The Suffolk's Chocolate Delice

James Jay, Head Chef of Aldeburgh's gorgeous new destination restaurant The Suffolk, has kindly shared for our readers his recipe for the restaurant's Pump Street Chocolate Delice. 

A decadent and rich set chocolate pudding, which makes the most of our rich, dark Ecuador 85% chocolate. 

Pump Street Chocolate Delice (makes 4)

Delice
3 egg yolks
25g caster sugar
125ml full fat milk
200ml double cream (125ml for the custard, 75ml to whip and fold in)
Vanilla pod
175g Pump Street Ecuador 85% single origin chocolate

Salted Caramel
250g caster sugar
25ml water
150ml double cream
150g Fen Farm Bungay butter

Garnish
Fen Farm mascarpone
Roasted hazelnuts (chopped)

For the caramel, put the sugar and water in a heavy based pan and bring to a gentle boil over a medium high heat, do not stir. Once it is a deep amber caramel carefully add the butter and combine. Reduce the heat and whisk in the cream, take off the heat and leave to cool.

For the delice, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make a custard; first put the milk and cream in a pan, split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds in the mixture, bring to the boil. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light in colour. Pour over the milk mixture and whisk continuously to prevent scrambling, return to the pan and whisk over a medium heat until thick enough to
coat a spoon, remove from heat and strain into the melted chocolate.

Combine the custard and chocolate until smooth and glossy, leave to cool slightly, whilst it cools whip the remaining cream to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mix. Allow to cool further before pouring into ring moulds (a glass is also nice if you don’t have rings), leave to set in the fridge.

To plate, gently warm the caramel, do not allow it to boil, it just needs loosening. Pour onto a plate. Carefully remove the delice from the rings using the warmth of your hands and gently sit on top of the caramel. Put a spoon of mascarpone on top and sprinkle generously with the roast hazelnuts.

Photo credit: Rebecca Dickson