contest BEGIN! Savory Chocolate Throwdown

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Guatemalan Insanity Pepper said:
 
Well i was gonna do a Nutella, Manzano Jelly, and Habanero-Jack Grilled Cheese Sammich   :lol:
 
I may still make one, but not for throwdown. there is some great creative entries in this one  :clap:
Nice work everyone, way to rock the Chocolate  :metal:
 
 
:cheers:
Cheese really is a great way to pull chocolate into savoury. If I had Filo in the freezer , I would have done a fried chocolate/feta tyropita type thing red jalapeno dipping sauce maybe. GM loves weird lol
 
Great job all
 
giphy.gif
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Chocolate & Stout Shepherd’s Pie with Alsation Tarte Flambe and Simple Salad[/SIZE]
 
s5l6as.jpg

 
[SIZE=14.6667px]This was a very interesting TD.  I don’t cook with chocolate much, and I can’t bake my way out of a paper bag so I was stumped thinking up ideas.  Figured many of you guys would go mole/latin type flavors, so I wanted to do something different.  Finally settled on a hybrid steak and ale shepherd's pie for some warm comfort here in the cold and then matched it with a classic French flatbread with a twist and a quick romaine salad dressed with a chocolate cherry chile vinaigrette.  [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]For the Shepherd’s Pie[/SIZE]
 
Take 2lbs of chuck roast, trim the fat and cut it into 1 inch chunks.  Toss the meat in ½ cup of flour and brown it in batches in a big pot over medium heat in 3 tbsp of olive oil.  When each batch finishes remove to a plate and reserve.  
 
2hoyeer.jpg

 
[SIZE=14.6667px]When the meat is finished add a chopped onion, a chopped carrot and 1 pound of mushrooms, halved.  Let cook for about 5-7 minutes until the onions are getting soft.  [/SIZE]
 
28tf4p1.jpg

 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Then add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 dried chile pullas, 1 tbsp dried parsley, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp ancho powder and 1 tsp hot salt.  Stir well and cook all that for another 2 minutes.  Then add one bottle of Guinness extra stout and 12 ounces of water.  Stir well and allow this to come to a simmer, about 20 minutes or so. [/SIZE]Once a simmer is reached add 2 ounces of 85% cocoa chocolate and turn the heat down very low.  
 
264rmm0.jpg

 
Cover and cook 2-6 hours.  I cooked mine overnight on our low heat burner.  Love that thing for braising!  When you’re happy with the tenderness and taste (I added 1 tsp kosher salt and a touch of honey) add 1 cup frozen peas and about 2 tsp of corn starch mixed with a couple tbsp of half and half to the pot.  Turn your heat up to medium and stir well.  It will thicken as is comes to a simmer.  Once you’re happy with the thickness, remove from heat and ladle into your bowls.
 
Top the bowls with your mashed potatoes* and pop them into an oven preheated to 425 degrees.  In about 15-20 minutes the tops will be starting to get golden.  Remove and serve immediately.
 
2im2s11.jpg


 
[SIZE=14.6667px]For the Tarte Flambe[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]
14n0lxz.jpg
[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Take 1 cup of warm water, add 1 tsp of sugar and whisk well.  Make sure the water isn’t too hot and then add one packet of yeast.  Allow this mix to sit for 10 minutes so the yeast can bloom.  Then add 2 cups of flour to the bowl and mix well.  Once it’s come together and formed a dough, turn it out into a well oiled bowl and cover to rise in a warm place for an hour.  [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]This dough went into the fridge overnight.  Remove and allow to come to room temp, then roll it out to about ¼” thickness.  For the sauce I made a quick glaze using 2 ounces of 74% cacao chocolate, 2 tbsp butter, ½ cup of cream sherry and a tsp of vanilla.  I put them all in the pot over low heat, added the chocolate to melt, tasted and added ½ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of turbinado sugar.  [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Drizzle the glaze over the dough, then top with fresh goat cheese, slivered onions, bacon and then sprinkle on some allepo & jobito flakes.  Bake it off on a stone in a 450 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes.  You can garnish with a bit more of the glaze if you like, it sure looks pretty.  :)[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]
4j5dsz.jpg
[/SIZE]
Simple Salad
 
