How to Cook Like Heston: Chocolate Quiz

Answer: False

The percentages isn't just between cocoa solids and cocoa butter, but also other factors like sugar and milk that will influence chocolates flavour. Cocoa solids are mostly bitter and gives chocolate that lovely colour and its nutrients. Cocoa butter is the fat content of the cocoa pod. It's pure fat, which gives chocolate that velvety texture. Higher percentages indicate less cocoa butter, milk and sugar to cocoa solids, and this makes chocolate towards bitter territory. My favourite percentage is 75%, which has a lovely bitterness to it.

Now, you can't grind these beans yourself as these are tough. After they are fermented and roasted, factories use massive machines to grind them. Heston and fellow chef Jockey have a pneumatic drill to assist them. But please, don't try this anywhere.

Answer: Add water to the chocolate while melting.

Cavete aqua! That means 'beware of water' in ancient Latin. As the great chef Hestonicus says (He's just Heston really...), water will ruin your chocolate. As chocolate contains cocoa butter, it will split and as fat floats on water, it will look pretty ghastly.

There are two methods to melting chocolate. Microwave in short 15-20 second bursts, then stir the chocolate with a spoon between each burst. Beware that a microwave is a powerful machine, so be slow with it.

The other method is to use a bain marie. Take a pot and fill it about halfway with water. Then add your chocolate into a bowl and place it on top of the pot. The water must not reach boil, but more of a gentle simmer. As the cocolate melts, just like in the microwave method, stir gently. This will help it to be even in temperature, perfect for our next few recipes.

Answer: Cream

One part chocolate to one part cream gives you a velvety ganache. Simply add warmed double cream to your melted chocolate a third at a time and mix well till it becomes glossy. Let it cool and add into a ramekin or tray to set in a fridge till solid. To create your truffles, grab a melon baller and scoop out the chocolate, gently roll in your palms to make it into a round ball and dip it in cocoa powder, or anything you fancy, nuts, sprinkles, shaved white chocolate, you name it! Get cracking with your own chocolate truffles.

Answer: Carbon Dioxide

During the manufacturing process of the candy, the hot sugar syrup is exposed to a pressurized form of carbon dioxide gas, which gets trapped within as it solidifies. When you eat it, it melts or dissolves in your saliva to create that fizzing sensation.

For Heston's gateau, simply blend some biscuits with melted butter and sugar; I like muscovado sugar for richness. After that, gently stir in your candy. Don't mix it too hard or it will lose all its pop. Then flatten the base on a cake mold, be sure it's even at the bottom. The gateau itself is just like the chocolate truffles made earlier, but with a passion fruit infused cream mixed into the chocolate and a dollop of shop bought custard to make the chocolate soft and melt in your mouth. It will be too soft to make truffles with the custard in it, but sets just right for the gateau. Let the mix cool, then pour it on the base and set in the freezer.

Answer: Paint Gun

Instead of a coat of paint, have a clean and definitely unused paint gun filled with a warm melted chocolate and groundnut oil glaze. It sprays a flocking of chocolate, and the cold frozen cake will solidify the droplets upon contact. This gives a wonderful texture outside. But do not fear if you don't have a paint gun. For a similar texture and matte finish, sprinkle cocoa powder on the cake with a strainer and serve. Just remember, if you intend to use the paint gun method, cover your work area with newspaper or cling film, or do it outdoors if you have a backyard, this will get messy. Also, if you don't want to wait too long to defrost the cake and remove the mold like Heston did, use a blowtorch to gently warm the sides of the mold, but only use it if you're a professional and have a fireproof kitchen! Trust me, I've burnt a few crème brûlée in my time.

Rich melt in your mouth chocolate, refreshing passion fruit, and a popping candy surprise - now that is chocolate sensory overload.

Answer: False

Cavete armarium! That's "beware of the fridge" in ancient Latin. Chocolate is a very sensitive ingredient. It doesn't cope well in fluctuations of temperature or humidity, a common nightmare for a Singaporean like me. Chocolate will develop white spots called chocolate bloom and that will ruin it. This is caused by sugar in chocolate absorbing moisture, and as the water evaporates, it enlarges the sugar crystals. This creates that dusty white appearance on chocolate to develop.

Store chocolate in a cool, dry area that doesn't face much temperature change. But, if you need to keep it in the fridge (as I do because my country gives me no choice), have it wrapped or covered in an airtight container. Chocolate can absorb flavours, and the fridge makes it very easy for aromas to seep into ingredients. You don't want onion and sausage flavoured chocolate anytime soon.

And one last tip, the most important of all, is to keep your chocolate hidden at all costs, or else it will get gobbled away, as Heston's chef Jocky demonstrates by stealing a few bars for his own. Cave latronum, beware of thieves.

Answer: Red Wine

Heston calls it his chocolate ice wine, which starts by reducing 2 bottles of red dessert wine, then flaming off the alcohol with a lighter. Then in a separate bowl, add hot milk to milk chocolate and stir to melt it. Once melted and mixed, pour the milk mixture into the wine and cool. Strain it with muslin cloth and a sieve and freeze, after which you take a fork and scrape the ice to serve.

This has a rich flavour, yet it is refreshing to the palate. It makes for a great summer time treat.

Answer: Stopwatch

No need to time it with a watch, all you need are a pair of air dusters, a baking tray and chocolate. Air dusters are aerosol cans filled with compressed air that cleans keyboards, but the spray is just a small gust. However, if you turn them upside down and spray, it shoots a massive cloud of cold gas that can chill that up turned baking tray to about -25°C (-13°F). Be warned, wear a mask and do this outdoors, because the gas is flammable and toxic.

Once the tray is frosty, turn it to the clean side and with your melted white and milk chocolate in piping bags, go nuts and make some modern art. The cold metal tray will freeze the outside layer of the chocolate, but the inside is still a liquid, so you can bend and shape that chocolate work of art to your liking, like a net or a fan shape for instance.

Answer: Cooking chocolate in water and sugar.

If you picked using actual soil, I should warn your dinner guests that paramedics are on standby. This recipe breaks all the rules of chocolate, you'll need to melt it on direct heat, and let it interact with water and sugar. When you add chocolate to the bubbling syrup, it splits and crystallises with the sugar, giving it a dry dirt-like appearance. Add caramelised white chocolate, grape nuts, cocoa powder and salt.

The salt helps to enhance the dark chocolate flavour, and strangely makes it sweeter. To give it a muddy shine, add hazelnut oil and let it cool.

The result is the tastiest plot of dirt you will ever have, just don't use it to help grow your shubbery.

Answer: The whipped cream will risk getting over whipped before the eggs are fluffy and creamy.

When you whip cream, it incorporates air bubbles into the mix, making it fluffy and light. If you do it too much, it will all collapse and eventually turn to butter. In this case, you need the air to be incorporated in the cream and eggs, along with dissolving the sugar. So whisk your cheese with the whipping cream till light in one bowl, while the eggs and sugar go in a stand mixer and whisk till light and fluffy. Once both mixes are done, bung them together and add marsala wine, dissolved gelatin and gently fold. Now, let us layer this pot up!

Take your flowerpot and start with a chocolate disc or biscuit at the bottom, then a spoonful of cream, a layer of mashed sponge ladyfingers soaked in coffee, another layer of cream, a chocolate disc, even more cream and a topping of your muddy chocolate dirt mix. Plant some herbs or edible flowers to trick your friends and immediate family, then tuck in. Another bit of Heston's magic that you can do at home, sort of.