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New ways with chocolate

Think of cooking with chocolate and visions of luscious cakes and tortes, rich and creamy mousses or chunky, chewy brownies generally spring to mind. But our favourite culinary vice isn't limited to sweet creations

Adding chocolate to savoury dishes has a long tradition in different cultures around the world and can add a new dimension to chicken, lamb and even fish.

Chocolate goes particularly well with chillies so it's not surprising that many savoury chocolate recipes have their origins in Mexican cuisine.

The key to using chocolate in savoury dishes is moderation. It should be used to enhance the flavours, not overpower them.

Go straight to...

• Mini chocolate chilli rolls
• Chicken and pinto bean mole
• Monkfish in chocolate mushroom sauce
• Choc-lamb casserole
• Mole poblano de guajolote (Turkey steaks in chocolate chilli sauce)

Mini chocolate chilli rolls

A spicy take on the French pain au chocolat
Makes 10

225g / 8 oz strong white flour
1 tspn salt
1 dried chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
140-150ml / ¼ pint warm water
2 tspn dried yeast (or 1 tspn fast-action yeast)
1 tspn sugar
25g / 1 oz butter, melted and cooled
extra flour for kneading
oil for greasing
100g / 3 ½ oz good quality dark chocolate, broken into 10 chunks
1 tspn icing sugar and 1 tspn cocoa powder, for dusting

1. Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the dried yeast and sugar to the warm water and leave to stand for 5 minutes until it starts to react (it will go slightly foamy). If using fast-action yeast stir it directly in to the flour with the sugar. Stir the chilli into the flour.
2. Add the yeast water to the flour (if using fast-action yeast just pour in the warm water) and the melted butter and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.
3. Tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 12-15 minutes by hand (or 5-7 in an electric mixer with dough hook), adding more flour or water if necessary to make a smooth but not sticky dough.
4. Oil a large bowl and place the dough inside, covering the top of the bowl with a piece of oiled cling film. Place in a warm place to rise; it should take about 1 hour.
5. When the dough has risen to double its size, punch your fist into the dough to deflate it and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 1 minute.
6. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and shape each one into a ball. Push a chunk of chocolate into the middle of each and pull and pinch the dough over to encase it inside, keeping a round shape with the seam on the bottom.
7. Place the rolls, seam side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with another piece of oiled cling film. Leave to prove (rise again) for another half hour or so. Preheat the oven to 200C / gas mark 6.
8. Mix the icing sugar and cocoa powder together and use a sieve to lightly dust the tops of the rolls. Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden. Place on a wire rack to cool.

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