Dark Chocolate Chilli Con Carne
Enough to make the savoury purists wince, and point an accusatory finger at 'that culinary pervert' Heston Blumenthal once again. But once you get past any instinctive reservations about combining your beef and your Bourneville, you'll be rewarded with a densely-flavoured dish that tastes luxurious, indulgent, and, quite frankly, divine. Surprisingly low in fat, this dish provides the perfect excuse for any chocoholics to sate their hunger for the cocoa, without inducing the pangs of guilt that came with the sinful snacking on the midnight Mars bars.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
- 500g Minced beef
- 1 large onion
- 5 closed cup mushrooms
- 2 Red peppers
- 1 Can kidney beans
- 2 tbsp Tomato puree
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilli
- 6-8 Dark chocolate squares
- 2 tbsp Red wine
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions:
1. Dice onion and put aside in bowl.
2. De-seed red peppers and slice length-ways, before adding to onion bowl.
3. Finely slice scotch bonnet chilli, removing as many seeds as possible, before adding to bowl.
3. Put onion, pepper and scotch bonnet in shallow pan and simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
4. Separate minced beef, and add to pan. Increase heat to medium, and cook for five minutes, stirring to ensure meat is browned evenly
4. Chop mushrooms into thin slices and add to pan for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. When vegetables have softened, add kidney beans, tomaoes and tomato puree. Increase heat slightly, and cook for further 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
6. Add chocolate and red wine 1-2 minutes before dish is ready and serve once ingredients are immersed.
Recipe Profile:
- Balanced meal ✓
- Low fat ✓
- Source of zinc and iron ✓
- Source of essential amino acids ✓
Photo courtesy of Jakub Walutek @ www.gasmarkseven.com
Contributor: Abbie Parker, Sheffield Hallam University, Criminology and Sociology
"This is probably the dish I'm most proud of concocting, though I would say I make a killer cottage pie as well, if I may say so myself! The aromas that waft through the kitchen when you add the wine and the chocolate to this...unreal."