Hey there hungry hoards!
Welcome back to my recipe blog. This is the fourth one so if you haven't read the other three, where have you been?I've had another great week of foodie adventures so again, I'm treating you to two recipes in this blog and a full run-down on The Digbeth Dining Club in my review blog which should be published this Thursday 20th of February.
The first recipe is for a super-gooey, intensely flavoured, really, really easy flourless chocolate dessert. It's suitable for gluten intolerant people, sweet tooth maniacs and chocaholics everywhere! Also it's so easy you could get your kids to help out making it. Its a real family pleaser, unless you're on a diet, in which case you may want to look away now.
The second recipe is actually the first part of a two part recipe for gorgeous spiced salt beef, you will see what I mean when we come to it later.
So, if you're ready, I'll begin.
These chocolate mud fingers are actually an experiment I came up with when I was asked if I could make a chocolate brownie like pud for someone who was wheat intolerant. I struggled with the idea for quite a while and tried a few different recipes using different types of flours including rice flour, corn flour and potato flour. All of them turned out OK but not a patch on my original brownie recipe ( I will do you the recipe for my brownies in a future blog, including my peanut butter and jelly baby brownies.)
Anyway, after trying all these other flours I had some chocolate base left over so I chucked it in a tin and baked it with no flour in at all and I've got to say, even though you wouldn't call it a brownie, it tasted amazing! So the chocolate mud fingers were born. I did give some to the gluten free friend who had asked me and she loved them.
Chocolate Mud Fingers Recipe:
Equiptment:
1 non stick baking tray approx 5" x 7" x 3" deep.Greaseproof paper.
2 mixing bowls.
Balloon whisk (or electric whisk if you have one, but I prefer to whisk by hand.)
Ingredients:
200g of good quality dark chocolate ( 70% cocoa).4 large eggs.
200g caster sugar.
400g butter ( I always use salted butter, even in desserts, as the salt brings out the complex flavour notes of the chocolate).
A few grates of 100% cacao (optional). I use willies cacao
Method:
Pre heat oven to 160 degrees c. or gas mark 4. Break your chocolate into chunks and dice your butter and put into a bowl . Set your microwave to its lowest setting and put the chocolate and butter in for about 5 minutes. If that's not long enough to melt both the butter and the chocolate together then pop it back in for another couple of minutes until its all melted.
Grab your baking tray and rub all over with a little of your butter then line with greaseproof paper.If you turn your baking tray upside down and cut the greaseproof paper round the rim of your tray it should be the perfect size.
Rub some more butter over the top of the greaseproof paper and pop into the fridge for a couple of minutes.
When your butter and chocolate have melted in the microwave take the bowl out and mix together well so that you get a smooth chocolate sauce. 
Crack your eggs into the other mixing bowl and add the sugar and grated cacao (if using.) whisk until its a pale, mousse like texture.
Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk together, making sure it is properly combined and there are no streaks of egg mixture or chocolate mixture in the bowl.
Pour the chocolate mud into the baking tray and pop into the bottom of the oven. ( I have an electric oven with a heating element in the top so I like to put a baking sheet on the shelf above the chocolate mud tray to stop it browning too much before it's cooked through.)
Bake for about 20 minutes. If, after 20 minutes, the top isn't browning up then remove the baking sheet from above and move the chocolate mud tray up a shelf then bake for another 5 minutes or so but keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
When the top is browned enough remove from the oven. You will see it start to sink almost immediately but don't worry about it as it has no flour in to hold it up.Allow to cool completely before trying to turn it out. If it's still warm when you try it will make a mess and you won't be able to cut it.
Run a knife around the edge of the tray to release the cake and put a chopping board on top, then turn it upside down. it should release itself but if not don't be tempted to tap it or bang it as it will break round the edges. Give it a couple of minutes and it should release itself.
When it has released gently peel off the greaseproof paper and using a sharp knife ( you may want to wet the knife blade to stop it sticking.) cut into fingers about 2" thick then cut them in half. You should end up with about 20 fingers, if you can possibly stop yourself from pinching the odd one or two, just "to check its done"!
I like to serve mine dusted with icing sugar along with a little whipped cream and a bit of cherry coulis, just to bring the fruitiness of the chocolate out and, maybe, another grating of cacao.
