We thought that as Valentine’s Day is around the corner that we’d feature chocolate this month (one of my personal favourite food groups to indulge in).  Chocolate...in France its chocolat, in Italy it’s cioccolato, and in Spain it’s chocolate.  Call it what you will, we all love it and apparently on average eat 12 pounds of this delicious indulgence a year.

 

After the Spaniards introduced it to Europe it took a century to seduce the world.

The Mayan people were some of the first to grow large plantations of cacao as early as 600AD. Both the Mayan and Aztec people used cacao as a form of money and a refreshing and potent drink. 

Chocolate was first introduced to Spain when Christopher Columbus returned to the New World in 1502.  Although it did not grow in popularity with the Spaniards until the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés brought this treasure back again in 1519.  The origin and preparation method remained a secret in Spain for nearly 100 years…and the rest is history.

In France, chocolate was met with skepticism and the French court was doubtful about  accepting it. A French queen finally saved the day - in 1615, Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII declared chocolate as the drink of the French court.  In the 17th and 18th centuries, chocolate was also used as a base for medicines, to mask their unpleasant taste. So apothecaries participated in its spread, some of them themselves became chocolate-makers such as Debauve and Galais and Menier.

Here is a recipe from our very own Art de Vivre Loire culinary vacation in the Loire Valley, France - its Monique’s special chocolate dessert that she serves for special occasions to impress her guests.

250 gr (10 oz ) dark chocolate (approx 1 box)

200 gr (7 oz) melted butter (approx 1 cup)

6 eggs

5 tablespoon walnuts or praline* or candied orange**

Heat chocolate and butter slowly together in a double-boiler (au bain Marie), add egg yolks, mixed walnuts, praline or candied orange.  Heat very slowly on low heat, especially if you don’t have a double-boiler.  Beat egg whites until stiff and add slowly to heated mixture. Ensure that you butter your dish prior to pouring in the pate.  Place in the freezer minimum 4 hours. Take it out before serving dinner to allow for easy slicing of the pate. Serve with orange slices and savour every bite! 

* In French cookery praline is a powder or paste made of caramelized almonds and/or hazelnuts.

** To make Candied Orange Peel (1 cup) you need:

2 large thick-skinned oranges             3-1/2 cups water         1/2 cup sugar

Grate orange using a regular kitchen grater (not too fine though, it should be thin julienne in size).  In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of the water to a boil. Add the orange zest, and boil about 3 minutes. Drain and repeat the boiling for a total of three times, changing the water each time. Drain. In the same saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the remaining 1/2 cup water. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil, and add the orange zest. Simmer over low heat until all the liquid has evaporated, and the zest is covered with the thick syrup, 8 to 10 minutes.  You need about ½ cup for the Chocolate Pate recipe, or more according to your taste buds.

Chef's Note: This is such a simple dessert to make and it is sure to impress!  Dip your knife into hot water for easy slicing. If you do not eat it all on Valentine's Day you can freeze it and it keeps really well.

First, the darker the chocolate, the darker the wine. This means Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel for those rich, decadent desserts. Cabernets pair well because they already have a hint of cocoa (note, avoid Cabernets that have a lot of oak flavour).  Port wines and dessert wines also work well with dark chocolate. Milk chocolate, on the other hand, is more suited to Merlot.

Second, white wines don't usually fare as well with chocolate; their citrus and apple flavors aren't as complementary to chocolate as red wine's darker fruit flavors. The exception is sparkling wine and Champagne, many of which have a caramel flavor built in.

Mas Amiel Muscat de Rivesaltes 2001 Roussillon, France

Leasingham Bin 61 Shiraz, 2001 Clare Valley, South Australia

Sierra Cantabria 2001 Rioja, Spain

Fonseca Bin 27 Ruby Port Duoro, Portugal

Warre’s Otima 10 Year Tawny Port Duoro, Portugal

Another good wine is a Bonny Dune Framboise, this pairs very well with chocolate because of its raspberry flavouring.

And if you would like to hand-pick your own bottle of Mas Amiel Muscat de Rivesaltes 2001 from Roussillon, we now feature the Southern France Gourmet Route culinary vacation right in the heart of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.  Contact us today to find out more about our 4 and 7-day tours that focus on food and wine.