YaDa Chef Tip, Melting Chocolate

Melting chocolate can be a tricky game, let it get too hot and it will break, becoming grainy. A heavy bottomed skillet over a very low flame is excellent but not every burner is capable of maintaining a low enough temperature.

The following two techniques are pretty much foolproof in melting chocolate.



DOUBLE BOILER METHOD


1. Bring a pot of water to a near simmer over low heat. Set a large heatproof bowl over it. Make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.


2. Add eight ounces of chocolate chips or a chocolate bar chopped into ½ inch pieces and heat. Stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula until uniformly smooth and glossy. This will take about ten minutes. You can adjust the cooking time as necessary for larger or smaller amounts of chocolate.


3. If the recipe calls for melting the chocolate with butter, add both to the bowl at the same time.



MICROWAVE METHOD


1. Put eight ounces of chocolate chips or a chocolate bar chopped into ½ inch pieces in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave at high power for 45 seconds.


2. Stir with a rubber spatula, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Then reheat for an additional thirty seconds.


3. Continue heating and stirring in 15 second intervals until the chocolate is uniformly smooth and glossy.


4. If the recipe calls for melting the chocolate with butter, do not add the butter until the chocolate is almost completely melted.


YaDa Chef is a private Ft Lauderdale based catering company and personal chef service serving south Florida from the Palm Beaches to the Keys; Specializing in custom menus using fresh organic ingredients.  For more information on what we do, our website is located at: http://www.yadachef.com/. Or email us at: info@yadachef.com. Our phone number is: 954-260-3118.