A16's Chocolate Budino with salt and olive oil (modified version)

I feel bad sharing this recipe with you. I feel bad because once you make it, you will devour it, and then, you will be hooked. Consequently, I will be personally responsible for adding inches to your waistline. For this I am truly sorry. But I made the decision to share this recipe because I believe it will make you happy. And wouldn't it be worse to deprive you of that?

The original recipe includes tart shells, but we lose them in this modified version, which means we make only the filling (the budino.) There are two reasons why we're doing this: 1. It's easier, and 2. We don't have a mixer yet, which is needed to make the tart shells. 

I can assure you, however, that on the day we buy a mixer we'll be racing home to give the full version a try. (It'll be interesting to see if we can make it taste as good as it did at the restaurant.)

A16's Chocolate Budino with Sea Salt and Olive Oil

(modified version)

For 8 servings you will need:

200 grams (7 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (we use chocolate that is 70 percent cacao)

42 grams (1½ ounces) milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup whole milk

6 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream 

For garnish:

unrefined, flaky sea salt

extra virgin olive oil

Start at least 4½ hours before you plan on serving because they will need to be refrigerated for a minimum of 4 hours.

Preheat your oven to 150C (300F.) 

Combine the bittersweet and milk chocolates in a heatproof bowl (a Pyrex baking bowl, for example), and place it over a pot of water that is just barely simmering—careful the bowl isn't actually touching the water, just resting directly over it. Leave it to melt.

It's about this time when my mouth starts to water.

While the chocolate is melting, warm up the milk in a small pot over medium heat just until it's about to simmer. Do not allow the milk to boil. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, and then gradually whisk in the milk.

Once the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Strain the egg yolk mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the melted chocolate. Stir until everything is combined and is smooth. 

Heat 1 cup of the cream over medium heat in a small pot until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and slowly stir the warm cream into the chocolate mixture. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup of cream.

It's a beautiful thing.

Pour the mixture into 8 (1-cup) ramekins, or, if you have them, mini cocottes (shown here in the first row.) Cover each dish tightly with aluminium foil, or a tight-fitting lid, and place in a baking pan at least two inches deep. 

Carefully pour hot water into the baking pan until it comes two-thirds up the sides of the dishes. Bake until the edges appear to be set but the middle is still loose, about 40 minutes.

Licking the bowl will certainly whet your appetite for dessert. But you'll have to be patient. When the dishes are ready to come out of the oven, you'll need to (carefully) remove them from the pan, let cool, and then pop them in the fridge for 4 hours.

When they're ready to serve, sprinkle on the salt and drizzle a liberal amount of olive oil on top to finish.

The sheer decadence of this dessert means I could easily share it and still be satisfied; it's very rich. However, I believe I'm alone in this. I have yet to come across a single person who will split one with me. It's just too damn good I s'pose.