From Reuters:
Deep-Fried Chocolate Sandwich Sells Like Hotcakes
LONDON (Reuters) – Chocoholics seeking to indulge their passion this Easter will appreciate a British hotel chain’s diet-busting chocolate sandwich, which boasts the added attraction of being dipped in batter and deep-fried.
Ramada Jarvis introduced the delicacy last month and said on Wednesday the calorie-heavy dish had become the fastest selling dessert on its menu.
“We were surprised it has become so popular, although it is very tasty,” said the chain’s director of food and beverages Debbie Walter.
The sandwich is particularly popular in Scotland, traditional birthplace of the mother of all deep-fried desserts, the battered Mars bar.
Mindful that Britain, along with other Western countries, faces an increasing problem of obesity the hotel chain also offers less fattening desserts.
“The chocolate sandwich is not something if you are on a serious calorie-controlled diet, but we do offer alternatives,” said Walter.
Ramada Jarvis has 65 hotels in Britain, but only 36 currently offer the waist-expanding dessert.
Actually, Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating: How to Choose the Best Bread, Cheeses, Olive Oil, Pasta, Chocolate, and Much More (a book I highly recommend, by the way) has a recipe for a grilled chocolate sandwich that is very much like a grilled cheese sandwich. Strangely, I have not tried that recipe out yet. Their recipe for chocolate pudding, however, is to die for. (Although the recipe says it contains 8 servings, take my advice and make it 12 or 16 servings. I couldn’t finish a 1/8 serving, and I’m a card-carrying chocaholic.)
*drools*
*shorts out another keyboard*
CURSES!!
The ugliest building in Manchester is a Jarvis hotel; I wonder is this “delicacy” available there?
“…two sticks of rich creamery butter, wrapped in Canadian back bacon, and deep fried…”
Sorry, the description of the deep-fried chocolate sandwich reminded of that bit from the Simpsons.
Of course, the chocolate sandwich actually sounds pretty yummy, especially compared to the deep fried butter and bacon. 😉
Take crusty italian bread spread liberally with nutella ( choc hazelnut spread ) and peanut butter, Dip into french toast batter and place in a med hot non stick pan. When golden brown serve with chocolate syrup whipped cream and fresh strawberries. This will be on my breakfast menu at my restaurant
I had a yummy breakfast sandwich at a restaurant in LA that was something very like that: peanut butter, chocolate, and bananas, wedged into toast, and deep-fried. Or something. Yum. (One of the cafes on Third Street — either Quality or the-other-third-street-one.)
But I gotta tell you — skip the Nutella and use something like Scharffen Berger chocolate. I made the grilled chocolate sandwiches this weekend, and MY GOD they kicked ass. We used SB semisweet, I think, and they were heavenly in a way Nutella never is.
MAURY RUBINS GRILLED CHOCOLATE SANDWICH
Chef Maury Rubin has come up with the simplest and most delicious
chocolate sandwich. He uses the finest-grained white bread, lightly
buttered, then filled with a ganache and batons of dark chocolate.
Grilled and cut on the diagonal, it evokes the joys of that archetypal
childhood treat, the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, but it is a far
darker, more sophisticated creation. ”Most pastry looks great but
never tastes quite as good as you think it will,” Rubin says. ”This
is exactly the opposite experience.”
MAURY RUBINS GRILLED CHOCOLATE SANDWICH
8 ounces dark (bittersweet) chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 to 16 slices of plain white bread
Handful of chocolate batons (1/2 inch long) or chocolate chips (about
1/3 cup)
3 to 4 tablespoons soft butter.
1. Chop the chocolate fine and set aside in a medium bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just boiling and pour over
the chopped chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.
Refrigerate until just slightly solid, about 30 minutes.
3. Spread a layer of the chocolate mixture 1/4-inch thick
(approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons) on half the bread sides to within
about 1/4 inch of the edges. Press about 2 teaspoons of the chocolate
chips (or 5 or 6 pieces of batons) into the center of each filling.
4. Spread a bit of softened butter over one side of the remaining
slices. Buttered side up, place the slice over each chocolate-spread
slice and press lightly around the edges to seal. Refrigerate for at
least 15 minutes before putting on a grill or on a press. (If you are
using a skillet instead, freeze the sandwich 15 minutes.)
5. Heat a grill or sandwich press (or a large griddle or skillet over
medium-high heat), and add the sandwiches. Press on one side only for
a minute or two (depending on the particular grill or press you’re
using) until the bread is nicely browned; the chocolate should be
barely melted and not swimming out the side. If you are using a
griddle or skillet, heat the sandwich first on the unbuttered side
until lightly toasted, about 1 minute; turn the sandwich over and
weight it down by placing a baking sheet or pan on top of the sandwich
and placing a few soup cans on top. Toast for another minute, until
golden. Cut in half and finish with a frilled toothpick.
Taken from email: SusansDailyTips-subscribe@onelist.com
WHO COULD RESIST THIS OFFER OF LOVE IN THE FORM OF A GRILLED CHOCOLATE-BANANA SANDWICH? For each sandwich, place an ample piece of a chocolate bar on one piece of white breed. Top with banana slices and a second piece of bread. In a skillet, heat a generous slice of butter over medium-low heat just until it begins to bubble. Add your decadent sandwich, chocolate side down. Cover the skillet. Cook until the bread is golden brown. Carefully flip sandwich over, and repeat, adding more butter if necessary. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm with plenty of napkins.