Country Calling Recipes

A Blow Out Christmas Feast

Take the sting out of Christmas day with this blow-out Christmas feast devised by cook Ding Buckett and illustrated with Wendi Fyer’s brilliant cartoons….(coming soon a collaborative cook book called The Yummy Sisters….) read more

Chocolate Nirvana

In the first of a new series of recipes from the West Country chocolate guru Willie Harcourt-Cooze devises a perfect cacoa-infused menu for Country Calling. Recipes from Willie’s Chocolate Bible and  Willie’s Chocolate Cookbook Photo Emma Lee

All my vegetarian friends say, ‘Yes, Will, but what do we do with cacao?’ Risotto is the obvious option; it’s a classic vegetarian dish. Porcini and cacao, both with strong, distinct flavours and rich, deep colours, make the perfect union.

Porcini & Chocolate Risotto

4tbsp olive oil

1 onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

100g dried porcini mushrooms

25g  butter

250g arborio rice

1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock

2tbsp cacao, grated

Parmesan to serve

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry over a gentle heat until soft. Meanwhile place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with boiling water to rehydrate. Drop the butter into the pan. Stir in the rice. Add the porcini and the liquid they were soaked in. Simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid has been absorbed. Add a ladleful of stock and simmer, stirring again until all the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is plump and tender. Stir in the cacao to finish. Season with salt and black pepper and serve with grated parmesan.

The success of chocolate mousse is based entirely on the quality of the chocolate or cacao you use. You have to use a chocolate that’s going to leap out at you to really make this work!

Chocolate Mousse

Serves  8

180g cacao grated

5 eggs separated

75g golden caster sugar

200ml double cream

Melt the cacao by placing it in a large heatproof  bowl over a pan of simmering water. Meanwhile beat the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy and pale. Lightly whip the cream in a separate bowl. Whisk the egg whites until firm in another bowl. Stir the melted cacao into the egg yolk mixture. If the cacao and egg mix clump together and looks grainy, add a little cream and keep stirring. Add the remaining whipped cream, then gradually fold in the egg whites. Divide the mousse between serving glasses and refrigerate until ready to serve.