Chocolate Soup

The first Friday of each month is on the foodie calender as the monthly Irish Foodies Cookalong  organised by Sarah from Cake in The Country. It brings many foodies from different back rounds together to cook a meal in their own home all using the same theme. Even though I don't always take part I always read the participating posts. The cook along can be followed on Facebook but to be right up to date on all the kitchen shenanigans on the night you would be best to follow the twitter feed under irecookalongs.

This months theme was Chocolate which was greatly received by many participants. I wouldn't consider myself to be a devote chocoholic. I do like chocolate and would enjoy the occasional slice of Chocolate Cake however as I tend to suffer from Migraines and chocolate {or the over indulgence of it} is something that most certainly can trigger an attach. Therefore I try to limit my intake of chocolate and if it is at all possible to avoid a day consumed by a headache, with associated nausea, then steering clear of any triggers is always advised.


For this cook along I decided to make a starter, main and dessert. In this post I will share with you my chocolate starter. I had received Green and Blacks Chocolate Recipes cookbook  at Taste of Dublin in 2009. It is packed with many delicious recipe, some which I have tried before . I had earmarked a dish called Chocolate Soup which was recommended as a starter so this was the perfect opportunity to try it out. It sounded more like a dessert to me but who am I to disagree with the Green and Black's expertise. Either way as a starter or dessert this Chocolate Soup is utterly delicious, light, fluffy and bursting with flavours. It sits well in the fridge and tasted equally as good the next day.

Chocolate Soup adpted from Green and Blacks Chocolate Recipes
Orginally created by Michelin Star chef Eric Charot for his London based restaurant, Interlude de Charot.

Ingredients
725ml (11/4 pints) milk
250ml (9fl oz) double cream
500g (18 oz) dark chocolate {60% is recommended but I used 46% as the children prefer it}
50g (2 oz) caster sugar
1 tbsp water
8 large free range egg yolks
200ml (7fl oz) whipping cream
6 tbsp skinned and roasted hazelnuts
6 teasp Grand Marnier or Cointreau

Method
1. Bring the milk and double cream to the boil and add the chocolate. Set aside.
2. Heat the sugar with the water to make a syrup. When the sugar has melted, bring to the boil and boil for 1 minute.
3. Start to whisk the egg yolks with an electric whisk, then gradually pour the syrup over the yolks, whisking
continuously.
4. Once the sugar has been incorporated, continue to whisk until the mixture is cold. The mixture will double in volume.
5. Whip the cream and fold it in.
6. Mix the egg mixture with the chocolate sauce.
7. Distribute the mixture between individual bowls or ramekins.
8. Chill the soup for at least 2 hours.
9. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts and then sprinkle them and the grated orange zest over the soup and drizzle sparingly the Grand Marnier/Contreau before serving as a starter.

Photos & styling by Nessa Robins.