Blood orange granita, lots of bay leaf, candied orange peel and chocolate from the bottle
Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald
Alcohol-free Chardonnay with chocolate?
That sounds special, but it also makes you sceptical. In addition to a product with alcohol, Chocolate in a Bottle also offers a non-alcoholic version. The black bottle doesn't look very high quality because of the silver print, but at least they use real corks. The pop when it is opened is convincing. The colour in the glass is a light yellow, and the bubbles and foam are good. According to the producer, it is a classic Chardonnay with natural cocoa aromas. The result is a drink that does not meet with unrestricted approval. The intense chocolate scent is slightly disturbing at first. Yet the distinct chocolate note comes more through the nose. I taste a fresh and slightly acidic sparkling wine. Distinct fruit notes cannot be clearly separated. It goes in a grapey direction. But that's ok. I think the chocolate-grape-acid effect is supposed to be more in the spotlight here. Drunk on its own, Chocolate in a Bottle also takes some time getting used to. It's different in combination with fruit or, for example, a blood orange granite. The cocoa flavour now makes sense, and supports the orange flavour of the dessert. The acidity in the Granite is reduced, the sparkling wine has enough of it. The processed bay complements the whole with woody spice. For extra crunch and a little visual appeal, there is also candied orange peel. Conclusion: In combination, something for those who like to experiment and chocolate-fruit fans.
Granite:
1 L blood orange juice, depending on the season, fresh or direct juice from the bottle.
Grated peel of one orange
250g sugar
6 fresh bay leaves
1 sheet of gelatine
Bring all the ingredients except the gelatine to the boil and skim off any foam that rises. Reduce the liquid slightly for about 10 minutes and then pour through a sieve. Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes, squeeze out and dissolve in the warm liquid. Allow everything to cool slightly, pour onto a tray or container and place in the freezer until frozen solid.
To serve, scrape the granitée off the tray with a spoon and pour into pre-cooled glasses. Garnish with candied orange peel.
Candied orange peel:
Orange peel
Zuker
Water
Wash the oranges thoroughly, dry them and remove the peel cleanly. Carefully scrape the white from the peel with a small sharp knife. Put everything in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil on the cooker. Drain the peels. Repeat this procedure three times to cook out the bitter substances. Drain and dry well. This can also be done in the oven at 60°. Then weigh and put the same amount of sugar in a pot and add 20g of water per 100g of sugar. Bring the sugar water to the boil and add the orange peels, stirring until the sugar water is used up. Now put some sugar on a plate and turn the peels in it. Then dry the orange peels individually on baking paper. Store the peels in an airtight container.