I’m Loving

The complexities of chocolate are what make it one of life’s simplest pleasures, says Matt Preston.

Matt Preston choc dos and don’ts.

WRITING THIS COLUMN on the dos and don’ts of eating chocolate I want to be clear that these are not rules to oppress you, or for you to rail against. This is a personal celebration of how I love to dance with my dark master.

I want you to read, savour and then also share you own favourite way to eat chocolate with me and your circle, thus starting a resonating ripple of vicarious endorphin release around us. An ever-expanding, virtuous circle of chocolate pleasure.

But before we start, whether you are about to savour a tile of dark 80 per cent chocolate made by monks who live on a remote island and have taken a vow of silence, or hoe into a packet of home-brand honeycomb bites covered in couverture, the first thing to do is take a moment to contemplate the pleasure to come.

Take a breath to capture any aromas from the packet or the chocolate that will thrust you back to previous happy moments and then finally wonder at how the heat from your fingers change the texture of the chocolate where you are holding it. For me, this is the real reason why we don’t eat chocolate with a knife and fork.

This tactile sense is part of communing with something that is almost a living thing. Afterall, I’d suggest we only use a spoon for chocolate mousse because that is a joy we were forced to leave behind with our dummies and sippy cup.

DO TAKE JUST A SQUARE OF IT Really there is no clearer “expression of the chocolate” as the gourmets might say. So, let it melt on your tongue, and then push the chocolate against the roof of your mouth. Let the flavour unfurl with the heat of your mouth and tongue, and it will wash through your gob as the aromas waft up the backstairs to your nose. This is especially good with expensive, high-percentage dark chocolate.

DON’T CRUNCH They – that’s the self-important, self-appointed chocolate police – say never crunch yet that’s the thinking of a connoisseur rather than a hedonist. By crunching up the chocolate it melts quicker for an overload of chocolatey joy reminiscent of that first time you did the Tim Tam Slam.

Remember that eaten this way you will only eat one square of dark for every four squares of sweeter milk chocolate.

DO GO HOT As you know from that thick Spanish hot chocolate or the sauce of a self-saucing chocolate pudding there is an overwhelming excitement all its own from encountering chocolate in a thick liquid form. This is why, no matter how unfashionable they become, there will always be a crowd around the chocolate fountain and the chocolate fondue.

DO CHILL While colder temperatures dull flavours, delivering the chocolate suspended in bubbles of air in a chocolate mousse, or among ice crystals in a chocolate sorbet makes it easier to get that mouth-coating wash of chocolate. The use of fat in the mousse or a chocolate ice cream helps deliver the flavour more effectively too. DON’T GUZZLE Our senses are very good at eliminating the perceptions of constant stimulus, whether it’s background noise or flavour. Ideally we need an absence then a re-appearance of a flavour. This forces our senses to re-engage with the pleasure. That’s why you should always eat anything chocolate in small bites with gaps in between rather than a high-speed guzzle.

This is also why contrast is great with chocolate, whether it’s serving dark chocolate with raspberries, or a hot chocolate fudge sauce with a bowl of ice cream. The difference in each mouthful makes you re-taste the chocolate each time for added buzz.

DO GO HOT AND COLD Temperature differences also help reset the palate this way. This is why my self-saucing chocolate pudding (see recipe below) should always be served with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche. It’s not just because I am greedy. Honestly…

DO TRY TEXTURE The desirable difference is further accented by textural differences. Think of the crunch of honeycomb against its smooth chocolate coating.

DO SALT A little salt will also help boost the impact of the chocolate, especially if served with caramel as in our chocolate caramel self-saucing pudding.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL SELF-SAUCING PUDDING SERVES 6

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

11/2 cups (330g) caster sugar

3/4 cup (75g) cocoa powder

60g unsalted butter, melted, cooled

1/2 cup (125ml) milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

200g soft-centred Werther’s Original lollies, roughly chopped Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 6-cup (1.5L) capacity ovenproof baking dish.

Sift flour, 1/2 cup (110g) sugar and 1/4 cup (25g) cocoa into a bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre. In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, vanilla and egg. Gradually pour milk mixture into flour mixture and fold to combine.

Scatter Werther’s over the base of the prepared dish, then pour over the pudding mixture, spreading evenly. Combine remaining 1 cup (220g) sugar and 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa and sprinkle over the pudding, then carefully pour 11/2 cups (375ml) boiling water over the top.

Bake for 50-55 minutes until the top is just firm. Stand for 10 minutes to cool slightly, then scoop vanilla ice cream on top to serve.