Wild Honey, warm chocolate soup

The quality of the chocolate you use for this is quite critical to the flavour of the finished soup. We use Valrhona's 66 per cent cocoa solids.
 

Ingredients

250g dark chocolate, 60-70 per cent
Cocoa solids
50g whipping cream
50g butter
4 eggs, separated

To serve
Icing sugar, for dusting
Good handful of chopped almonds
120-180ml crème fraîche 

 

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 100°C/gas mark ¼.

  • In a gently warmed bain-marie (or a bowl set over - but not touching - some gently simmering water), heat the chocolate and butter until just melted. Add the egg yolks and combine lightly.

  • In separate bowls, lightly whip the cream to ribbon stage and beat the egg whites until standing in soft peaks, but being careful not to over-beat.

  • Fold these into the chocolate mixture and immediately transfer to 4-6 individual, ovenproof serving bowls. Bake for 9 minutes.

  • Allow to stand for a minute or so after removing from the oven. Then sprinkle with icing sugar, scatter with chopped almonds and top with a spoonful of crème fraîiche.