Venezuelan Chili Chocolate Chicken
Chocolate isn't just about dessert, as it adds complexity and depth to savory sauces. Adapted from Adventures in Chocolate by Paul Young

Prep time: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Yield: Serves 4

Venezuelan Chilli Chocolate Chicken

 Ingredients

•2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•2 shallots, chopped fine
•3 pounds chicken, thighs and legs
•3 Valencia oranges, zest and juice
•3 dried Ghost chili pods, chopped
•2 dried Trinidad Scorpion chili pods, chopped
•1 tablespoon coriander seeds
•15 ounces diced canned tomatoes
•1 tablespoon brown sugar
•3 ounces 70% cacao dark chocolate, broken into pieces
                                                                                                        •4 sprigs cilantro, roughly chopped

Cooking directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, about 1 minute. Cook garlic and shallots until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Brown chicken on each side, about 10 minutes. Add orange juice, zest, fresh and dried chilies, coriander seeds, tomatoes and sugar. Bring to low boil, about 5 minutes. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

3. Place skillet in oven and cook 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set chicken aside from skillet. Add chocolate pieces to skillet and stir until blended, about 2 minutes, at which point there will be a dark gravy-like sauce. Return chicken to skillet. Serve over rice and black beans with chicken smothered in sauce.
more recipes at www.firehousechilli.com

7th Heaven Chocolate, Chili & Tequila Cake Recipe

7th Heaven Chocolate, Chilli & Tequila Cake Recipe

An easy chocolate cake with a kick from chilli and tequila
"This cake is unbelievably easy to make..A brilliantly simple cake recipe (mix it all together in one bowl and bake it!).Chocolate, Chili & Tequila...Can life get any better than this? I Think not!

Serves 12

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids
• 200g butter
• 2 tsp dried Ghost Pepper chilli flakes
• 4 eggs
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp tequila, plus a little extra to serve
• Salt flakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm round cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the chocolate, butter and chilli in a glass or metal bowl over a pan of barely simmering water or in a microwave, taking care not to burn the chocolate. The bowl must not touch the water as this will split the mixture. Remove from the heat, stir and leave for a few minutes to cool.
3. Stir in the eggs one by one, then the sugar, followed by the almonds, flour, a pinch of salt and the tequila. Pour the batter into the cake tin and sprinkle over a generous amount of salt flakes. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Leave to cool and just before you serve, drizzle a little tequila over each slice.

Chili Flakes available at www.firehousechilli.com