate with something citrus-y, salty or with a floral note to offset the sweetness. The more delicate flavor of the white chocolate allows the softer citrus and floral notes to enjoy center stage.

In this panino, the sweet white chocolate marries well with the briney olives. Together with the cheese, the white chocolate will ooze between the crunchy bread spreading sweet delight with each savory bite. It is especially important to gather the best quality ingredients. Your white chocolate should be at least 30 % cocoa butter. Don’t use the fake stuff!

If you don’t have a panini press and don’t want to own another appliance, try this panini iron, which can be pressed on top of the sandwich while it cooks on a grill pan, or a good ol’ waffle iron works well too.

White Chocolate + Olive Panini

Makes 1 sandwich

2 slices rustic Italian bread or ciabatta about 2 inches in diameter
1 1/2 tablespoon first cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
a pinch Maldon sea salt
¼ ounce (7 grams) white chocolate
1 slice of Buffalo mozzarella
2 nicoise and 2 Castelvetrano Sicilian Green Olives pitted and sliced
a fresh basil leaf

Directions:
Brush each slice of bread with olive oil front and back. Top with a pinch of sea salt, a slice of buffalo mozzarella cheese, olives, basil, and place a few pieces of white chocolate on top. Sandwich together and place in a preheated Panini press. Press until golden and melted, 2-3 minutes. Bite…mmm!
A great sweet and savory hors d’oeuvre!

Chillies, Nuts, Seeds, Fruits and Savory

Not long ago, I found myself up in the middle of the night and decided that I would make some mole sauce. Mole is not exactly something that you usually “whip up” on a whim but since I had been planning to perfect my recipe, I happened to have all the ingredients in house. After studying many Oaxacan mole recipes, I found a combination of ingredients that I feel balance  the sweetness, savory and spiciness just right. After hours of preparing chillies, nuts, seeds and spices, I found myself devouring a poached chicken breast drenched in Mole Negro at 9 o’clock in the morning.

The word mole stems from the Nahuatl word molli, meaning “mixture” and covers a whole range of sauces. Contrary to popular opinion, mole is not just “chicken in that Mexican chocolate sauce” which admittedly, can be a little off putting. Though chocolate is an ingredient in some moles, it is added to deepen and enhance the flavor of a rather complex sauce and only a mysterious hint remains when served. It’s not a surprise that mole negro is my favorite type of mole.

There are said to be seven classic moles, each distinctly different in ingredients and usually color. They are typically attributed to a few Mexican states, namely Puebla and Oaxaca but in reality, there are infinite varieties derived from these seven found all over Mexico and Oaxaca is probably most closely associated with the mole most of us are familiar – mole negro. The one common denominator in moles? Chilies. Fresh, dried and usually a combination of the two.

According to Rick Bayless, our local Chicago authority of all things Mexican, mole ingredients can be grouped into five distinct classes: Chiles, sour (tomatillos), sweet (dried fruits and sugar), spices, and thickeners (nuts and tortillas).

The ingredients are all roasted, usually on a comal or flat griddle, and then ground into a fine powder or paste. The process can be rather laborious if done by hand, however, I take full advantage of modern technology and break out the food processor. Traditionally, this work was shared by several generations of women in the family for a very celebratory meal, and I love the idea of several generations of women gathered around the kitchen working to produce this special dish.

Since making mole is no easy task, perhaps you might call on your loved ones to spend a day together with you in the kitchen with the promise of a delectable feast to follow.

MOLE NEGRO
Chillies
1 cup sunflower oil or lard
8 dried mulato chillies, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed
6 dried pasilla chillies, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed
5 dried ancho chillies, stemmed, seeds and membranes removed
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 large yellow onion, peeled, cut into 8 wedges
12 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

Nuts and seeds
½ cup whole almonds, raw
¼ cup pecans, raw
1 tablespoon unsalted roasted peanuts
¼ cup shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds), raw
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 cup vegetable broth

Fruits
¼ cup sunflower oil
2 large ripe dark-skinned plantain, peeled, thickly sliced
¹/³ cup pitted prunes
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, coarsely chopped
1 pound plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
²/³ cup raisins

Savory
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
5 whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon aniseed
1 1-inch piece cinnamon stick,
Ceylon preferable
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt, fine grade

Chocolate
9 ounces Red Fire Exotic Candy Bar (ancho & chipotle chillies, Ceylon cinnamon dark chocolate), chopped
¼ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened, Dutch style
½ cup chopped piloncillo** or (packed) dark brown sugar
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium (if necessary)

CHILI PREPARATION:
After you seed the chillies, your hands may have spicy capsicum oil on them. To rid yourself of the oil, cut a tomato in half and rub your fingers in the center pulp and rinse.

