Budino di Cioccolato

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Heatproof spatula or wooden spoon
• •Six 6-ounce ramekins or small bowls
• •Whisk

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the chocolate

   Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set it aside. The chocolate must be chopped small, into pieces no larger than a pea. Large chunks will not melt evenly and you will have a grainy pudding. This is not difficult. It requires only a sharp knife and five minutes of your attention.

2. 2

   Heat the milk and cream

   In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Set it over medium heat and warm until small bubbles appear around the edges and steam rises from the surface. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

   Whole milk and heavy cream together create the proper richness. Do not substitute low-fat milk. The pudding will taste thin and sad, and you will wonder what went wrong.
3. 3

   Make the egg mixture

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and pale yellow. This takes about two minutes of vigorous whisking. The mixture should fall from the whisk in thick ribbons. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Every bit of cornstarch must be incorporated or you will have lumps.

4. 4

   Temper the eggs

   While whisking constantly, pour about half a cup of the hot milk mixture in a thin stream into the egg mixture. Whisk until combined. Add another half cup, whisking all the while. Now pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Whisk thoroughly to combine.

   Tempering prevents scrambled eggs in your pudding. Add the hot liquid slowly. If you dump it in all at once, you will cook the eggs and ruin everything.
5. 5

   Cook the custard

   Set the saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, reaching into the corners and across the bottom. The custard will seem thin at first, then suddenly it will thicken. This happens quickly, between eight and twelve minutes. When it begins to bubble and the first thick blurps appear on the surface, cook for exactly one minute more, stirring vigorously. Remove from heat immediately.

6. 6

   Add the chocolate

   Pour the hot custard through a fine-mesh strainer directly over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for one minute. The heat of the custard will melt the chocolate. Then whisk slowly from the center outward, incorporating the chocolate until the mixture is completely smooth and uniformly dark. Add the vanilla extract and the cold butter pieces. Whisk until the butter melts and disappears.

   Straining removes any bits of cooked egg or lumps of starch. Never skip this step. It takes thirty seconds and makes the difference between silky and acceptable.
7. 7

   Portion and chill

   Divide the pudding among six ramekins or small bowls, about half a cup each. If you want to prevent a skin from forming, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each pudding. If you prefer the skin (some do; it is a matter of taste), leave them uncovered. Refrigerate for at least four hours, or overnight. The pudding must be completely cold and set before serving.

8. 8

   Serve simply

   Remove the puddings from the refrigerator. If you covered them, peel away the plastic. Serve cold, with a small spoonful of lightly whipped cream if you like. The cream is not necessary. The pudding is complete without it. What you keep out is as significant as what you put in.

Chef Tips

• •The chocolate determines everything. Use a bittersweet chocolate with 70% cacao or thereabouts. Milk chocolate makes a pudding that tastes like candy. Unsweetened chocolate makes one that tastes like punishment. Find the balance.
• •Do not substitute cocoa powder for solid chocolate. The cocoa butter in real chocolate gives the pudding its silky, rich body. Cocoa powder produces something chalky and thin.
• •The pudding thickens considerably as it chills. If it seems loose when you pour it into the ramekins, trust the process. Four hours in the refrigerator transforms it.
• •Some cooks add a tablespoon of espresso or a splash of rum. I leave this to your judgment. The chocolate should be enough. But if your chocolate is less than exceptional, a little coffee deepens the flavor.

Advance Preparation

• •The pudding must be made at least four hours ahead. It requires this time to set properly. Plan accordingly.
• •Budino keeps beautifully for three days in the refrigerator, covered. It does not freeze well. The texture suffers.
• •For entertaining, make the puddings the day before. One less thing to think about when guests arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)