Remember those foil-wrapped chocolate oranges that usually show up around the holidays, the ones you whack against the table and they fall into a couple dozen slices? Tonight I devised the grown-up version. And a healthy one to boot.
After a really rich dinner, I opted to have a tangerine for dessert. I don’t remember which variety it was–we have quite an abundance of them in Southern California, including Sweeties, Cuties and Pixies. They’re small and sweet and darling. Better than candy.
Himself was mixing cocktails and had just pulled out our latest cocktailing acquisition, a bottle of Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters.
“What ho?!” I cried.
Okay, so I didn’t. But the portion of my brain that is constantly mixing flavors, trying wacky combinations and forever engaged in a game of “What If?” sat up and took note. Chocolate and citrus are such a natural pairing that I just had to give it a try. So I ripped open a slice of tangerine and dotted its inside with a couple of drops of the chocolate bitters. The fragrance excited me before I even got a taste.
The sweet, bright, gently acidic tangerine and the smoky, bitter chocolate collided in a blend of flavors that was candy-like yet sophisticated. And absolutely 100% healthy. No sugar or fat or any of those other wicked ingredients we usually have in a dessert. It’s the simplest thing I’ve ever gotten that much flavor from. While it seemed incredibly decadent, it was merely a bite of fruit with a couple of drops of bitters.
I love winter for many reasons, one of which is the abundance of citrus. When it’s in season–and not shipped halfway around the globe–it’s wonderfully flavorful. Quite addictive. I don’t need chocolate bitters to eat a piece of fruit, but what a great way to play with flavor. Will any other pairing will delight me as much as this one has? I don’t know, but I look forward to experimenting with some of our other bitters to see what I can great combinations I can dream up.
