Everything is better with chocolate and these five recipes prove it | The Weekly Country

Although chocolate has always been associated with dessert, it adds spice to many other food places. By playing with its percentage of cocoa – the higher it is, the less sweet it will be and the more nuances it will bring – it can be added to stews of white meat, game or poultry. He also enjoys seafood recipes like some squid in his ink. In a sweet format, it is used as an ingredient or filling in pastries or in a simple curd. Even without cooking, it offers tasty options: just serve it with some frozen grapes and a small glass of grappa.

Chocolate Popcorn, Salt and Maldon Pepper

Popcorn is a blank canvas that we can turn into a snack suitable for any setting and any time of the day. This version can be used as an aperitif or as a snack, or to be enjoyed in front of a movie.

→ Ingredients for four people): 150 grams (g) corn kernels, 75 g 70% cocoa chocolate, olive oil, Maldon salt, pepper to taste.

→ Preparation: 1. Heat a large saucepan or skillet over high heat until hot. Add a good squirt of oil and 30 seconds later the corn kernels in a single layer—if the container isn’t very large, do this twice.

of them. Cover, leaving a small hole for steam to escape. When the popcorn starts to pop, lower the heat to medium and cook, shaking the container occasionally by the handles so it doesn’t burn.

3. When the popcorn stops being heard popping, move to a bowl. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave on medium power in cycles of 20 seconds. Put it on the popcorn by painting lines using a spoon; season with salt and Maldon pepper and serve.

Baby squid in its ink

A preparation whose flavor of the sea is enhanced with chocolate. If you have one with almonds or hazelnuts on hand, you can increase the quantity a little and add it to the finely chopped sauce: this will give it even more consistency.

→ Ingredients (for four people): about 20 medium, tender, clean cuttlefish (approx. 1 kg), 2 onions, 2 tomatoes or 150 g chopped tomatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of cuttlefish ink, parsley, 200 milliliters (ml ) of white wine, 20 g of 70% cocoa chocolate, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, white rice or diced fries.

→ Preparation: 1. Make sure all squid is free of casings and skin scraps. Put the tentacles filling the body of the squid.

of them. Prepare a saucepan with a good drizzle of oil, salt, chopped onion and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and cut them into cubes. When the sauce has a golden color, add them and season with salt and pepper. Let reduce for a few minutes and add the white wine and squid, leaving to cook over low heat for 10 or 15 minutes (if the sauce starts to dry out, you can add more water or wine). Remove the calamari. If the sauce is not simmered, leave it for a few more minutes. Add the ink and mix.

3. Add the chopped chocolate and stir over low heat. Adjust salt and pepper. Return the squid and boil for three minutes. Serve with chopped parsley, accompanied by rice or fries.

chocolate sauce rabbit

Chocolate is a common ingredient in game dishes: stews of wild boar, partridge, venison or hare usually include it in their sauces to accompany the powerful flavor of the meat. If the rabbit we are going to use is very large and we fear that it will be tough or tough, a prior marinade in the fridge for 24 hours with red wine and herbs will make our job easier.

→ Ingredients (for four people): 1 clean rabbit (approx. 1 kilo) cut into 8, 1 onion, 3 carrots, 4 garlic cloves, 40 g 70% cocoa chocolate, 250 ml red wine, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary coffee, 1 bay leaf, olive oil, salt, pepper, chives, mashed potatoes to serve.

→ Preparation: 1. Chop the rabbit, season with salt and pepper and brown it in a large casserole dish with a little oil and the peeled and crushed garlic. Remove the rabbit —keep the liver aside—, add the chopped onion and carrots, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until golden brown.

of them. Deglaze the casserole with the wine and add the herbs, the rabbit and 150 ml of water. Cook over low heat for about 40 minutes, until the sauce is thickened — towards the end of cooking, you can uncover it to help evaporate the liquid, if necessary — and the rabbit is tender.

3. Remove the rabbit and the bay leaf, mix the sauce and add the grated chocolate. Adjust the seasoning, add the rabbit and cook for 10 minutes to fully integrate the flavors. Serve with mashed potatoes and some chopped chives.

Passion fruit chocolate cream

The curd bags are an excellent resource for creating successful desserts in a very simple way, which we can make creamier by replacing part of the milk in the recipe with cream. They can be served with pulp or pieces of fresh fruit, red fruit coulis or light jam with a little water or liqueur.

→ Ingredients (for four people): 2 envelopes of curd, 500 ml. whole milk, 150 ml liquid cream to whip (plus 100 more for dressing), 125 g 60% cocoa chocolate, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste) , 2 passion fruit.

→ Preparation: 1. Mix the sachets of curdled milk and half of the cold milk, and heat the rest with the sugar, cocoa and liquid cream. When it is about to boil, add the curd mixed with the milk and bring to a boil again, over low heat.

of them. When everything is mixed and starting to thicken, add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Pour into four molds and leave to cool for about 30 minutes at room temperature then at least two hours in the refrigerator to set.

3. Serve with the semi-whipped cream and with the passion fruit on top.

Cocoa, rum and chilli drink

The relationship between cocoa and chilli may seem strange, but it has been around since the beginning of cocoa cultivation, back in the Aztec Empire, where it was considered a frothy, bitter and spicy drink. You can prepare the simple syrup for this recipe with the same amount of water as sugar, by heating over very low heat until the sugar melts without coloring.

→ Ingredients (for four people): 800 ml of whole milk, 120 ml of aged rum, 2 or 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, simple syrup to taste, a teaspoon of dried pepper flakes -or to taste-, orange or tangerine zest .

→ Preparation: 1. Heat the milk with the pepper flakes in a saucepan over very low heat, without boiling. Leave to infuse until the milk is cold again, then in the refrigerator for a little longer. Strain, heat again and – if possible – beat the milk to froth. Separate the mousse to decorate and beat the milk again with the rum, cocoa and syrup to taste. Serve in four cups or glasses and garnish with milk froth and orange or tangerine zest (if desired, add a twist of its skin).