Heat ½ cup sunflower oil or lard in large skillet over medium-high heat. Wipe the chillies clean with a damp cloth. Fry chillies 5–6 at a time until they begin to blister and deepen in color. Press down on the chillies to fry all parts. This should take about 15 seconds per side, be careful not to burn. Using tongs and shaking off excess fat, transfer chillies to a large pot filled with 5 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until chillies are very soft, about 35 minutes. Reserve any oil remaining on the side to sprinkle on homemade pizza or pasta dishes.

Dry roast onion and garlic cloves in dry, heavy, medium skillet over medium-high heat until they begin to blacken, blister and soften, turning often, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Coarsely chop onion; peel garlic and place in a blender with chillies and broth. Blend until smooth.

Heat remaining ½ cup sunflower oil or lard in same pot over medium heat until almost smoking. Slowly pour chili purée into pot; be careful as the mixture will sputter and bubble vigorously. Stir until purée thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes, then remove from heat.

NUTS AND SEEDS:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add almonds and stir until color deepens, about 1 minute. Add pecans, peanuts and pepitas, stirring and shaking the pan for another minute. Transfer 2 tablespoons sesame seeds to small bowl and reserve for garnish. Place remaining 1 tablespoon sesame seeds in blender with nuts. Add 1 cup vegetable broth and blend until thick purée forms. Add nut-and-seed purée to pot with chili purée. Cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring often.

FRUITS:
Heat ¼ cup sunflower oil in same skillet over high heat. Add plantain and sauté until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain excess oil. Lower heat to medium. Slowly add tomatillos and tomatoes to skillet; sauté until slightly softened, mashing with fork. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until thickened, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add raisins, prunes and plantains; simmer 10 minutes, stirring often. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, purée tomatillo mixture in blender with 2 cups reserved chicken or vegetable broth. Strain mixture through sieve into chili-nut purée, pressing on solids to extract as much mixture as possible; discard solids in sieve. Continue cooking purée over very low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often.

SAVORY:
Heat cloves in a skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Transfer cloves to spice mill or coffee grinder; add peppercorns, cinnamon, allspice, cumin seeds, aniseed, oregano, thyme, sea salt. Grind finely. Add to blender. Add 1 cup reserved chicken or vegetable broth; blend until smooth. Stir spice mixture into chili-nut-fruit purée. Simmer mole over very low heat 30 minutes to blend flavors while preparing thickeners, stirring often (mole will bubble thickly).

CHOCOLATE:
Add chocolate, cocoa powder and piloncillo** to mole; simmer over low heat 20 minutes, stirring often, scraping bottom of pot and adding more vegetable or chicken broth if necessary by ½ cupfuls if mole is too thick (up to 2 cups more broth may be needed). Season with salt. Continue simmering over low heat until streaks of oil form on mole surface, about 10 minutes longer. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Re-warm over low heat, stirring and adding more broth if desired, before continuing. (Mole can be made 3 days ahead.)

Sear chicken, tofu or protein of choice. Add to hot mole; simmer until protein is heated through, about 10 minutes. Arrange protein slices on platter. Spoon mole over, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

**Mexican raw sugar shaped into hard cones. Smaller chunks are sometimes labeled panocha. If neither is available, substitute an equal weight of packed dark brown sugar.

Yum Yum.

Flush the Toxins with this Blueberry Chocolate Tonic
Throughout the year, I regularly enjoy cleanses of various sorts to detoxify my body and jump start my energy. I feel so revived and alive after focusing on my spirit and health. Along with a physical cleanse comes mental clarity which is always followed by bursts of creativity and presence.

This blueberry chocolate tonic was first developed to coincide with the yoga + chocolate program we do with David Romanelli of Yeah Dave yoga. We designed a yoga + chocolate gift box that included truffles to correspond with yoga poses and a booklet to guide your journey, which featured a recipe or two.

Both blueberries and chocolate are loaded with health benefits. AND, they are both tasty too – a win-win! According to the Blueberry Council, the berries are high in vitamin C, a good source of dietary fiber and rank among the highest in antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight cancer, cardiovascular disease and possibly even Alzheimer’s.

Another food high in antioxidants? Dark chocolate of course! Dark chocolate is loaded with flavanoids and is considered a superfood. And if you haven’t read it yet, chocolate also stimulates endorphins giving you a sense of pleasure.

Are you half way off your chair, on your way out to buy the ingredients for this magical, delectable potion? Though it can’t cure all ills, it will push you in the right direction.

Blueberry Chocolate Tonic

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

2 cups blueberries; cold
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups almond or oat milk; cold
2 tsp flaxseed oil
21/2 tsp manuka honey or agave

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds. Drink immediately or the pectin in the blueberry seeds will make a pudding rather quickly.

