Chocolate pudding with strawberry jam and poached fig

Chocolate pudding with strawberry jam and poached fig

This is a fusion of two different desserts. The chocolate pudding idea is from Whittaker’s A Passion for Chocolate. In the book, Tom Hutchinson from Capitol, one of Wellington’s most acclaimed restaurants, shared a soft-centered chocolate pudding recipe.

Instead of serving it with creme fraiche as he suggested, I topped the pudding with poached fig and home-made strawberry jam . The poached fig recipe is from Chef Mita Warbrick, who is the Executive Chef at Parliament.

I made the strawberry jam without a recipe. Just equal parts strawberries and sugar, a little water, juice of lemon and vanilla extract. Easy-peasy!

From Whittaker’s A Passion for Chocolate cookbook:
Soft-centred Chocolate Pudding by Tom Hutchinson

• canola spray
• 150g Whittaker’s 75% Dark Ghana chocolate, chopped
• 150g unsalted butter, chopped
• 3 egg yolks
• 50g soft brown sugar
• 50g finely ground almonds
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 cup castor sugar
• icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Generously spray 6 x 4 oz ceramic ramekins with canola spray
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler and set aside. (I heated them in the microwave instead.)
3. Whisk the egg yolks with the brown sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Gently fold in the ground almonds. Stir this mixture into the warm chocolate and butter.
4. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites with the castor sugar until they form soft peaks, then gently fold them into the chocolate mixture.
5. Spoon the mix into the prepared ramekins to just below the first lip, then cover and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours and up to 4 days.
6. Preheat oven to 195C fan bake.
7. Bake directly from the fridge for 9 minutes.
8. To serve, dust with icing sugar or better yet, top with strawberry jam and poached fig!

From FishHead Magazine’s May 2013 issue:
Poached Figs by Mita Warbrick

• 8 dried figs
• 100ml Stone’s Original Ginger wine
• 300ml water
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 clove
• 1/2 cinnamon stick

Method

1. Place the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2. When the figs soften, remove them from the liquor.
3. Reduce the liquor to a syrup, then place the figs back in to soak until cool.

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