Savor(ing) Chocolate

By Lori Grossman

Okay, chocoholics, listen up. Did you know that chocolate can be used in main dishes?

For those of you who immediately thought of mole sauce, you're on the right track. More on that later. You've earned brownie (no pun intended) points. But mole sauce is only the beginning. We're talking savory dishes here.

"Savory" is actually a British culinary term. In the 17th and 18th centuries, many courses were served at large dinners. Some were savory and some sweet. No formal dinner would have been complete without a savory course to end the meal. Today, a savory is usually cheese, and is offered as an alternative to a sweet dessert. If we go back to how chocolate first started showing up in savory dishes, it all began with the ancient Mayan civilization.

Chocolate comes from cacao trees that grow only within 20 degrees of the equator. The trees produce pods containing about 40 beans in each pod. Once harvested, the hard work begins. Beans must ferment inside the pods, and then are removed to dry before they can be ground into what we know as cocoa. Mayans roasted and ground the beans, then mixed the powder with chilies, herbs, and wild honey. This drink was offered in tribute to rulers and placed in their tombs. Eventually, the beans were used as money.

By the time the Spanish conquerors arrived, the Aztecs were using what they called cacahuatl (or cocoa water) as an aphrodisiac. One chronicler wrote that the emperor Montezuma "faced his harem of 200 wives only after drinking 50 chalices of spiced cacao." Another Spaniard noted "It is the habit among Central American Indians to rub each other all over with pulpy cocoa mass and then nibble at each other." Those Aztecs sure knew how to have fun!

How to use your chocolate is up to you, but you might start by trying these recipes.

Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

• 1/2 pound best-quality bittersweet, milk, or white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 pints large stem-on strawberries, wiped clean with paper towels and well-chilled

Capitol Punishment Chili

• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons beef bouillon (2 cubes)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
• One 12-ounce bottle pale lager ale
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• One 14-1/2 ounce can Hunt’s diced tomatoes with roasted garlic
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound lean beef round, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound lean ground chuck
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons masa harina dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

In a large skillet, fry the onions and garlic in the canola oil. Add the beef cubes, ground beef, and ground pork; brown and remove from the heat. Drain the excess fat. Add the meat to the seasoning mixture. Stir well and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes at a low boil.

Remove from the heat and add the masa harina mixture (this acts as a thickening agent). Cook 2 minutes more over low heat. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Cocoa-Spice Topped Salmon

Whisk together sugar, dry mustard, cinnamon, paprika, cocoa, chili powder, cumin, pepper, and salt. Coat both sides of the salmon fillet with remaining olive oil. Place in grill pan skin-side down. Sprinkle generously with the cocoa-spice mixture and pat down. If you have some of the mixture left over, store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.