For extra health benefits add 1 tsp licorice root powder.

Suggested pairing: Sip the blueberry tonic with our Absinthe truffle (Chinese star anise + fennel + pastis + dark chocolate + cocoa powder).

Chocolate Parmesan Tapioca with Scallops

I have long been drawn to the possible combination of seafood and chocolate. The match seems unlikely and thus it captures my imagination like wildfire.

I believe that most edibles have a chocolate mate. And, I am fueled by the challenge so the prospect of devising a scrumptious seafood recipe has been at the top of my list. Some sea creatures are hearty enough to stand up to chocolate in a nice way, the flavor is even augmented. But be wary of the oily fish that if combined will cause a raucous of yuck.

This recipe is a study in balance: a soft bed of bubbly, parmesan and chocolate tapioca support the crispy, caramelized scallop topped with jagged shards of bittersweet chocolate, a drizzle of sweetened acidity in the balsamic must, and a sprinkle of crimson smoked paprika.

Serve just one scallop per person as a starter or alongside a crisp arugula salad as a first course. Since taking the photo, I decided that some pickled shallots should be added as a finishing touch – try it and let me know if I am right!

Chocolate Parmesan Tapioca with Scallops
Servings: 6

2 ¾ milk
½ cup large tapioca
1 tsp kosher salt
3 ½ ounces Resihi Mushroom dark chocolate bar, 65%
1 tbsp cocoa powder
¼ cup coconut
2 egg yolks
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
black peppercorns, freshly milled medium size grain

12 large scallops

Accouterments:
smoked paprika
balsamic must
pickled shallots

Heat milk to warm add tapioca and salt. Continue heating until small bubbles appear on the perimeter of the pan. Cover, turn heat to very low and cook for one hour or until soft. Stir in egg yolks and chocolate an cook until very thick about 15 minutes. Add Parmesan.

Scallops:
Place saute pan on stove high heat, add grape seed or canola oil (any high flash point oil will work). When hot season, season scallops with salt and pepper and sear on each side for 1 1/2 minutes per side.

Serve ¼ cup of tapioca for every 2 scallops. Garnish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika. A drizzle of balsamic must. A sprinkle of Reishi mushroom organic dark chocolate shards and pickled shallot on top.

Hot Spanish Chorizo Meets Chocolate and the Yolk

My first foray with chorizo and chocolate came with this recipe for Bacon Bar and raw and soft Chorizo Stuffed Dates baked with Spicy Oaxaca Red Sauce.  In this latest experiment, I wanted to simplify and break it down as a quick umami seduction.  Ingredients are always important but for this, the right ingredients are CRITICAL. Below are links and exact ingredients and if you follow them… I promise that you will find yourself in a new realm of flavor phenomenon.  The combination of spicy Spanish chorizo atop a slick of tart 74% dark chocolate and a cushion of freshly baked Spanish bread will blow your mind. Seriously, I’m not just talking this up.

Start with this glossy visual — green olive oil beds the river of russet chili oil  that seeps from the chorizo into the dainty caverns of the freshly baked bread, as the dominican chocolate pastilles slowly melt from the heat.  A sprinkle of my favorite Maldon salt atop it all balances the chocolate sweet.  Our rich, Oaxaca dark chocolate bar stands up to the spicy hot chorizo.  And, that bread… the perfect Spanish bread serves as a magic carpet for it all. You must buy the Galician bread and bake fresh.

For high quality Spanish ingredients, delivered right to your door, try La Tienda.  Once you start exploring this site, you may end up with more than just bread and chorizo.  The Jamon Iberico, Croquetas, Zamorano cheese…. I can almost feel the flamenco dancers stomp on my heart.  These Chorizo + Chocolate bites would work well alongside other tapas.  Or, just consider…breakfast.  In my house, we eat chocolate for breakfast. Seriously good.  Yolks and chocolate, why not?!

Chorizo + Dominican Chocolate Tapas

Hot Palacios Chorizo from Spain
Traditional Galician Bread – Barra Gallega
Spanish Arbequina Olive Oil
Maldon Salt
Dark Chocolate – Oaxaca Bar 70% cacao with pasilla and guajilo chillies

Per instructions, finalize the baking of the bread in your oven.  When cooled slice bread in 1/2 inch thick pieces. Drizzle with Spanish olive oil.  Place 2-3 broken bits of chocolate on top of the bread.  Place 2-3 slices of hot chorizo on top of the Oaxaca chocolate, sprinkle with Maldon salt.  Place in the oven at 250 for 8 minutes to melt and heat. Take out of the oven and eat immediately.

arriba!