Chef's Secret Ingredient - Our Recipes

 

Recipe 1 - Caribbean Cocoa Tea, Serves 1

 

As served in the Caribbean for generations!

 

25g grated cocoa stick

200ml semi-skimmed milk

 

Pour the milk into a pot and add the grated cocoa. Stir gently and continuously with a whisk as you raise the heat and bring to a light simmer. Turn off heat and pour into a mug. Enjoy this powerful, invigorating cocoa drink.

 

Recipe 2 - Seared Scallops & Ground Cocoa, Serves 6

 

A stunning dish with real drama!

 

500g washed spinach

60g unsalted butter

½ cocoa stick

60g/4tbsp honey

18 large/36 small scallops

Red pepper

Green pepper

Yellow pepper

6 garlic cloves peeled

Handful freshly chopped parsley

150g/10tbsp olive oil or coconut butter

 

Pre-heat the oven to 190 ̊C. Combine honey and olive oil in bowl using a whisk. Use half of the mixture to marinate the scallops and refrigerate for two hours.

 

Cut the peppers in half and remove seeds. Place them on a baking tray with the garlic cloves and pour over the remaining honey and oil mixture. Bake for 45 minutes then allow to cool. Drain cooking sauce into a mixing bowl. Finely chop cooked peppers and garlic and add them to sauce you’ve set aside.

 

In a large pan add the butter and melt in a quarter of the cocoa stick. Once melted, increase to a high heat, add spinach and cook for five minutes. Keep warm, and if spinach dries out, add a bit of butter.

 

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on high in a non-stick pan. Season scallops and place them on their flat side carefully into a very hot pan and cook for two minutes, then turn scallops and cook for a remaining 30 seconds. You can adjust cooking time depending on size of scallop.

 

Finally toss scallops in spinach sauce. Remove from heat and drain away any excess liquid. Place warm spinach at the bottom of a plate and arrange scallops on top. Place the cooked peppers and garlic around scallops. Finely grate remaining cocoa stick over scallops, according to taste. Serve immediately.

 

Recipe 3 - Chilli con Cocoa Carne, Serves 4

 

The best chilli ever, enriched with unsweetened cacao.

 

1tbsp Hotel Chocolat Cocoa & Chilli Finishing Oil

2 red onions

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2tsp chili powder (hot or mild)

2tsp paprika

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground cinnamon

500g minced beef

2 beef stock cubes

50g cocoa stick

1 pint water (450ml)

400g ripe chopped tomatoes or tinned

20g brown sugar

1tbsp white vinegar

2tbsp double tomato concentrate

200g tin of red kidney beans

Salt and pepper to season

 

Peel and finely chop red onion and garlic cloves. Heat oil in a large pan, add onions and garlic and gently cook for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add chili powder, paprika, ground cumin and cinnamon. Stir well and cook for a further five minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

Increase to a high heat then add mince, breaking it up with spatula. Cook for five minutes, until all mince is browned. Mix beef stock cube with one pint of boiling water (450ml) then add to pan with chopped tomato. Stir well, then add all remaining ingredients, apart from kidney beans.

 

Simmer gently, stirring occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes. Drain red kidney beans and stir them into the sauce, cook for a further 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

 

Recipe 4 - Cocoa Caesar Dressing

 

A salad dressing with a unique twist.

 

1 clove garlic peeled and grated

125g mayonnaise

1tsp mustard powder

4 salted anchovy fillets

1tbsp Worcester Sauce

50g grated parmesan

Juice of 1.5 lemons (75ml)

25g grated cocoa stick

 

Chop anchovy fillets finely and place them into a blender, then grate in the cocoa stick. Add all the remaining ingredients and blend on full speed for two minutes. Store in fridge or serve immediately on a fresh Caesar salad.

 

Recipe 5 - Cocoa Granola

 

The best start to the day, cacao-fuelled.

 

125g yoghurt

35g granola

10g cocoa stick/about 3cm

1tsp honey (6.5g)

1tsp flaxseed

 

Thinly grate the cocoa stick into the yoghurt, then add all remaining ingredients and fold together with a folk.  Serve with fresh fruit.