If, like me, you like the idea of entertaining your guests with your skill in the kitchen but realise that the reality may diverge from the dream then here are some ideas for a pretty straightforward meal with Mediterranean influences that will leave your fish eating chocolate loving guests fit to burst with pleasure (especially if you pour some good wines with their meal): Linguine with sardines and chocolate pots to finish them off.

:

Plain chocolate – 100g
Unsalted butter – 10g
Egg yolks – 2
Full fat milk – 200ml
Caster sugar – 1 dessertspoon

How you do it:

Using a bowl over a saucepan of water so as not to overheat the chocolate, melt the plain chocolate. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Meanwhile lightly whisk the egg yolks with the milk and stir into the chocolate. Return the mixture to the heat and stir in the sugar. Keep stirring the mixture for three minutes until the chocolate is well melted. Pour the mixture into small ramekins or pots, then stand the pots in a roasting tin. Pour in boiling water into the roasting tin until it comes to about halfway up the outsides of the pots. Place the roasting tin into a pre-heated oven 170 degrees/gas mark 3 for approximately 20 minutes (make sure the surface is set on top – the water in the roasting tin will keep the lower half of the chocolate pots moist). Remove the pots from the tin and leave to cool.

Serve with a small amount of light ice cream and some orange or strawberry coulis to temper the richness of the chocolate. For the truly decadent a nice sweet dessert wine such as Orange Muscat will add to the experience of these chocolate pots!

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