Seasonal Star: Chocolate

Seasonal Star – Chocolate

All About Cacao!

C

acao beans come from the Theobroma Cacao tree, the scientific name given by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Theobroma is Greek for “food of the Gods,” and cacao is the Spanish adaptation of the Mayan name for the tree: kakaw.

The cacao tree is believed to have evolved in the Upper Amazon region in an area that now includes parts of Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. From there it spread northward across the Andes and into Central America where it became a part of their diet and culture.

When Cortez landed in Mexico in the early 1500s, he found cacao intricately woven into the culture and mythology. Mixed with maize and spices, cacao was consumed as a beverage by royalty, warriors and rich merchants, while the seeds or beans were used as currency.

The Spaniards modified this native beverage, replacing maize with sugar and adding cinnamon and vanilla. Over time, all of Europe developed a taste for this new beverage, which they called chocolate, and soon cacao was spread to tropical regions around the globe.

pg 88

YAKOF DEBONO

CHOCOLATE RED WINE CAKE WITH BAILEYS FROSTING pg 70

CHEF FAISAL

CHICKEN STRIPS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE pg 97

CHEF FAISAL CHOCOLATE CROISSANT PUDDING

"EARLY ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO GROW CACAO LIKE SUGAR CANE, ON LARGE PLANTATIONS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE CACAO GROWS BEST IN THE SHADE OF TALLER TREES, IT IS PARTICULARLY SUITED FOR SMALL, FAMILY FARMS AND HOME GARDENS. TODAY, AS MUCH AS 80% - 90% OF THE WORLD’S CACAO IS PRODUCED ON FARMS OF SEVEN ACRES OR LESS."

FROM BEAN TO BAR

Harvest

The fruit, or pod, grows directly from the trunk and can ripen into a variety of colours such as red, yellow and purple. Each pod contains 20–60 cocoa beans, covered in sweet pulp. Each tree produces about 50–60 pods a year, which converts to only about 2.8kg of chocolate!

The fruit is hand-picked to protect the trees, and once harvested the pods are opened and their seeds are removed.

Fermentation

It all starts when the beans and pulp are laid in fermentation boxes. The process of fermentation produces heat, requiring the beans to be stirred. At the end of the five-day fermentation process, the beans become brown, bitterness subsides, and the flavour develops.

Drying

After fermentation, the beans still contain too much water to be turned into chocolate. The beans are spread out in the sunshine to dry. Most beans are sun-dried for up to 14 days. After drying, the beans are inspected and separated.

Roasting

Roasting takes place at 99° C for 10–15 minutes, a process which sterilises the beans, enhances their flavour, and makes the processing much easier.

Winnowing

Winnowing is the process of taking the shells off of the beans. What is left over is the “nib,” which is the most desired part of the bean.

Grinding

The nibs are ground, either by machine or between two stones. A liquid mass called cocoa liquor is produced. With more grinding and the addition of sugar, chocolate is made!

Conching

Conching is the process of mixing the cocoa mass (not yet chocolate). It is continuously mixed at a certain temperature to develop flavour, remove moisture and break down large pieces. This can take hours to days, depending on the desired outcome. The finest chocolates are conched for five days.

Tempering

The next step is tempering. The chocolate is slowly heated and cooled, allowing the cocoa mass to solidify and stabilise. Without tempering, the chocolate would separate and would not harden well. This is then moulded into a final desired shape of the bar we end up with as consumers.

The many uses of Cacao

Cacao in all forms has made its way into the homes, hearts and rituals of so many of us for its versatility, its comforting warmth and richness, and its nutritional properties when quality standards are met.

Whether enjoyed as a hot chocolate on a Winter’s day, a cup of ceremonial cacao as part of your morning ritual, or in cooking to enrich a sauce or frost your favourite cake - it’s always good practise to make a ceremony out of this ‘food of the Gods’, and use it to enjoy a moment of pleasure, reflection and mindfulness when consuming it.

Cacao and sustainability

Cacao trees tolerate the shade of taller rainforest trees, meaning the rainforest can co-exist in harmony with Cacao cultivation.Unfortunately however, the cacao industry is very much linked with deforestation. Farmers often slash rainforests to grow plots of new trees. When a forest’s growth and decomposition cycle is halted, the devastating cycle of deforestation and abandonment takes its place.

Therefore it’s crucial to source your chocolate well, looking for fair-trade chocolate brands that work with farmers and farming techniques that don’t interfere with the holistic balance of nature, such as biodynamic, permaculture or syntropic farming practices.

Serves 2 – Prep time 30 mins Cooking 1 hour

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients for the chocolate cake:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla flavouring 1 cup milk 4 oz dark chocolate

Chocolate sauce:

2 tbsp milk 1/2 cup condensed milk 1/2 cup cooking cream 10 oz. premium chocolate 1/4 tsp sea salt

Caramelized nuts:

4 tbsp white sugar 1/2 cup crushed hazel nuts or pecans 1/8 pinch salt

Chocolate mousse:

2 tsp white sugar 4 tbsp whipping cream 1/2 cup chocolate sauce

Date caramel sauce:

1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup water 2 tbsp condensed milk 2 tbsp butter 1/4 tsp cardamom powder 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder 1/2 cup cooking cream 4 tsp dates paste

Per serving:

4 tbsp caramel sauce 6 tbsp chocolate sauce 2 tsp strawberry powder 2 tsp caramelised nuts 4 tsp sliced almonds 2 slices of fresh strawberry 8 oz chocolate cake 1/2 cup chocolate mousse 2 scoops vanilla ice cream 2 tbsp honey oats 2 tsp crushed pistachio

Instructions:

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease and line cake pan with waxed paper or parchment paper; set aside. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Using a mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the vegetable oil, egg, vanilla essence. Beat until smooth.

Melt the dark chocolate and mix with warmed milk, then combine the chocolate milk mixture with the egg and oil mixture.

Add all the dry ingredients and combine, making sure no dry streaks of flour remain. Pour the cake mix into a prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.

For the chocolate sauce:

In a saucepan add milk, condensed milk, and cooking cream, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add dark Valrhona chocolate and sea salt; mix well.

For the caramelised nuts:

Heat the sugar in a saucepan until light brown, add the nuts until caramelised. Spread onto a waxed paper to cool down.

For the chocolate Mousse:

In a bowl add whipping cream and sugar. With a whisk or hand blender mixer, beat to a smooth creamy foam, not quite as stiff as whipped cream. Add chocolate sauce and fold in with a spatula.

For the date caramel Sauce:

In a saucepan melt sugar in water at 325°F (165°C); remove from heat.

Mix in butter and cooking cream. Stir in ground cardamom, cinnamon, and condensed milk and mix well.

On a plate place a piece of round chocolate cake, make a hole on the top of the cake, then fill the hole with 1/2 cup of chocolate mousse. On the top of the mousse add 2 scoops of ice cream, drizzle with caramel and chocolate sauce on the top of the ice cream. Then sprinkle with strawberry powder. Garnish with caramelised nuts, honey oats, crushed pistachio, almond flakes, and a strawberry slice.