ibf72q.jpg

[SIZE=14.6667px]Last but not least a nice simple salad dressed with a chocolate and cherry vinaigrette.  One of the chocolates I bought was 55% cacao and had chiles and cherries in it, so it was easy to drum up a dressing with.  I took ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar, added a few diced dried cherries we picked in door county and then melted a little over 1 ounce of the chocolate into it.  Sprinkled in some dried aleppo flakes and then I whisked in about ½ cup of olive oil.  It needed a bit of salt and that was it.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]
soy1q1.jpg
[/SIZE]
 
Thanks for looking!  Lots of great and unique entries, THPers taking chocolate to new levels around here!   :D
 
a3dxrc.jpg

 
*Take 1lb yukon gold potatoes, peel and boil them in hot salted water until fork tender.  Drain and add back to the pot.  Mix in 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and just enough milk to mix everything up.  Add salt and pepper flake to taste.  ;) 
 
 
Wow ... nice spread, SF ...
 
 
 
 
I didn't have much inspiration for this one, in fact ...
 
My only idea that I considered was frying chicken ...
 
Coating of flour with ground chocolate, white pepper, coffee, Tellicherry, and Bell's seasoning ... run through batter ... and then a 2nd layer of crushed oreo cookie(-only) and orange zest ...
 
 
SmokenFire said:
[SIZE=14.6667px]Chocolate & Stout Shepherd’s Pie with Alsation Tarte Flambe and Simple Salad[/SIZE]
 
s5l6as.jpg

 
[SIZE=14.6667px]This was a very interesting TD.  I don’t cook with chocolate much, and I can’t bake my way out of a paper bag so I was stumped thinking up ideas.  Figured many of you guys would go mole/latin type flavors, so I wanted to do something different.  Finally settled on a hybrid steak and ale shepherd's pie for some warm comfort here in the cold and then matched it with a classic French flatbread with a twist and a quick romaine salad dressed with a chocolate cherry chile vinaigrette.  [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]For the Shepherd’s Pie[/SIZE]
 
Take 2lbs of chuck roast, trim the fat and cut it into 1 inch chunks.  Toss the meat in ½ cup of flour and brown it in batches in a big pot over medium heat in 3 tbsp of olive oil.  When each batch finishes remove to a plate and reserve.  
 
2hoyeer.jpg

 
[SIZE=14.6667px]When the meat is finished add a chopped onion, a chopped carrot and 1 pound of mushrooms, halved.  Let cook for about 5-7 minutes until the onions are getting soft.  [/SIZE]
 
28tf4p1.jpg

 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Then add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 dried chile pullas, 1 tbsp dried parsley, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp ancho powder and 1 tsp hot salt.  Stir well and cook all that for another 2 minutes.  Then add one bottle of Guinness extra stout and 12 ounces of water.  Stir well and allow this to come to a simmer, about 20 minutes or so. [/SIZE]Once a simmer is reached add 2 ounces of 85% cocoa chocolate and turn the heat down very low.  
 
264rmm0.jpg

 
Cover and cook 2-6 hours.  I cooked mine overnight on our low heat burner.  Love that thing for braising!  When you’re happy with the tenderness and taste (I added 1 tsp kosher salt and a touch of honey) add 1 cup frozen peas and about 2 tsp of corn starch mixed with a couple tbsp of half and half to the pot.  Turn your heat up to medium and stir well.  It will thicken as is comes to a simmer.  Once you’re happy with the thickness, remove from heat and ladle into your bowls.
 
Top the bowls with your mashed potatoes* and pop them into an oven preheated to 425 degrees.  In about 15-20 minutes the tops will be starting to get golden.  Remove and serve immediately.
 
