A not-so-impossible mission: Pairing chocolate with wine at MLH

Friday, 10 February 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The first of many February adventures, for serious chocolate fans is the chocolate and wine pairing event at MLH, followed by an indulgent seven course chocolate dinner prepared by Chef Indika which will be held on 12 February.

The concept of combining two of the most historically revered tastes on the planet, chocolate and wine, into one exquisite experience sounds simple but you should be forewarned that it will require some research to find combinations that bring out the positive in both partners to the match.

Matching wines to food is always an inexact science and laying down strict rules doesn’t make sense. What may seem delicious to one person may not appeal to another. Beauty is more often in the eye of the beholder than in the pairing itself. Some say it cannot be done, pairing wine with chocolate but once the right wine is found to complement the right chocolate it can be a match made in heaven.

What could be more romantic and special than feeling like you have dined on Valentine’s Day in a unique and delicious setting? An ideal pairing for prelude to Valentine’s Day, is the Chocolate Extraordinaire dinner.

Enjoy flavours of your favourite dishes inspired by chocolate at the chocolate dinner extraordinaire. Immerse yourself in an extraordinary seven course dinner with our very own chef Indika who will take you to a new dimension in chocolate dinner extraordinaire. The meal will incorporate chocolate infused dishes into each course.

Sneak peak on the menu on offer: Twice cooked pork belly with apple fondue, pumpkin puree and spiced chocolate-port jus or cocoa-marscapone stuffed chicken breast roulade, toasted cashew, rocket with chocolate balsamic dressing poached lobster in king coconut, white chocolate-coconut water, tempura chives, intermezzo, mole poblano granita, duck in textures , seared duck and confit leg, cocoa nib gnocchi, sour cherry and dark chocolate jus, grand marnier beignets, chocolate hazelnut and vanilla white chocolate fondue and strawberry tempura (menu subject to change).

The Chocolate Dinner Extraordinaire at MLH is the perfect place to share a romantic meal with your sweetheart. Chocolate and wine are both incredibly complex and pairing them to complement their flavour profiles has always seemed daunting. But if you know your chocolate and your wine, the result can be intriguing.

The Chocolate & Wine Pairing will be held on 12 February at the Maitland State Room from 7-8 p.m. The Chocolate Dinner Extraordinaire will be held on 12 February at the Horizon Roof Top from 8-11 p.m. For more details please call 2711711 ext 430.