SRC Orphan Rescue: Recipe Taster

While I love participating in the Secret Recipe Club, there are very few blogs that make me scratch my head and think: really, would those ingredients go well together?!? This month, I have the absolute pleasure of being completely introduced to, baffled by, and intrigued with the recipes at Recipe Taster by Alessio. A self-described Renaissance man, his curriculum vitae include advanced degrees in Physics, jewelry design, and an obvious penchant for putting together outrageously creative flavor combinations.

In that vein, I selected a recipe that included two ingredients I would never have thought to put together: chocolate and calamari. Yes, I really did write chocolate and calamari in the same sentence; and I actually cooked them in the same dish. Check out my inspiration! "Weird is good" reads his post. Indeed. Sometimes weird is just weird. In this case, I have to agree: weird is good.

I made a few adjustments based on what I had: I skipped the lovage and swapped smoked paprika for chili flakes. Otherwise, I think I stayed pretty true to his wildly original flavor combinations.

adapted to make 4 full-sized servings

1 pat of butter
splash of olive oil

1 leek, cleaned, trimmed, and diced

1 pinch smoked paprika

10 coriander seeds, crushed

1 t crushed garlic

1 C cleaned, thinly sliced calamari

1 carrot, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

2 C  water

1/2 ounce dark chocolate, chipped - I used an 85% chocolate from Columbia

salt to taste

In a little pot, sweat the leeks in the butter and olive oil. Add the smoked paprika and coriander, stirring and letting infuse for roughly 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the calamari. Let the calamari cook thoroughly and toast a bit without letting the garlic burn though! Stir in the carrot and tomato. Stir the base until the tomato starts to break down, add pour in the water and cook at a simmer till the mixture is reduced by half.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, roughly chopped, and whisk till nicely melted. Season with salt and add a bit more chocolate if needed. Garnish with a few pieces of calamari and cacao nibs, if desired.