Have you ever ordered a hot chocolate in a smart Parisian cafe? It's served in a teapot, and when you pour it, it looks like smooth, dark brown silk. It coats your mouth, and stays with you for hours. Just the right kind of energy boost you need for trawling the
Centre Georges Pompidou or Musee d'Orsay on a chilly, winters day.
A couple of years ago I was shown how to make the “best hot chocolate in the world” by a young French chef, in Paris. That was quite a claim. I thought, and glancing at the recipe it seemed like a bit of a faff for just a cup of cocoa. And then I tasted it.
Give it a go – it’s more than worth it. But it must be served hot, from a tea or coffee pot, into small cups as it's quite rich. You won't be able to go back to Cadburys drinking chocolate once you've tried this.
Ingredients
½ litre whole milk
100gm single cream
100 gm of chocolate (50% cocoa solids)
1 teabag (I use chai but normal tea will do)
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 star anise
Zest of one orange
Method
Heat the milk and single cream with the teabag to boiling point. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until the chocolate has melted then simmer for 5 minutes to allow the ingredients to steep.
Enjoy.
