Let’s play a game. I’m going to think of a word and then say the first word that comes to mind when I think of that word.
- Dog | Cat
- Summer | Sun
- Michael Recchuiti | Burnt caramel
Okay, so that last one isn’t usual fodder for that game, but I think the word association is valid.
Recchuiti is famous for his burnt caramel. It’s in a confection, it’s in his fleur de sel caramels, it’s in his almond caramels, and it’s probably in a bunch of other products, too.
I was incredibly excited to try his burnt caramel confection. According to the lovely little menu card, it’s his signature piece. An entire chocolate empire, built on the back of this one chocolate.
Well.
Erm.
…It’s a much more subtle thing than I could have imagined. I had lofty visions of smoke and depth, sweet and burnt, chocolate and sugar. In comparison, the real thing is – I’m just going to say it – rather underwhelming.
I got hints of burnt caramel (emphasis on the word burnt) while tasting the ganache, but didn’t really get the full burnt caramel flavour until the ganache had melted. And then, the smokiness just kept going and going. I’ve never experienced that before: having a flavour be dormant and muted while on your tongue, and then tasting its full flavour for a full minute afterwards.
On the whole, I think it’s a little too burnt for my liking. But I have to give a nod to the extraordinary experience of tasting something after it’s gone.
And, to leave you with a happy thought for the weekend: Recchuiti’s peanut butter pearls are to die for. Think Reese’s Pieces, but grown up. Think real peanut butter, think real chocolate, and think about a tiny, crunchy surprise in the middle of the whole she-bang.
I dare you to eat just one.