2im2s11.jpg

 
[SIZE=14.6667px]For the Tarte Flambe[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]
14n0lxz.jpg
[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Take 1 cup of warm water, add 1 tsp of sugar and whisk well.  Make sure the water isn’t too hot and then add one packet of yeast.  Allow this mix to sit for 10 minutes so the yeast can bloom.  Then add 2 cups of flour to the bowl and mix well.  Once it’s come together and formed a dough, turn it out into a well oiled bowl and cover to rise in a warm place for an hour.  [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]This dough went into the fridge overnight.  Remove and allow to come to room temp, then roll it out to about ¼” thickness.  For the sauce I made a quick glaze using 2 ounces of 74% cacao chocolate, 2 tbsp butter, ½ cup of cream sherry and a tsp of vanilla.  I put them all in the pot over low heat, added the chocolate to melt, tasted and added ½ tsp of salt and 1 tsp of turbinado sugar.  [/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]Drizzle the glaze over the dough, then top with fresh goat cheese, slivered onions, bacon and then sprinkle on some allepo & jobito flakes.  Bake it off on a stone in a 450 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes.  You can garnish with a bit more of the glaze if you like, it sure looks pretty.   :)[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]
4j5dsz.jpg
[/SIZE]
Simple Salad
 
ibf72q.jpg

[SIZE=14.6667px]Last but not least a nice simple salad dressed with a chocolate and cherry vinaigrette.  One of the chocolates I bought was 55% cacao and had chiles and cherries in it, so it was easy to drum up a dressing with.  I took ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar, added a few diced dried cherries we picked in door county and then melted a little over 1 ounce of the chocolate into it.  Sprinkled in some dried aleppo flakes and then I whisked in about ½ cup of olive oil.  It needed a bit of salt and that was it.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=14.6667px]
soy1q1.jpg
[/SIZE]
 
Thanks for looking!  Lots of great and unique entries, THPers taking chocolate to new levels around here!   :D
 
a3dxrc.jpg

 
*Take 1lb yukon gold potatoes, peel and boil them in hot salted water until fork tender.  Drain and add back to the pot.  Mix in 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp cream cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and just enough milk to mix everything up.  Add salt and pepper flake to taste.   ;)
 
Very nice photography there. Yum
The salads look particularly nice.
 
Pumpkin-Chocolate-Crusted Tenderloin with Champurrado-Inspired Corn Muffins
 
Champurrado-Inspired Corn Muffins
 
Champurrado is what some know as "Mexican hot chocolate" - a chocolate version of the popular atole drink. Champurrado includes masa in the recipe. This illustrates what South- and Latin-Americans have known since ancient times - that chocolate and corn just go together. Although Champurrado is sweet, I added no sugar to the muffins.
 
 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon cilantro
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk (may need more or less)
1 egg
1 cup grated Mexican 4-cheese mix
1 8-oz can cream-style corn
 
In a bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Whisk in the egg and 1/3 cup of milk. Add a bit more milk if the batter is too stiff. Gently stir in the cream corn and cheese. If needed, add more milk to yield a batter consistency the same as for regular corn muffins. (It's going to be a little thick, but not too thick.) Let the batter rest while you preheat the oven to 400F. Line a muffin tin with foil muffin papers and spray with no-stick. Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan a few minutes, then remove from pan and cool further on a wire rack. Spread on some melted butter and enjoy!
 
Corn muffin mix and seasonings. This pic has only 1 tablespoon of chocolate but I added another tablespoon after mixing this together.
m1.jpg


Stirred in the egg and milk, then in goes the cream-style corn and cheese (the corn is under the cheese)
m4.jpg


The finished muffins - these are pillow-soft tender
m8.jpg


These are tasty on their own, but adding butter really pushes them over the top - YUM!
m5.jpg


Pumpkin-Chocolate-Crusted Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin
EVOO
Dehydrated Pumpkin
Sea Salt
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Ginger Powder
Chipotle Child Powder
Cilantro Flakes
Fresh Lime Zest
 
Preheat oven to 500F. Mix the seasonings together in a small bowl. Coat the tenderloin with EVOO then with the seasoning mix. Roast in the oven, turning 1/4 turn every 2-3 minutes until the desired doneness is reached. I roasted this one a total of 18 minutes. Remove from oven, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. 

