Bevi's bodacious and luscious ode to...

 

Bevi's Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of heavy cream 4 oz (-1 cup) of bittersweet chocolate, chopped 4 oz (-1 cup) of milk chocolate, chopped Cut fruit, sweetened breads, pound cake, etc. for dipping

[Bevi's notes: use the best quality eating-chocolate you can afford for this dish, not baking chocolate. My favorites are Callebaut and Scharffen Berger. Also, use fresh ripened fruit for dipping that has been allowed to air-dry completely and come to room temperature.

When melting chocolate, be sure that the pots and utensils are absolutely dry, as even one drop of water can curdle the chocolate mixture. And make sure the fruit you dip into the fodue pot is also dry and free of any water drops.

Also, melt the chocolate SLOWLY over LOW heat to prevent it from curdling.]

Melt chocolate — Pour the cream in the top of a double boiler so that it does not touch the simmering water below. Heat gently until warm to your finger, but not boiling. Add the chocolate and stir gently until melted and smooth. DO NOT OVERHEAT, as this will cause the chocolate to scorch or curdle.

Serve — Pour the fondue into a heavy fondue pot and keep it warm over a low flame (not too hot or the bottom will scorch). You also can serve it in the double-boiler pan. Have plenty of napkins around, as this dessert drips!

About fondue pots — Both cheese and chocolate fondues should be heated and served in heavy pans that distribute the heat well and prevent scorching. The best for these foods are porcelain-coated cast iron (Le Crueset). Heavy ceramic pots are fine for serving the melted cheese or chocolate, but not for heating. And stainless steel pots are not appropriate either, unless they are heavy-duty with a clad bottom of several layers of aluminum, cast iron, or copper.