Unique Flavors Inspire Recipes From Entrées To Desserts

While Americans' love affair with chocolate is easily expressed in desserts, the delicacy contains fruit, spice and wood notes that can enhance entrées as well. One way to try this taste sensation is with Switzerland's number-one chocolate brand-just arrived on U.S. shores.

Fresh from the world's chocolate capital, Chocolat Frey AG offers a unique opportunity for personal indulgence. The company's confections also inspire a range of recipes for chocolate-themed meals-everything from entrées to beverages to desserts.


Americans will immediately notice a major difference in the chocolate: the unusual and surprisingly delicious flavors, such as Rhubarb & Aloe Vera and Hot Chilli Pepper. With a choice of white, milk and dark chocolate varietals, Frey offers the world's most extensive range of chocolates. In all, the company has shipped 11 gourmet flavors in elegant, slim bars for Americans to sample and savor.

A chocolate-themed dinner, for example, might revolve around an entrée of Coquilles St. Jacques with chocolate and cranberry sauce, a soft-frozen chocolate marquise with kiwi fruit dessert, and white, milk or dark chocolate crème beverages.

Gourmet chocolate, like fine wine, is at its best when properly stored and served. Frey specifies that its chocolate always should be kept in a cool place, but not in the refrigerator where the shine could be marred by frosty flecks.

Other tips for cooking with chocolate include:

• Always cut chocolate with a lightly warmed knife to prevent splintering.

• When melting chocolate, break into pieces in an uncovered steel pan to prevent condensation from dripping into the chocolate. Water will change the chocolate consistency.

• Grate chocolate by hand to produce the most beautiful curls. To help you plan a chocolate-themed meal, Chocolat Frey offers the following entrée recipe:

Prep time: Approx. 30 minutes

2 carrots, shaved into long strips

1 small whole leek, cut into long, wide strips

8 to 12 sea scallops

4 tsp. olive oil

Salt

Sauce:

1 shallot, chopped

1 tsp. butter

1 cup fish or chicken stock

2 cloves

13/4 oz. Frey Noir Authentique extra dark bittersweet chocolate, 78% cocoa

4 tsp. whole-berry cranberry sauce

Generous pinch of cayenne pepper

Generous pinch of ginger

For sauce, melt butter in a saucepan and gently sauté shallot until transparent. Add fish stock and cloves. Continue to heat until liquid has reduced by half. Chop up chocolate. Add to stock with cranberry sauce. Continue to cook over a low heat until sauce thickens. Add pepper and ginger to taste. Set aside and keep warm.

Rinse scallops in cold water and pat dry. Sear in oil for 1 minute each side in a wide frying pan. Remove scallops from pan. Simmer vegetable strips in cooking juices for two minutes. Season with salt. Place scallops on top. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Arrange scallops and vegetable on warmed plates and pour on sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Hint: This dish goes well with long-grain rice.

Americans can find 3.5-ounce bars in five of Switzerland's favorite flavors in Target stores: Pécan & Caramel, Bouquet d'Oranges, Citron & Poivre, Café & Cacao, and White Blueberry. Also available are 10.5-ounce bars of Swiss Dark Chocolate and Swiss Milk Chocolate.

More Topics:
Fantastic World of Gourmet Chocolate
Sales of European-style hand dipped chocolates and candies.