From Denny: This Cooking Channel is as mesmerizing as Food Network where you can park on the couch and watch endless great cooking shows in succession. Sooner or later you have to force yourself to get up and start posting all your favorites! :)
The beauty of Italian food is its simplicity and easy to create. Using the freshest ingredients and only a few spices it's pretty amazing what tasty dishes you can create to please the whole family.
Well, this week Chef David Rocco got adventurous and wanted to prove you can use chocolate in more than just sweets. It can be used in savory recipes - and it just so happens I've been on the hunt for savory dishes employing the use of dark chocolate. We all think of Mexican cuisine and ancient Mayans using chocolate in savory dishes but certainly not Italian. When Chef Rocco went to the open air market in Florence, Italy, where he resides, the local fishmonger was shocked he would consider pairing chocolate with seafood, especially shrimp. In a word, she thought he was a bit crazy.
Daring to push the borders of the status quo is what I like to see in the food arena, especially when it's done with so few ingredients like Chef Rocco's recipes. He prepared this dish for a Chocolate Theme Party and it was served as an appetizer.
Gamberi al Cioccolato: Shrimp with Chocolate
From: Chef David Rocco
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup/229 g chopped finest quality plain dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa)
1/2 cup/118 ml milk
3 tablespoons/45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound/450 g shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt
1 cup/240 ml white wine
Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Directions:
Combine the chopped chocolate and milk in a stainless steel bowl. Rest the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
In a frying pan, heat up the olive oil and saute the garlic until soft. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink and just opaque. Add the salt and wine, and let reduce. Then add the parsley. Plate and drizzle with melted chocolate.
*** Check out more savory and sweet chocolate recipes from Chef David Rocco:
Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.
Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.
Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.
Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.
Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.
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