I have been accused of being many things; being a chocolate lover is not one of them.  Yes, I know many of us girls proudly call ourselves “chocoholics,” however I have always had more of a meat tooth rather than a sweet tooth.  That being said, I consider myself to be a seriously smitten with Sugarpova, the new chocolate line from tennis star Maria Sharapova.  The indulgent selection of gourmet chocolate bars is made from premium non-gmo, all natural ingredients and quality cocoa beans – game, set, match in my opinion.

When approached about creating a recipe with chocolate my first thought was “challenge accepted” followed soon after by “how can I really show the versatility of this product”? Being the type of person that as my parents put it “marches to the beat of a different drummer” I wanted to create something that showed the sassy side of chocolate.   After sampling each delectable varietal, I decided to embrace the dark side and create a something deserving of the decadent 70% cocoa bar.

To give you the abbreviated version of how this recipe was born, I knew I wanted do something “Jersey Style,” unique and fun just like the chocolate. Of course, two immediate Jersey themed cliches came to mind; 1) Garden State 2) Jersey Shore. And so, after walking out to my garden and carefully selecting ripe and juicy red Jersey tomatoes, sweet yellow corn and a variety of savory herbs – I immediately thought of Mexican food, more specifically enchiladas.

Being a resident of the Jersey coastline, when contemplating the perfect filling for my enchiladas, my mind immediately jumped to seafood. After all in the summer, fresh local seafood is as abundant as the plethora of vacationers that overtake the beaches. The slightly sweet yet briny undertones of a lobster seemed like the perfect complement to the luscious rich flavor of the chocolate, and thus the lobster enchilada with dark chocolate mole was born.

Recipe is as follows…

*Note: This recipe calls for Indian Curry from a small statured QVC employee named Binu. If you do not reside in the tri state area or current call QVC your employer please visit your local spice market and request a curry that is heavy on the cinnamon.

Jersey Corn Lobster Enchiladas with Dark Chocolate Mole

For the Enchiladas 2 ears corn (seasonal) 2 whole lobsters 2 tsbp fresh chives 2 whole tomatoes 2 tbsp. fresh garlic 1 small white onion diced 1/2 cup white wine 1 tsp fresh cilantro Pinch of cumin Pinch of paprika Corn Tortillas

For the Mole 1/2 bar of Sugarpova Dark Chocolate 4 ancho chilies (dried) 2 cups lobster stock 1/2 cup orange juice 1 small onion diced 4 cloves garlic minced 2 tsp all spice 1 tsp ground cloves 2 tsp cumin 1 tsbp ancho chile powder 1 tsp chipotle chile powder 1/2 tsp authentic Indian curry 1 whole cinnamon stick 3 tbsp fresh oregano chopped 4 flour tortillas

For the Cilantro Lime Crema 1 cup sour cream 1/4 -1/2 cup milk 1 whole lime juiced 2 tbsp cilantro 1 cup cotija cheese

Directions:

Steam corn and lobsters together in a pot.  Set the lobster aside to cool completely, reserving the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Once cooled shred or dice lobster meat.

Fresh steamed lobster in the hot seat

In a pan combine onions and garlic and sweat until translucent. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Add lobster, corn chives, tomatoes and spices and cook until liquid has nearly evaporated completely.  Allow mixture to cool. Fill corn tortillas and place in a baking dish.

Enchilada Filling – Fresh juicy Jersey lobster with sweet corn and red ripe tomatoes.

Remove the seeds from the dried peppers and cover with hot water, allowing them to soften for 20 mins reserving the liquid once peppers are pliable. In the same pan where the enchilada mixture was cooked – sweat onions and garlic until translucent.

Deglaze the pan with red wine, add the cinnamon stick and reduce by half. Add the lobster stock and reserved liquid and reduce by half.  Add chocolate, peppers, and spices and orange juice and reduce the sauce for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick.

Blend the sauce with tortillas until it is thick. *Be sure cool the sauce for at least 15 minutes before blending.

In a bowl combine sour cream, lime juice, milk and cilantro and stir until mixture slightly runny.

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the crema and cotija cheese.

The assembled dish ready for the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes or until enchiladas are heated through.  Top the dish with additional chives for garnish and serve to your happy guests!

The Finished Product! Lobster Enchiladas with Dark Chocolate Mole

*Recipe produces a sauce with moderate heat, spices can be adjusted according to taste and spice level preference.