Make our Festive Chocolate Salami at home with this recipe from co-founder Claire
Claire here with a domestic version of our popular Festive Salami, which won a 2 Star Gold Great Taste Award in 2018, for you to make at home. It makes for a wonderful addition to your festive feasts or for a handmade edible Christmas gift.
Fig salamis are a popular continental festive treat, especially in Italy, with various recipes including eggs, sugar and biscuits. I have kept this recipe very simple with no added sugar, letting the dried fruits & dark chocolate provide all the sweetness you need. Our Chococo recipe also includes a splash of brandy, but it is just as tasty without if you prefer. You can also make this dairy-free and vegan-friendly if you replace the butter with coconut oil or cocoa butter.
This salami makes a fun finish to Christmas dinner, served alongside the cheeseboard & port! I suggest you serve it on a board with a knife for your guests to cut their own slices. I love this combination of festive fruits, pistachios and orange, but feel free to vary the fruits & nuts to suit your own taste or depending on what is in your store cupboard!
125g dark 70% chocolate chopped
50g unsalted butter cubed (or 2 tbsp coconut oil/cocoa butter)
100g dried figs
75g pitted dates
50g raisins
50g sundried apricots or cranberries
25g pistachios
25g almonds or pecans
25g candied orange peel, chopped
Zest of ½ orange
1 tablespoon of brandy - optional
Sieved icing sugar to decorate
Baking tray lined with 2 layers of clingfilm
Melt the chocolate and butter (or coconut oil) in a bowl sitting over a pan of gently simmering water. Do not allow the bowl to touch the water.
While the chocolate is melting, chop the dates, figs, pistachios & almonds into the smallest pieces you can and place in a bowl with the rest of the fruits, orange peel & finely grated orange zest.
Once the chocolate has melted, take it off the heat and stir in the fruit & nut mixture. Then add the brandy if you are including that.
Leave the mixture to cool for a few minutes before pouring the mixture onto the prepared baking tray.
Bring up the sides of the clingfilm, wrap it around the chocolate mixture & twist the ends of the clingfilm to form a long sausage shape c25-30cm long. Roll the mix around on the baking tray to form your salami.
Put it into the fridge still on the tray, and if you can, every 10-15 minutes, take it out of the fridge to give it a roll to ensure that it sets in a circular shape, and avoids a flat bottom!
It will take at least 2 hours to set firm. Approximately 10 minutes before you want to serve the salami, take it out of the fridge and let it come back to room temperature before removing the clingfilm wrap.
Just before serving, roll it in sieved icing sugar on a clean surface and trim the end to show the wonderful speckled interior.
This salami will keep happily in the fridge for a few weeks wrapped in clingfilm but you may need to re-roll it in more icing sugar to refresh the finish if you do store it.
Enjoy & Happy Christmas!