Now that winter has us firmly in its chilly grasp, what better way of cheering up an icy winter’s evening than by hosting a chocolate party?
Back in the day, they were the epitome of taste and style – and there’s nothing quite as fun for confirmed chocaholics as getting stuck into a good, old-fashioned chocolate fondue. Accompanied with steaming mugs of heavenly hot chocolate and the ‘sinfully delicious’ classic movie, Chocolat, and you’ve got yourself a winning recipe.
But if you really want to do death by chocolate…
Chocolate with every course? Of course! While we tend to think of chocolate as a confectionary, we needn’t limit our use of chocolate to sweets or desserts. It’s a little known fact that chocolate in its pure form is bitter, not sweet, making it a perfect ingredient to use in savoury dishes. Here’s a chocolate menu to die for:
Chocolate Starter: Salmon Pâté with Bitter Chocolate Gânache
Chocolate Main Course: Beef Fillet with Chocolate Chilli Sauce
Chocolate Dessert: Hot Chocolate Pudding
Remember, when using chocolate for culinary purposes, use the highest quality chocolate you can afford.
For the ultimate chocolate wow factor, serve your chocolate meal with a delicious chocolate flavoured wine: Try Boekenhoutskloof’s The Chocolate Block, a rich red with strong chocolate tones or the Diemersfontein Pinotage, the original Coffee Chocolate Pinotage. Finish of with espresso shots and you’ll leave your guests gobsmacked and begging for more.
Chocolate Box Table
Decorate your chocolate party table with rich chocolate colours: A ‘candy wrapper’ chocolate-brown-and-mint-green-polka-dot runner; scatterings of bite-sized chocolates and truffles, and rows of chocolate-scented candles. And top it all off with a wonderfully decadent table flower arrangement of chocolate brown cosmos or Charlie Brown cymbidium orchids. Enjoy!
