Unusual chocolate pairing amuse-bouche of Turkish lamb stew over a smoky eggplant cheese sauce with white chocolate.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Table of contents
Unusual Chocolate Pairing
We ran a challenge some years ago on the now defunct consumer Google+, asking for unusual chocolate pairings. This was what I came up with.
I’d started making this as an amuse-bouche for some clients last weekend, when the idea of adding some white chocolate to the eggplant cheese sauce occurred to me. White chocolate, with its delicate, creamy and sweet flavour notes might just work in the swoon-worthy smoky aubergine cheese sauce in our Hünkar Beğendi. And I was right!
It didn’t change the flavour dramatically, in fact, the white chocolate didn’t stand out much. What it did, was blend in with the cheese sauce, intensifying the creaminess. It also lend a touch of sweetness to the cheese sauce.
And the vanilla from the chocolate, although faint, further enhances the sweet aroma, as well as lends a hint of oak. The sweet and the oak went very well with the smokiness and the slightly tomato-ey lamb stew.
What is Hünkar Beğendi?
Hünkar Beğendi or Sultan’s Delight, is an old Turkish recipe going back a few hundred years. There are a number of stories that explain the beginnings of this magnificently named Ottoman dish. One of them includes Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III who was apparently visiting in the 19th century.
Whether the dish was created for a 17th, 18th or 19th century sultan, suffice it to say, said sultan was so ecstatic over it, they personified his euphoria in the name!
You could serve this dish as a stylish starter or if you are into the wow factor when sitting down to a dinner party, then serve it in between courses, as I have here.
The original Hünkar Beğendi recipe is above, and we shall be making half that amount to get about 12 – 15 little glasses. Depending on how small your lamb is cut, and how much you serve, you may even stretch this recipe to 20 little portions.
I used Green & Black White Chocolate with Vanilla.
As starters, you will get about 6 servings.
Have fun, and let me know what you think!
Shall we get our aprons on?
If you like the recipe, don’t forget to leave me a comment and that all important, 5-star rating! Thank you!
And if you make the recipe, share it on any platform and tag me @azlinbloor, and hashtag it #linsfood
Lin xx
Unusual Chocolate Pairing Amuse-Bouche
Ingredients
The Lamb Stew
- 450 g leg of lamb, diced
- 1 Tbsp flour
- ½ tsp mild chilli powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 medium onion halved then sliced
- ½ green capsicum bell pepper, halved, then sliced in 1cm/half in strips
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped, about 2.5cm/1 in
- 1 Tbsp sundried tomato paste
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 250 ml chicken stock
Beğendi
- 2 medium aubergines eggplants
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 250 ml whole milk
- 30 white chocolate
- 15 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 15 g medium cheddar, grated
- 30 g good quality white chocolate
- salt and pepper
- 1 small handful fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Let’s start by preparing the aubergines. Place the aubergines over an open flame on a metal trivet and roast for about 15 – 20 minutes, turning from time to time, until the skin looks burnt and the aubergines are soft to the touch. You could also just place a sheet of foil over the gas flame, instead of a trivet. Leave to cool.
- While the aubergines are roasting, let's make the lamb stew. Coat the lamb pieces with the flour, the chilli powder, the salt and a little freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan over high heat, add the lamb and sugar and brown the lamb pieces for 5 minutes, turning the lamb frequently.
- Lower the heat down to medium and tip in the onion slices and fry for 2 minutes, again, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and capsicum (green pepper) and cook for a minute, stirring.
- Now add the tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano and stir for 30 seconds to mix everything thoroughly.
- Add the stock and bring to boil.
- Lower the heat right down, cover and leave to simmer for 1 – 1 and a half hours, until the lamb is cooked right through and beautifully tender.
Let's make the Beğendi
- The aubergines should be fairly cool now, scrape out the soft pulp and place in a chopper. Throw away the skins.
- Chop or blend to a smooth purée and set aside.
- Now, let's make some Bechamel Sauce. Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the flour and whisk with a small whisk or wooden spoon for 2 minutes until the roux has thickened, is bubbling and gives off a lovely cooked aroma.
- Slowly, add the milk, whisking continuously. Be careful, the first drip will splutter.
- Cook the bechamel sauce for 4 – 5 minutes until it thickens to the consistency of custard.
- Take it off the heat and stir in both cheeses until they melt. Shouldn't take more than a minute.
- Now, stir in the aubergine purée, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper until it's all completely mixed in and you have a beautiful aubergine cheese sauce. Check the salt and add more if necessary.
- Stir in half the chopped parsley.
To Serve
- Drop 2 heaped tablespoons of the sauce in your serving dishes, followed by a dollop of the stew, including a piece of lamb.
- Place a parsley sprig as a garnish and serve with a small slice of bread, in keeping with the "small" theme.
I really like this recipe and presentation. Can I use beef instead in the lamb stew?
Thank you Michael. Yes, beef will go perfectly too.
This is really great work. I’m really impressed with all your posts and depth of knowledge. I’ve sent you an email to invite you to contribute to our Chefs Magazine, looking forward to hearing back from you.
Thanks Charles, have replied.
Another brilliant presentation! I made your smoked salmon one last year and everybody was talking about it weeks after! I am saving this for our Easter dinner. I think it will make an elegant starter. Thank you, Azlin!
Thank you Katerina! I am so pleased to hear that you liked the smoked salmon and marinated artichokes. Let me know how this one goes.
This is just so pretty! I love the idea of adding white chocolate to cheese sauce. The eggplant cheese sauce sounds so yummy! Thanks Azlin, I love looking at your amuse bouche page or ideas!
Thank you Melanie, that sauce is really to die for!
This is so cool! I just saw this on Pinterest and had to take a look. What am amazing idea and presentation, Chef!
Thank you, Matt. I appreciate you taking the time.