Match winners (+recipes)

Exploring the Adelaide Hills on a recent trip to South Australia, my husband and I indulged in Hahndorf Hill Winery's ChocoVino experience - a concept that matches the vineyard's wines with chocolates from the world's top chocolate houses. The concept is based on the idea that gourmet chocolate, as with fine wine, reflects the terroir.
The team of 10 at Hahndorf Hill sourced more than 40 international chocolates and spent six months testing and tasting before sharing the experience with the public. A tough task but somebody had to do it.
It was an interesting method of wine tasting, leading to lively debate between the two of us. For me, wine should refresh the palate after the sweetness of the chocolate. Ideally, both should be in harmony. Having always enjoyed cabernet sauvignon with rich chocolate desserts I was amazed that, when paired with the chocolate pudding that follows, it was a total mismatch. In an effort to find the perfect choice my husband and I opened an Australian shiraz followed by a relatively inexpensive local merlot. To our surprise the latter was an absolute humdinger. The pudding, although prepared with Eqaugold's bittersweet Dutch cocoa, was softened and masked by the hazelnuts and sugar. By the time we had finished our experiments we had enjoyed a very good night.
The fruitier the chocolate the fruitier the wine can be. A sauvignon blanc with a hint of passionfruit is excellent served with a sauce prepared from a raisin chocolate and poured over ripe pineapple. Chardonnay makes a great match for a milk chocolate with coconut or caramel undertones.
Last, but not least, are the ever-popular chocolate-dipped strawberries served with bubbles. However, remembering wine should be sweet enough to be in harmony, it's best to choose a demi-sec. Or you may like to experiment with an effervescent red.
RECIPES
STICKY CHOCOLATE PUDDING
A sauce is formed on the base of the pudding during cooking.
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
3 tbsp dark, bittersweet Dutch cocoa powder
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup hazelnut meal or ground hazelnuts
50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
SAUCE
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons dark, bittersweet Dutch cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly grease a 19cm round x 6cm deep baking dish or similar. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and icing sugar into a bowl. Stir in the hazelnut meal and chocolate. Whisk the oil, egg, milk and vanilla essence. Stir into the dry ingredients. Pour into the dish.
To make the sauce, combine the brown sugar and cocoa powder. Sprinkle evenly over the pudding. Carefully pour the boiling water over the top of the pudding. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The top should be tender but firm and there should be plenty of sauce underneath. Great topped with whipped cream and served with a glass of merlot. Serves 8.
WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH ROASTED PEARS
This could be served with the choice of a medium riesling or un-oaked chardonnay.
BASE
250g packet digestive biscuits
125g butter, melted
FILLING
250g good white chocolate, chopped
4 tsp powdered gelatine
3 tsp cold water
397g can sweetened condensed milk
400g cream cheese
1/2 cup cream, lightly whipped
1-2 tsp lemon juice
ROASTED PEARS
4-5 pears, peeled, cored and quartered
4-5 tbsp sugar
To make the base, finely crush the biscuits and add enough melted butter to hold the biscuits together. Press into base and sides of a 20cm springform cake pan. Refrigerate to set.
To make the filling, melt the chocolate over hot water. Soak the gelatine in cold water for five minutes then dissolve over low heat or in the microwave. Beat the sweetened condensed milk into the cream cheese until well mixed. Add the dissolved gelatine and melted chocolate. Fold in the cream and add the lemon juice to taste. Pour into the biscuit shell and refrigerate for 6-8 hours before serving. To prepare the roasted pears, place in a baking dish and sprinkle with the sugar. Refrigerate for several hours until juices have formed. Preheat the oven to 190C. Roast the pears until just tender. Cool. Serve the pears with slices of the cheesecake. Serves 8-10.
CHICKEN, HERBS & PASTA
For those people who don't enjoy chocolate, here is an option with which to serve a powerful sauvignon blanc.
1/4 cup flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1kg skinned and boned chicken thighs
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3 rindless rashers smoky bacon, chopped
2 cups good tomato-based pasta sauce
3/4 cup sauvignon blanc
1 tsp each: fresh thyme leaves, chopped rosemary leaves
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup each: chopped basil, parsley
2 cups penne, cooked
Combine the flour with the salt and pepper. Cut each chicken thigh into two equal portions. Toss in the flour to coat. Shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and saute the chicken in batches, until well coloured. Add the bacon and saute until browned. Pour in the pasta sauce and wine. Add the herbs and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes until cooked. Place the penne in bowls and top with the chicken and sauce. Garnish with extra herbs, if preferred. Serves 4-6.

TOFU AND CHILLI PEANUT SAUCE
Another non-chocolate option - serve with a well-chilled gewurztraminer.
CHILLI PEANUT SAUCE
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp each: finely grated root ginger, curry powder, lemon juice,
Dark soy sauce, sambal oelek
3/4 cup water
TOFU
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
300g firm tofu
2-3 tsp rice bran oil for frying
2 medium onions, sliced
200g mung bean sprouts
2 leeks, well washed and thinly sliced
To make the sauce, combine ingredients until smooth. Heat, stirring constantly. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thick. To prepare the tofu and vegetables, crush the garlic and the salt to a paste using the flat blade of a heavy chopping knife. Cut the tofu into 1cm slices. Brush with the garlic paste. Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Fry the tofu until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Fry the onions, until brown. Remove to one side. Meanwhile steam the bean sprouts for 1-2 minutes, until just cooked. Steam the prepared leeks, until tender. Stack the onions, sprouts, leeks and tofu on 3-4 serving plates. Reheat the sauce and drizzle over the stacks. Serve with rice or noodles. Serves 3-4.
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