BY: Sheena Rawcliffe
Email: sheena@portugalresident.com
This is a super mouth watering recipe, which has a good deep taste of chocolate, but is not overpowering.
The terrine is extremely versatile, as it can be served for a simple pudding or for that special dinner party.
Chocolate has been around almost since time immemorial and, when using it for cooking, there are just one or two things to remember:
• Do not allow the water over which you are melting the chocolate to boil and touch the bottom of the pan as it will cause the chocolate to become grainy.
• Do not get any water into the pan holding the chocolate. You may find it easiest to melt the chocolate in a microwave – just be careful not to use too high power.
You will need:
A 900g loaf tin, which has been oiled, lined with cling film, which has been lightly oiled.
Ingredients:
• 200g of the best dark chocolate you
can find or afford.
• 90g butter, preferably unsalted, but
I have used salted and the result was
quite acceptable.
• 50g sugar.
• 25g cocoa powder.
• 4 large eggs.
• 50ml brandy.
• 300ml cream.
• Your choice of fruit – dried fruit such as prunes and dates are perfect; oranges at this time of year and in the summer fresh raspberries make a great marriage with this chocolate pudding. You will need approximately 25 prunes, two large oranges or 300g raspberries.
If you are using dried fruit (even the ready soaked variety) soak overnight in a solution of cold tea with the brandy. If using fresh fruit, add the brandy to the butter and sugar mixture.
Method:
Prepare your chosen fruit.
Chop or grate the chocolate and melt with 45g of the butter. Leave to cool slightly.
Separate the eggs.
Beat the other 45g of butter with the sugar until light and creamy (add brandy here if using fresh fruit) and add the cocoa and egg yolks gradually.
Fold in the melted chocolate and half of your chosen fruit (drain the dried fruit before incorporating in to the chocolate mix).
In separate bowls whisk the cream until it just forms peaks and the egg whites until they also form soft peaks.
It is important to keep as much air as possible in the mixture, so add the cream first and then the whipped egg whites.
Pour half of the mixture into the prepared tin. Place the remaining half of the fruit over the terrine mix. Finish with the remaining terrine mix.
Carefully cover the top of the tin with oiled cling film and freeze until solid (normally around three to four hours).
This pudding can be served just as it is, with more cream or cook down a few frozen blackberries, or blackcurrants with a little sugar to form a sauce – strain (or not according to your taste buds), cool and serve with slices of the chocolate terrine.