The cherry coulis in this picture is mixed with a bit of agar-agar and allowed to set in a tub so you get a firm jelly-like texture.
Or you can cut them into little squares and serve as petit fours with a good coffee or cup of tea.
If you have any left over then space them out on a fresh piece of greaseproof paper and wrap loosely. They will keep in the fridge for about 4 days (don't worry, they wont last that long!)
Right, now you've had your chocolate fix, its onto the first part of the salt beef recipe.
The first thing you need to know about this recipe is it takes 5 days.
I know that seems like a long time but believe me it is well worth the wait!
If you've never tried salt beef then let me tell you, you've been missing out. Its gently spiced has a great texture and, despite the name isn't salty at all.
It's also called corned beef but it is nothing like the mushed up, overly salty and greasy stuff you get out of a tin.
My recipe is a tweaked version of the traditional Jewish recipe and is fantastic when sliced up, still warm, and served on a toasted bagel with a slice of dill pickle or some homemade mustard slaw. Or, for a heartier meal you can make proper corned beef hash by shredding the beef once its cold and adding diced potatoes then frying. ( I shall make the corned beef hash and do the recipe for that in part two.)
A little note about the Sodium Nitrate used in this recipe.
Sodium nitrate is a preservative used in bacon, ham, pastrami and other cured meats. It's sometimes called "pinking salt", "saltpeter" or "curing salt". It inhibits bacterial growth and allows the flavours in the brine to penetrate the meat. If you want to read more about it then go here culinaryarts.about.com › ... › Seasoning & Flavoring
I got mine from a butchers in Penkridge, I asked him for some curing salt and he gave me a bagful.
I'm not here to talk you into using it if you're at all concerned but it is essential for this recipe.
Salt Beef Recipe (part one) :
Equiptment:
large saucepan with lid.Pestle and mortar.
Small electric blender/grinder.
Mixing bowl.
Large clean plastic tub with lid.
Pickling Spice Ingredients:
1 piece of beef brisket, trimmed of fat, approx 3lb in weight.
Half a tablespoon of whole allspice berries (pimento seeds ).Half a tablespoon of English mustard powder.
Half a tablespoon of coriander seeds.
half a tablespoon of dried chilli flakes.
4 Whole cardamom pods.
3 Dried bay leaves.
3 Cloves.
1 teaspoon ground ginger.
half a teaspoon of cinnamon.
Half a teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg.
6 Whole black peppercorns.
Brine Ingredients:
2.5 litres water.3 teaspoons of curing salt.
2oz of un-groung sea salt or Rock salt. ( I use Himalayan pink rock salt).
1 Tablespoon of honey or 50g of soft brown sugar.
Spice Rub Method:
Put all your whole spices in the pestle and mortar and gently crush them up. (you don't have to be too fussy as you're going to grind them with your other spices later, Its just to get them started.) Crunch the bay leaves up in your hand and put them in your grinder with the powdered spices.
Put the ground spices in a bowl and using about a tablespoon-full rub it all over the brisket.
Brine Method:
Put the rest of the spice mix in your large saucepan. Add the water, The rock-salt, the curing salt and the honey or brown sugar, put the lid on and bring to a boil. ( this is your brine.)Meanwhile put your spiced brisket in the plastic tub, put the lid on and put it in the fridge.
When the brine has come to the boil turn off the heat and leave to go cold. ( I like to leave it overnight as this lets the dry rub on the brisket get to work.)
Remove the brisket from the fridge and pour the brine all over it. (make sure the brisket is completely covered, if it floats then weigh it down with something just to keep it under the brine.)
Pop it back into the fridge and leave it for 2 days. After 2 days turn the brisket over in the brine and, again make sure it is completely covered. you will notice that the brisket has plumped up a little.
Well I must admit I hate to leave you hanging for the next blog, and part two of the recipe, but these things take time!
In the meantime you can check out my review blog. This week it's all about one of my favourite places to eat, the Digbeth Dining Club.
As usual, please let me know how you get on with the recipes. Ive had some good feedback so far from people who have tried the apple crump and the scotch eggs and also some people saying the pictures need improving, which is fair enough as I'm using my iphone at the moment. I will be buying a decent digital camera soon to address this issue, and make the food look more enticing!
Most importantly of all, Happy cooking!
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