Soft-centred Chocolate Puddings with Pistachio Ice Cream & fresh Raspberries

I attended a cookery class with Phillip in Brisbane way back in 2003. This dish was absolutely divine!! This pudding is a definite crowd pleaser, and so easy to make. I cant wait to try it myself.

flour, extra, for dusting
butter, extra for greasing
375g butter
470g good quality dark cooking chocolate, roughly chopped
9 eggs
9 egg yolks
330g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
30g flour

Pistachio Ice Cream:
300g caster sugar
12 egg yolks
500ml (2 cups) milk
500ml (2 cups) cream
180g shelled unsalted pistachios
60ml (2 nips) kirsch

fresh raspberries, to serve

icing sugar, for dusting

Grease 12 x 150ml capacity moulds then dust with flour, shaking out excess.
In a double boiler melt the butter and chocolate together.
Whisk eggs, egg yolks and sugar lightly, then add chocolate mixture whilst still warm.
Add flour till just combined. Pour pudding mixture into moulds, place on tray then refrigerate overnight to set.

To make ice cream, lightly whisk sugar and egg yolks together in a bowl.
Place milk and cream in a 2 litre saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Whisk hot milk mixture into eggs then return the clean saucepan over moderate heat.
Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly until custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon.
Do not let mixture boil. Strain through a fine sieve, then refrigerate until cold.
Blanch pistachios in boiling water, drain and rub in clean towel to remove most of the skin.
Pulse briefly in food processor to roughly chop. Mix in kirsch.
Churn cold ice cream mixture in an ice cream machine.
Once fully churned, stir through pistachio mixture, store in freezer.

Preheat oven to 200°C and bake puddings for 9 minutes. Rest puddings in moulds for 2 minutes before turning out onto serving plates. Place two scoops of ice cream to one side, scatter raspberries around plate then dust lightly with icing sugar.

Serves 6

Source: Phillip Johnson from E’CCO Bistro Brisbane