31 May Chocolate Salami

Chocolate salami is not salami at all – it is a delicious chocolate log filled with nuts, biscuits and a dash of liqueur. The name simply comes from the salami-like appearance. Originally from Italy (or Portugal, depending who you ask), it tastes best when served with a glass of port or liqueur after dinner. Chocolate Salami looks beautiful when presented on a wooden board, partially sliced and ready to nibble on.

When it comes to the ingredients, why not get creative? As long as you stick to the basic recipe, you can use any biscuits, nuts and liqueur you like. You can also replace some of the nuts with dried or glacé fruits.
Here are some delicious combinations to try:
– Almonds, amaretti biscuits and Amaretto liqueur
– Shortbread, dried figs and Port
– Pistachios, cranberries, biscotti and orange liqueur
– Ginger biscuits, shortbread, glace ginger and coffee liqueur

Ingredients:

75g shelled pistachios
75g blanched almonds
75g blanched hazelnuts
250g dark chocolate
100g butter
2 eggs
4 tbsp castor sugar
5 ml vanilla extract
2 tbsp cocoa
200g biscuits (shortbread, Marie biscuits, digestives, amaretti biscuits, biscotti etc)
2 tbsp Rum, Port or liqueur
2,5ml finely grated orange zest (optional)
4 tbsp icing sugar

Directions:

• Add all the nuts to a dry frying pan and toast on high heat. Toss the pan/ stir the nuts frequently to prevent burning. As soon as you start to smell a toasted aroma, remove the pan from heat and tip the nuts onto a baking tray and spread out to cool.
• Break the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and add the butter. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (not allowing the water to touch the bowl) and stir until melted and beautifully glossy. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• Chop the biscuits into small pieces (or break up with your hands). Once the nuts have cooled, chop them roughly.
• Beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence in a small bowl.
• Add the egg mixture and cocoa to the chocolate mixture and place back over the pan of simmering water, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken up.
• Allow to cool for a few minutes before stirring in the orange zest and port, rum or liqueur Lastly add the chopped biscuits and nuts. Mix well.
• Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to firm up a bit.
• Place a large piece of clingfilm onto a smooth surface. Spoon half of the chocolate salami mixture into the middle of the clingfilm.
• Carefully roll the mixture into a cylinder shape, around 4-5cm in diameter (this is a rather messy process!). Twist each end of the clingfilm tightly.
• Repeat the rolling process with the remaining mixture. You will now have 2 chocolate salami’s, each around 20cm long.
• Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, place a large piece of wax paper onto a flat surface and sift 2 tbsp of icing sugar over it. Place 1 chocolate salami onto the icing sugar and roll around until it is completely covered in icing sugar.
• Repeat with the remaining chocolate salami (or if you can restrain yourself, freeze one of them for a rainy day, or for a beautiful edible gift).
• Place onto a wooden board and slice into thick slices with a serated knife.
• These will last about 1 week in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer.