The Weekly's Assistant Food Editor Xanthe Roberts cooks chocolate love pots and gives her golden rules for perfect melted chocolate every time.
Chocolate must be melted carefully and gently. The two enemies of melting chocolate are water (or any liquid) and excess heat.
Everything you use when melting chocolate must be absolutely dry; even a drop of water could make the chocolate seize, that is, turn lumpy or gritty; and any excess heat will burn it.
To melt chocolate on the stove, break it into evenly sized small pieces, put them into a heatproof glass, china or stainless steel bowl and stand the bowl over a similar-sized saucepan of simmering water; the water shouldn't touch the base of the bowl.
Stir occasionally until the chocolate is smooth. Do not cover it as moisture from condensation will cause the chocolate to seize.
It's often a good idea to remove the bowl from the saucepan before all the pieces have fully melted and stir. The last remaining pieces will melt and you won't risk burning it.
You can also use a microwave. Break the chocolate into evenly sized small pieces and put it on a microwave-safe dish in a single layer. Microwave, uncovered, on 50% power in short bursts of 10 seconds, stirring between each burst.
The chocolate will hold its shape even after it's melted, so the stirring is important.
The time it takes to melt depends on the power of the oven and the quantity of chocolate. Keep checking.
Press a few pieces of chocolate with your finger, say after 20 seconds, and as soon as you feel any signs of melting, gently stir it. Keep doing this until all the chocolate is melted and smooth.
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