SPARK Spring 2016 | Page 7

iWORLD Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar by Chantal Coady In New York there has been a craze for chocolate and bacon sandwiches. Here is a recipe for my special chocolate sauce! When you have made it – which takes about 10 minutes - you can grill a bit of bacon, fry an egg, get your bread or toast ready and add a bit of the special chocolate sauce. The chocolate balsamic can be made ahead of time and keeps for ages. It’s a bit like a brown sauce, which is sweet mixed with sour, so not as odd as it may sound. If you have an old squeezy ketchup bottle you can use that to store it in. Happy cooking! You will need: 100g white caster sugar 100ml basic balsamic vinegar 30g good dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more if you can find it) • Break the chocolate into small bits, and put into a suitable jug for use with a wand mixer, or if you prefer a food processor. • Boil the sugar and vinegar for five minutes to get a syrup mixture. • Pour the syrup over the chocolate, leave it to melt for a couple of minutes then blitz with the mixer or liquidise until you have a smooth appearance. It should have the texture of molasses (very thick). “ It seems od d at first, bu t as you bite into it, it ge ts more and more lovely ! SPARK tester Lara “ If you like it, you can make larger quantities and store in jam jars. I use it as the chocolate element in my savoury recipes. You can even spoon it over fresh strawberries, broccoli or spinach. It’s great on pizza or any dish you might put a brown or sweet-and-sour sauce on. SPARK 7