“Here at Prime Restaurant in Silicon Valley, these rich, moist, brownie skillets always fill the restaurant with a wonderful, head-turning aroma of chocolate. The slight char on the top of the brownie brings out a much deeper and complex flavor from the cocoa that accents wonderfully with fruity olive oil and sea salt. ...I personally love to use 99% dark chocolate from TCHO, a local company based here in Berkeley that works closely with farmers to help improve the way chocolate is produced and sourced. It also just tastes so much more delicious. ” - Chef Kha Lu, Prime Restaurant
Ingredients
- 8 ounces 99% dark chocolate chips
- 8 eggs
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- ½ cup naturally processed 100% cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fleur de sel, course sea salt flakes
- 1 cup sunflower oil
- 3½ cups sugar
Preparation
1. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Set aside.
2. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, paddle the oil and sugar together for a minute, scraping the sides down halfway through.
3. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla bean into the sugar/oil as it is paddling on low speed.
4. Slowly add the melted chocolate, continuing to paddle on low speed.
5. Sift all the other ingredients together and add it all to the chocolate mixture.
6. Continue to paddle on low speed until it is barely incorporated.
7. Remove from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the mixture until all dry spots are gone.
8. Refrigerate the batter until firm.
9. Spray a small cast iron skillet (we use a 5-inch skillet) with oil.
10. Grab a small chunk of batter (3.5 ounces for a 5-inch skillet, adjust according to your skillet size) and roll it into a ball. Roll the ball in powdered sugar and place in the center of the skillet. Proceed to flatten out the ball from the center outwards, creating a small crater in the center, half an inch through the batter (picture a mini chocolate pizza). Fill the center with a spoon of your favorite hazelnut spread (we make our own).
11. Place the skillet into a very hot oven (we use 500 degree) for 5-6 minutes until it puffs up, it’s preferable for it to be slightly undercooked inside. Then place the skillet under a hot broiler until desirably charred. Alternatively, use a blowtorch to light it up.
12. Top with a generous amount of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
13. Serve with cold milk and don’t burn the roof of your mouth!
About this recipe
MAKE FARE FAIR - SHOP FOR ETHICALLY-SOURCED CHOCOLATE
VISIT WWW.PRIMESV.COM/PRIME-BLOG to learn more about how to identify and source fair-trade, ethically sourced chocolate.
