Easter, Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day. Chocolate is offered – and eaten – at all parties. For the other 360 days, Juliette Brun offers in her second book, My Chocolate Year, recipes that incorporate the delicious ingredient into a wide variety of dishes, both to start the day and for the evening meal. But, no surprise, especially for dessert.
My Chocolate Year obviously includes recipes for brownies, cookies and cakes. But there are also instructions for making a dark chocolate and maple soufflé omelette, a brie, dark chocolate and peach panini, as well as cod with a cocoa crumble.
“I think you always have to push the limits a little bit further,” says Juliette Brun in an interview at the Saint-Laurent Boulevard branch of her Juliette restaurant chain.
It is no exaggeration to compare the production of chocolate to that of wine or coffee, because the terroir influences the taste in all cases. “There are a lot of similarities, because the flavors of the cocoa bean come from the soil in which it grows,” says Juliette Brun. A more volcanic soil, for example, will give a slightly ashy chocolate. Before, I sold chocolate that came from an old mango plantation and it really had a strong mango taste. When I started Juliette
The chocolate maker opened her first branch in Montreal almost 20 years ago and has seen the tastes of her clientele evolve. However, for those who might not yet be ready to pair fish and cocoa – or oysters, because yes, there is a recipe – what does it suggest?
Juliette Brun would like to point out, however, that cocoa and cod go very well together. “It’s a very sweet fish, so you shouldn’t put too much on it and it spoils the taste. The contrast of white and dark cocoa is also really beautiful on the plate. I find it important that it is appetizing in order to want to eat. »
Although the months leading up to Christmas are the busiest for the businesswoman, she assures that “Easter really is the ultimate holiday for chocolate. “Everyone buys chocolate at Easter. At Christmas, it is one gift among many others, but at Easter, the tradition of the egg and the chicken goes back a long time. »
Thus, Juliette Brun makes new creations every year. Some require special effort.
For the mother of five children, Juliette
It doesn’t get any easier than this cake! To measure the ingredients, a single spoon is enough, and the cooking is done in a cup, in the microwave oven. Take advantage of the Easter holiday to make one with the children. Or they can even cook one themselves. Since there are no eggs in this cake, even if it is slightly undercooked, there is no risk.
Preparation: 5 minutes
Cook: 1 minute
Yield: 1 serving
3 tbsp. cocoa coffee
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. teaspoon vegetable oil or melted butter
4 tbsp. coffee cream or milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
1 small handful of dark chocolate chips
1. In a bowl, combine cocoa, flour, sugar and baking powder.
2. In another bowl, combine the oil, cream and vanilla, then add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
3. Stir in the nuggets and pour the mixture into a microwave-safe mug.
4. Cook for a minute…and it’s done! Enjoy as is or top with spread, whipped cream or ice cream.
