Savory Cocoa Recipes?

[Genny]

Hi All! I'm part of a cooking club and our upcoming theme is "Gourmet Chocolate." We are trying to put together a whole meal from appys, sides, veggies, protien, etc. all including some cocoa or chocolate. Dessert has already been decided as Chocolate Souffle.

Any fun suggestions out there for what we can make? Stuff you've tried yourself or recipes you've earmarked to try soon?

Also, are there any basic thoughts about using cocoa/chocolate in savory recipes in general?

Thanking you in advance I remain....

Genny

[Pille]

Hi All!  I'm part of a cooking club and our upcoming theme is "Gourmet Chocolate."  We are trying to put together a whole meal from appys, sides, veggies, protien, etc. all including some cocoa or chocolate. 

Any fun suggestions out there for what we can make?  Stuff you've tried yourself or recipes you've earmarked to try soon?

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Sounds like a fun meal. Chocolate and chilli go well together, and there's always the Mexican mole that uses either cocoa or chocolate?

[Patrick S]

This may be a little "lowbrow" for what you have in mind, but Cincinnati-style chili often includes cocoa and has a good many devotees.

[Anonymouze]

Sounds great, I wish there was a cooking club in Northern Bergen County NJ even though I don't cook I'd love to chip in or try or both! I had a black bean and chocolate salsa once with some jalapeno's in it... it was quite tasty but I can't recall.

Here is a small recipe:

Cocoa Dip for Fruit

1 c. non-fat vanilla yogurt (or low-fat)

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

Sliced Banana's, Peaches, Strawberries and Apples.(any chocolate-friendly fruit!)

Alternate fruit on platter, put dip in middle and enjoy! YUM!

[Carrot Top]

Thanking you in advance I remain....

Genny

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I am glad you remain Genny because I've been wondering if you'd turned into that sporty cat on your avatar.

Which would be nice too, but different.

Are you serving chocolate drinks?

Alcoholic chocolate drinks?

Oooh. I would.

[Carrot Top]

A good entree might be something like a bisteeya (spelling? that looks slightly wierd ) a chicken pie in flaky pastry - the chicken bound with a Medieval- ish sort of sauce, dense with undertones of tomato, cinnamon, chocolate, raisins, almond and onion.

I realize that I've just stolen and mixed from three different cultures, but you get the idea, I hope.

[Pille]

A good entree might be something like a bisteeya (spelling? that looks slightly wierd  ) a chicken pie in flaky pastry - the chicken bound with a Medieval- ish sort of sauce, dense with undertones of tomato, cinnamon, chocolate, raisins, almond and onion.

I realize that I've just stolen and mixed from three different cultures, but you get the idea, I hope.

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Do you mean pastiya/bestila/pastila (the spelling varies), the Moroccan pigeon dish with flaky pastry? It has almonds and cinnamon in it, don't know about chocolate..

[Carrot Top]

Do you mean pastiya/bestila/pastila (the spelling varies), the Moroccan pigeon dish with flaky pastry? It has almonds and cinnamon in it, don't know about chocolate..

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Probably a recipe printed and used "today" would not. . .but the overlaps between some Arabic foods, some Mexican foods, and some Medieval foods are many.

I generally write my own recipes, Pille. This one, I can taste in my mind and it tastes good.

I'd probably use turkey, though, thinking a bit more about it. And brandy, good brandy in the sauce, burned off.

[Pille]

Do you mean pastiya/bestila/pastila (the spelling varies), the Moroccan pigeon dish with flaky pastry? It has almonds and cinnamon in it, don't know about chocolate..

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I generally write my own recipes, Pille. This one, I can taste in my mind and it tastes good.

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Dear Carrot Top - when I wrote "don't know about chocolate" I meant that I can't remember/recall if it uses chocolate as well - and not that I'm doubting the inclusion of chocolate. I've had it in a Moroccan restaurant in Edinburgh few times, and I can remember strong presence of cinnamon and almond. And chicken. That's pretty much it

(the downside of being a non-native English-speaker )

[Carrot Top]

I've had it in a Moroccan restaurant in Edinburgh few times, and I can remember strong presence of cinnamon and almond. And chicken. That's pretty much it 

(the downside of being a non-native English-speaker )

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Probably the recipe did not include chocolate. I've never seen one with it in it, though it seems that somewhere one might exist. . ."just because" .

But you never know. You just never know in Scotland.

And that's all I'll say.

[Irishgirl]

An excellent pairing for me is Pan Seared Venison Medallions with Chocolate Demi Glace.

