Sweet, savory and sublime
INDULGE | Chocolate adds depth and a festive touch to sauces, stews and more
By now, most people have tired of low-grade chocolate -- you know, the kind that's plucked, tentatively, from advent calendars 25 days of the year.
As for chocolate oranges, well, they're exactly what one would expect.
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True cacao enthusiasts -- the ones who eat their morsels christened with fleur de sel or charged with chiles -- know there's more to life than this.
Chocolate, once only a precious, trade-worthy commodity, is built for romance. Still, few consider its merits beyond a post-meal indulgence.
That's a serious shame since chocolate -- from cocoa powder to bittersweet -- is ultra-versatile, infusing savory dishes with je ne sais quois. From chili to rich bolognese, braised meats to velvety-on-the-tongue sauces, there are endless opportunities to milk its magic.
"Cocoa is like cinnamon in the sense that it's a great background note," says David Richards, chef-owner of Sweets & Savories, 1534 W. Fullerton, in Lincoln Park. "But it's more sublime."
Richards, known for combining, in one dish, the flavor profiles his restaurant is named for, rarely makes a slow-simmered dish without incorporating chocolate as an ingredient. (Currently it is herbaceous short ribs and lamb shanks.)
"Only very infrequently will people pick out chocolate as an ingredient in my dishes," Richards says. "But it has the earthiness of cumin, or the subtlety of chervil versus tarragon, minus the aggressiveness."
In addition to operating under the radar, chocolate -- when used for savory purposes -- lends incomparable richness and depth.
"It can provide interesting texture or can thicken a pan sauce in place of butter," said Cyrille Couet, banquet sous chef at the InterContinental Boston.
Feel a little freaked? Don't worry.
"It doesn't taste like chocolate. It just makes people say, 'What is that?' " said chef James Gottwald of Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 W. Hubbard, in River North.
And the aesthetic appeal extends well beyond that.
"Chocolate imparts a very dark, beautiful color," Couet said, noting he particularly enjoys using it in sweet-sour dishes, such as those with balsamic vinegar.
Of course, chocolate also is a natural with game and marbled meats.
"The astringent bitterness adds a nice, rustic undertone," Gottwald said.
Then there's the health factor. It's believed that cocoa and dark chocolate -- specifically that which has no additives -- can do everything from lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease to improve blood flow.
The trick to making it work with food is using it properly.
"You don't need a lot. It can be overbearing," Couet said. "For a simple pan sauce, I'd start with a teaspoon or two. You can always add more."
Because chocolate burns easily, Gottwald chops it finely and removes it from heat.
"Often I'll strain a hot sauce right on top of it and incorporate it that way," he said. "What you don't want is to have it seize up."
"Once it turns stonelike, there's nothing you can do," Richards cautioned.
However, by taking the leap, you'll be amply rewarded.
"When chocolate is added to a spot-on sauce, the mouth-feel is incomparable," Richards said. "It pulls the flavors around the mouth and has the ability to open up the subtle nuances of other flavors."
Jennifer Olvera is a local free-lance writer.