Secrets of a Master Chocolatier
Paul A Young, one of the world's best chocolatiers, talks to lovefood.com
Who doesn’t like chocolate? It’s comforting, decadent and downright delicious. Paul A Young, one of the world’s best chocolatiers, talks exclusively to lovefood.com about what it is that makes this much loved treat so special.
I met Paul at a Magnum event to celebrate their new Rainforest Alliance Certified ice creams, Ghana and Ecuador (find out more on the Magnum Facebook page). As well as feasting on delicious Magnums on a surprisingly hot April day, Paul – a master chocolatier – had quite a lot to say to me about all things chocolate.
Quality matters
It is clear that quality is of the upmost importance to Paul A Young. Only the best ingredients go into his chocolates and this is reflected in their gorgeous taste and texture.
For example, Paul explained that to make the best chocolates, you have to start by choosing the best cocoa bean you can. There is a clear difference in the taste and colour of good and bad beans which master chocolatiers like Paul know how to distinguish.
Get the bean wrong and you end up producing shoddy chocolate and trying to disguise the bitter taste of the bad bean with other ingredients. This is the reason lots of people think they don’t like dark chocolate, Paul said – they have been put off by bitter chocolate made from poor quality cocoa beans. So if you think you don’t like the stuff, try one of Paul’s dark chocolates and you may reconsider!
Paul was also big on the distinction between real chocolate and ‘confectionary’ – the stuff that’s been loaded with sugar, vegetable fat and goodness knows what else. Adding all this junk takes away from the real flavour and is just not chocolate as it is meant to be.
Stilton chocolate anyone?
One of the biggest driving forces behind Paul’s work is the idea of creativity. He talks in the video above about wanting to surprise people, marrying together unusual ingredients to create a unique taste sensation and an explosion of flavour. Paul’s advice to you? Don’t be afraid to experiment and if you like a certain flavour, give it a whirl and see if it works!
One example of his experimenting are his port and stilton truffles. These may sound bizarre but I think they only go to show that sometimes it is the oddest things that turn out to be some of the greatest. If the idea of fennel and stem ginger, rose petal masala and passion fruit and vanilla don’t get your taste buds tingling, then I don’t know what will! There’s even a marmite flavoured truffle – trust me, you’ll either love it or hate it!
Chocolate is one of life’s greatest pleasures, don’t scrimp – get the good stuff and you’ll never look back!
Also worth your attention:
Paul A Young’s mulled-wine hot chocolate
Paul A Young – Fine Chocolates
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