[Sturge]

I was at a restaurant recently where they served a starter of seared foie gras with slices of brioche studded with cocoa nibs. They also do spiced catfish with a chocolate salsa-type arrangement and more besides...it's called The Cocoa Rooms!

The brioche-foie combo was fine, nothing more, and a bit luxe for a group do perhaps. But better to know that these things are out there! I'd stick to the mole.

[Carrot Top]

Pear slices as the base for intensely bittersweet chocolate shavings (or alternately made into leaves or something pretty) placed on top of some sort of cheese for an app? Ricotta for the more faint-hearted or some variety of rich blue for the more adventurous? (Need to focus in on the personalities of the specific chocolates and the specific cheeses here to assure a good fit ).

Irishgirl, can you describe your method for chocolate demi-glace? It sounds good.

Edited February 22, 2006 by Carrot Top (log)

[Carrot Top]

It seems to me that the greatest challenge you have to face in pulling together this menu, Genny, is to avoid the same chocolate taste running through all the courses.

It could work, and be fantastic, if there is a focus put on not only the recipes but the whole - each course showing a differing taste of chocolate. . .chocolate wearing a different dress for each course, if you would.

The thought came to me that a tuna carpaccio could work with a chocolate hint of some sort - but I can't "see it" with any of the entrees that have been proposed so far.

When are you doing this meal? Does the group tend to work and plan "together" or is it more of a free-form thing where each one does their own thing then carries it to the dinner and it is more of a surprise?

[jennahan]

An excellent pairing for me is Pan Seared Venison Medallions with Chocolate Demi Glace.

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I second the venison in chocolate sauce. I've made this several times, and it has always been a hit. I make a venison Fillet roast, and make the chocolate sauce by adding shaved 70% chocoate to a base of red wine simmered with shallots, bacon, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and crushed black peppercorns. I serve this with a creamed cabbage, carrot, celariac mixture.

[merstar]

This one's definitely on my to try list:

Roasted Pear Salad with Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese and Chocolate and Roasted Pear Vinaigrette

http://www.valleysentinel.com/archive/2003...recipes0302.htm

[Irishgirl]

Irishgirl, can you describe your method for chocolate demi-glace? It sounds good.

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I just make a good flavourful demi glace....either veal or venison (if you can happen to snag some bones), or you could make a short stock with venison trim and veal stock...and reduce it down. Instead of monte au beurre...just whisk in the chocolate before serving over low heat. A good strong 70% variety is my suggestion. Do not heat the sauce after adding the chocolate! If you do, the chocolate could burn and/or separate.

I like braised red cabbage with mine.

[Irishgirl]

As another option in the same vein:

Rick Tramonto in his Amuse Bouche cookbook does a Venison Carpaccio with Chocolate Sauce.

[Adam Balic]

Obviously there are Mexican savoury dishes, but the also exist in Spain and Italy. In Tuscany there is a famous Cinghiale in Agrodolce (wild boar in a sweet and sour sauce) which is very delicious. This is normally a large braised chunk of meat, but it can be adapted as shown below. It contains chocolate in the sauce, but it doesn't dominate, which I think is the danger of a themed dinner like this.

[Genny]

Wow, thanks for all the responses! Keep them coming!

There are 7 of us total in the group with varying cooking skills: 2 individuals appear to be absolute beginners (either that or they have a total lack of palette, I'm not sure which yet) and this is only our second real cooking meeting so we are still working out the kinks. We rotate homes for the meetings and whatever can be made ahead is.

Since the dessert is set with the chocolate souffle, I don't think a heavy mole or chili would be a good lead-in. I'm trying to wrangle the group into some cohesive menu, we'll see what the results are!

So far we have:

*salad with baked goat cheese and chocolate nibs

*butternut squash ravioli with a sprinkle of bittersweet chocolate (hmmm, fried would make this a good appy I think)

*chocolate souffle (this will be the main Demo for the evening)

* We'll also be doing a chocolate tasting for product learning.

So we still need an appy, a starchy side (if the ravioli are an appy), and a main dish. Maybe a rub for pork tenderloin?

[ludja]

This bean dish sounds very good although I'm not sure if they would work into your final meal you're planning right now.

chocolate calypso beans

The beans are in a mole type sauce. I think they would be great with some simply grilled meat or as a filling for vegetarian burrittos.

It seems like one could also convert this recipe to a bean dip (for an appetizer) or into a bean soup, as well.