Seasonings - note that I doubled the amount of pumpkin and reduced the lime zest from what was in this picture. Also, I was going to use a different herb but switched to cilantro after coating the pork with the seasonings below.
p1.jpg


Coated tenderloin before adding cilantro.
p2.jpg



p3.jpg



p5.jpg



p7.jpg


While I've done a bit of experimenting recently with savory cooking with chocolate, I had not made anything quite like either of these before. Although I am not thrilled with the photos, I am exceptionally happy with the flavors. 
 
dragonsfire said:
Turkey with chocolate fruit sauce.
 
Best looking entry so far! Looks tastyas hell
 
Vac pack Turkey wing.
Dried Organic Mango 80 gr
Organic Coco paste 60gr
Orange one
Dried Tomato/Red Pepper mix 2tbsp
Smoked paprika 1 tbsp
Chipotle 2tbsp
Seasoning Mix, 1 tbsp
Brown Rice 1 cup
 
Slow cook turkey in crock-pot 6 hours
Juice orange and add to mango to re-hydrate, peel whole orange and cut into small pieces and add with the mango, add a couple tbsp honey to add to the maceration.
slow cook brown rice 4 hours (2 cups water)
After turkey done, fry to brown. Add liqueur from bag to mango mix and add coco and blend, add 4 tbsp serachi sauce.
Place rice in pan, add parchment and oil so it does not stick, place fried turkey on top, add paste to top of turkey.
Pop in oven with lid for 30min on 450f, add 1/4 water to pan to create steam.
 
Worked out a hell of lot better then expected, the fruity coco taste was great, the orange just a a bit of an edge, nothing over powered. Rice was like sticky rice and nice and fluffy. Flesh fell off the bones.
:)
 
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P1100728_THchocolate-1500_zpsp7wef6vl.jpg
Still feel like I should of weaseled some sushi rolls somehow

Hey my post complimenting dragonsfire disappeared.

Looks great!
 
Thanks!
Actually I can stop thinking about those sushi rolls, next time I get some avocados I will mix coco nips in their and make some sushi rolls :)
 
Great looking Pie, I miss pie, gonna make a coco deer meat pie as soon as I can :)
 
hogleg said:
 
What??
 
FYI
 
I woulda done Jamocha almond fillet (steak) with cocoa mash pertaters. Jah habs, cocoa, coffee, almond incrusted fillet reverse sear. Yukon gold, caramelized shallot and manzano, cocoa mashed taters. At least that's what I imagine?
 
BOOM!
 

     Wow! Ashen, DF, SnF and geeme just brought it at the end! Way to finish this one off with class! Way to make voting hard for everyone! :rolleyes:

JoynersHotPeppers said:
Great job all
 
giphy.gif
 
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :cheers:
 
 
 
edit: I seriously think I just woke up my wife laughing at that ^. Really how else can you sum this one up? So many of these entries just sound bizarre. Capers and chocolate? Cocoa fried chicken? Turkey with chocolate sauce?
     I came away from this one with a new understanding, though. I had to taste it to believe it.
 
The Hot Pepper said:
Just for you Pookie
 
Nutella,Manzano jelly (Thank you @Greenchilemonster), and PepperJack cheese sandwich with Jalapeno rings and Terry's Orange chocolate ball wedge 
 
O0nM04j.jpg

POL
 
TFHXPXR.jpg

Prepped bread (butter goes on the other side :) )
 
RLIZF6k.jpg

in the pan
 
CFHivex.jpg

Add Cheese
 
I0KBkHx.jpg

Top with other slice, then flip
 
uew1kcI.jpg

Plated
 
 
super simple, surprisingly delicious  :dance:
 
 
 
 
thanks for looking at my entry
 
 
 
 
 
 
:cheers:   
 
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