Chocolate, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt Budino

Serves
serves 8 people

MATT TAYLOR-GROSS

Published on February 8, 2017

Jon & Vinny’s restaurant in Los Angeles serves this rich bittersweet chocolate budino with caramel sauce, a drizzle of fruity olive oil, and flaky sea salt crystals. For an easy but impressive dinner-party dessert, we skip the caramel, pile the pudding in a pretty glass bowl, and drizzle it in extra-virgin olive oil at the table.

Butterscotch Budino

What You Will Need

[Double Boiler](/Double Boiler){rel=nofollow}
Large Bowl
Whisk
Medium Pot
Fine-Mesh Strainer
Large Container

Ingredients

10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (1 3/4 cup)
4 tbsp. (2 oz.) unsalted butter
¹⁄₄ cup (1 1/4 oz.) cornstarch
²⁄₃ cup (2 oz.) cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (8 oz.) sugar, divided
2 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
4 ¹⁄₂ cups milk
¹⁄₄ tsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Flaky sea salt, for serving

Instructions

Step 1

In a double boiler or small heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, combine the chocolate and butter and cook, stirring frequently, until almost completely melted. Turn off the stove but leave the mixture over the warm water while you prepare the rest of the budino.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk the cornstarch, cocoa powder, and half of the sugar. Add the eggs and yolks, whisking thoroughly to combine. Continue whisking while drizzling in 1⁄2 cup of milk, then set the bowl and whisk aside.

Step 3

In a medium pot, combine the remaining 4 cups milk, all of the salt, and the remaining half of the sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, quickly whisk 1⁄3 of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Then, return all of the egg mixture to the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, whisking constantly, until the budino is very thickened and the whisk leaves traces along the surface, 3-4 minutes.

Step 4

Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the melted chocolate mixture and the vanilla.

Step 5

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large container and cover with plastic wrap pressed up against the surface of the budino. Refrigerated until completely chilled. Serve drizzled with the olive oil and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.