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The art of chocolate

Jordana Levine, Food Columnist

Candy. Desserts. Baking. Chocolate.

All these food-related words come to mind on Valentine’s Day. But chocolate is definitely my favourite.

Chocolate is usually sweet, but it doesn’t have to be. The rich flavours of cacao and melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate are incredibly versatile. Chocolate can lend itself to virtually anything, far beyond the realm of cakes, cookies, and other sugary desserts.

It goes especially well with spicy chile peppers and smoky tomato flavours. It can seriously spice up a bowl of chili or go into a steak rub. And it’s used in lots of Mexican food.

So I decided to go savoury with my chocolate this Valentine’s Day.

Because, really, why wouldn’t you try adding some hot peppers to your chocolate if you had the chance?

I made a mole sauce, which is an earthy Mexican paste. It’s thick, chocolaty, and zings the tip of your tongue. It can go on quesadillas, enchiladas, chicken, fish, tortilla chips–it’s essentially a replacement for salsa.

I rummaged around the kitchen and read countless recipes for the sauce, which can be made in a thousand different ways. After burning a few taste buds on chiles, some tweaks, and a few arbitrary pinches, I came up with this recipe:

 

2 tomatoes

2 oz dark chocolate

3 chile peppers

½ jalapeño pepper

1 slice stale bread (or 2 tbsp flour)

3 cloves garlic

½ onion

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp cayenne powder

½ tsp cumin

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 ½ cups broth, chicken or vegetable

salt and pepper to taste

 

I started by roasting the chiles in the oven at 450 F until this skin was mostly browned or blackened, about 10 minutes each side, and then wrapped them in tin foil for a few minutes. Peel the skins and remove most of the seeds. This gives them a smoky flavour.

Then, throw everything into a food processor except the oil, broth, salt and pepper. Blend until fairly smooth, although small lumps are fine.

Pour the oil into a pot over medium heat and, once warm, dump in the blended mixture. Stir until it starts to brown, 3-5 minutes, and then add about half a cup of the broth. Stir often, but let the sauce absorb the liquid. Slowly add more broth, although you may not need all of it. It should take about 20 minutes and be somewhere between the consistency of salsa and hummus – thick enough to spread, but thin enough to stir. It will turn a rich chocolaty colour.

Sprinkle in some salt and pepper to taste. If you want it to be sweeter or spicier, add a little extra brown sugar or cayenne pepper.

Be aware that this sauce is all about layering flavours; the more spices, the more interesting and rich it will taste. But don’t worry if you’re missing some things. If  you only have a couple of the herbs and spices on hand,  you will still get something to be proud of.

The best part about this sauce is its versatility and the way it changes depending on how you eat it. I spread mine over a quesadilla with cheese, tomato and onion. The freshness of the vegetables combined with the salty cheese brightened up the sauce instantly. Adding some lime juice, chopped parsley or cilantro can do wonders, too.

After this experiment, I’m eager to bring chocolate into as many recipes as I can. It’s a great new way to add richness to a home-cooked dinner while saying “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

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