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Dessert

Fennel Seed Chocolate Budino

A chocolatey, silky Italian-style pudding infused with toasted fennel seed. Crème fraîche cuts the richness, and it finishes with olive oil, flaky salt, and a sprinkle of the toasted seed. Budino is a rich and creamy Italian dessert that translates to pudding or custard. It is thicker, silkier, and more velvety than standard American pudding, sitting somewhere between a heavy custard and a mousse.

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Ingredients

For the budino

  • 1/4 cup fennel seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (65 to 70%), finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For serving

  • 1/4 cup crème fraîche (about 1 teaspoon per serving)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. Lightly crush the fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle or under the side of a knife. Toast them in a dry medium saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling frequently, until they smell sweet and licorice-y, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let them take on color. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the toasted seed to a small bowl and reserve for serving.
  2. Add the milk and cream to the pan with the remaining seeds and bring just to a bare simmer. Remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 30 minutes.
  3. Strain the infused dairy through a fine-mesh sieve into a 4-cup measure and discard the seeds. You should have 2 cups. If you are short, top up with milk.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt together. Add the egg yolks and whisk to a thick, smooth paste, about 1 minute. It will look dry and crumbly at first. Keep going.
  5. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the warm infused dairy into the yolk mixture. Once smooth, whisk in the rest in a steady stream.
  6. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low to medium heat, whisking constantly and getting into the corners of the pan, until it thickens, turns glossy, and begins to bubble, 4 to 7 minutes. Once the first slow bubbles appear, keep whisking for another 30 to 45 seconds to cook the cornstarch through. Do not overcook.
  7. Off the heat, add the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla. Let stand 30 seconds, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. This second strain is what makes it silky.
  8. Divide among 6 small glasses or ramekins. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each and refrigerate until completely set, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
  9. To serve, stir the crème fraîche smooth and dollop about 1 teaspoon over each budino. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a small pinch of flaky sea salt, and a sprinkle of the reserved toasted fennel seed.

Notes

  • Crush the fennel seeds before toasting, and pull them at fragrant rather than browned. Browned fennel turns bitter.
  • Whisk constantly once the pan goes back on the heat, corners included, or the cornstarch will catch on the bottom.
  • The 30 to 45 seconds past the first bubble is what fully cooks the cornstarch. Skip it and the budino sets loose.
  • Strain twice, once after the steep and once before it goes into the glasses. The second strain is what makes it silky.
  • Keeps up to 3 days with plastic wrap pressed to the surface, and the fennel reads clearer on day two.

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Find it online: https://carmeninthegarden.com/fennel-seed-chocolate-budino/