Licorice, Again: Combos Odd and Odder

Because I love black licorice you can be sure I couldn’t pass up this little novelty from La Grande Epicerie, Paris’s swankiest supermarket.  What you’re looking at is chubby barrels of softish, fairly sweet black licorice dipped in fairly sweet Belgian milk chocolate and imported from England (the company’s name is Cocoa Deli).  Unfortunately, neither the chocolate nor the licorice was primo quality, so the candies weren’t terrific.  But the combination, odd as it is, is not dismissable.  It’s funny, I think if the chocolate were softer and more luscious (the way it looks to be in the picture on the bag) and if the licorice were little more licoricy, the combo might actually be a breakthrough.  Of course, it would remain odd, but it would be odd and winning.

And, while we’re on odd, here’s another offbeat match-up: Sauvignon blanc and black Panda Licorice from Finland.  Because this idea came from smart and talented Martha Holmberg, food editor of The Oregonian, I’ve got high hopes for it.

(Actually, writing this I realize I’ve probably lost my touch as a reporter – why didn’t I ask Martha how she ever came to put these two things together?  It’s not exactly evident, as the French say.)

Well, the Panda is ready to roll and the wine is chilling in the fridge.  And, just to prove that I think the duo has promise, I’m going with a good wine:  a South African sauvignon blanc from Mulderbosch in the Stellenbosch region.  I’ll report back.

Two Hours Later:  I can’t figure out why, but Martha is right:  it’s a really good combination!  The most characteristic flavors of both the licorice and the wine seem to be intensified - you get more anise, more grapefruit.  It’s kind of fun, but also kind of esoteric.  I don’t think the combo is likely to replace gougeres and Kir as my favorite aperitif this summer, but I can see it as a Sunday afternoon snack – it would go great with a crossword puzzle.

Comments

[Dorie]

I'm loving the idea of licorice-chocolate gelato! Thanks for telling us about it, Kirrily.

[Kirrily]

Dorie,

In Australia, there's a type of candy called "licorice bullets" which is a piece of licorice about 1" long by 1/4" in diameter, coated in chocolate. They were a staple of my childhood, and I don't find the taste combination weird at all.

I also saw chocolate-licorice gelato in the display case of a gelateria near my house the other day.

K.

[tongue in cheek]

I cannot wait to serve thic combo at my next party. My French husband will roll his eyes, and my friends will think "another one of Corey's pranks." BUT if you recommend it, I am certain it is believable good. My taste buds can imagine it.
I'll let you know.
Thank you for your generous ideas and giving information.

[Dorie]

At last, a minute to respond to all your really thoughtful comments:

Mercedes -- thanks for the link to the licorice pudding. It sounds intriguing and I think it could be very good. Because Panda is on the sweet side, my guess is that it would do well with milk. I've copied the recipe to a file for future experimenting.

I've had creme brulee made with licorice powder and licorice sauce made with melted Zan candies, tiny, hard, not-sweet French licorice, but the idea of melting sticky Panda is new to me and interesting.

Smari -- I don't know that I've ever had licorice from Iceland, but I'm a fan of salted licorice and have a little tub of it on my desk and I dip it into it regularly.

Laura -- It's so funny, as much as I love licorice I've never had a Ricard or any other pastis. I wonder if I'm afraid I'd like it too much ...

Johan -- So interesting that you, too, came upon the licorice/sauvignon blanc combination. Was it by accident?

I'll look for the chocolate-filled Panda, but I can imagine that, as you said, it could be a bit too sweet because you're right, licorice does have a way of making everything taste sweeter.

Colleen -- Lucky you to be so close to Stellenbosch. When you try the combo, look for a grapefruity sauvignon blanc.

Vicky -- You're right - that is a fish on my wineglass and, as Rona guessed, the glass comes from one of my favorite bistros in Paris, FISH, la Boissonerie, 69 rue de Seine, in the 6th arrondissement.

Vicky -- Sometimes chocolate blooms when it experiences rapid and extreme temperature changes, but the most common cause of bloom is high temperatures that make the cocoa fat separate from the solids. By the way, storing chocolate in the fridge is never a good idea because moisture -- chocolate's enemy -- can get to it. In fact, if you see a discoloration in the chocolate you've stored in the refrigerator, it might be because of condensation.

Alice Q Foodie -- Gougeres and Kir are the traditional hors d'oeuvre and aperitif of Burgundy -- I think you'll love the combination.

Sarah -- Take a look at Laura's comment - she's got all the right info about la Grande Epicerie. The market is so worth a visit. Hope you get there in June.

Victoria -- That's an interesting jump from licorice and sauvignon blanc to sweets and lemonade. I can see what you mean. I like lemonade, but haven't had it much with sweets. However, I can see where it might be nice with simple cookies or, at the other end of the spectrum, with a tall, all-American frosted cake.

Laura -- Thanks for jumping in.

Ari -- Many thanks for the congrats -- I'm still floating, which might be one reason I'm so late responding to comments.

LHKitchen -- What fabulous desserts! I absolutely LOVE the idea of licorice and pineapple. Thank you!

Rona -- Bingo! You're right -- the glass is from Fish.

I like the idea of licorice M&Ms, but I can't imagine we'll ever see them in production Stateside. Actually, wouldn't they be stunning if they were coated in white? There could be a licorice center, a little white chocolate halo and then the white candy coating. Could be good.

[Rona]

OK, I'm not a big fan of black licorice (maybe I just haven't had the right kind or given it enough of a chance) but I am willing to taste again since I can wash it down :) with a personal fav...sauvignon blanc.
WOW, that chocolat and licorice ice cream sounds
fantastic! Oooh, what about licorice M & M's? Ok, now
I've got a craving started.
Yes, it looks like a fish on the wine glass...as in drink like a ... from FISH la Boissonnerie?

[LHKitchen]

Several years ago some friends and I swooned over a chocolate and black licorice ice cream served along a chocolate cake at Postrio in San Francisco. The pastry chef got just the right combination of the two flavors and it was amazing. Another great licorice combo is black licorice and pineapple. The great Australian chef Philip Searle was quite famous for his ice cream made with black licorice and pineapple ice cream with a bit of vanilla, all in a square checkerboard design.

[Ari (Baking and Books)]

Dorie congratulations on your James Beard award win!!!

I love black licorice too. My husband hates it but I don't mind because that just means there's more for me, lol. :)

[Dorie]

Sorry -- I'm running sooooooooo far behind. Will answer all comments and questions tomorrow. Thanks -- Dorie

[Laura]

Hey Sarah,
I thought I would reply just because of my love for this beautiful store. La grande épicerie is closest to Metro Sèvres Babylone on the 10 or the 12 line. It is in the 6eme although bordering 7eme. If you like fashion as well as food, their sister department store, Le Bon Marché, is la crème de la crème! But don't miss La grande épicerie, it puts Whole Foods to shame. http://www.lagrandeepicerie.fr/ And, hey, if you are there on a Sunday, Tues, or Friday (double check those days), check out Dorie's marché preferé just around the corner at blvd Raspail at rue Cherche Midi.

[Victoria]

Speaking of odd combinations, I've always thought it was strange that when I was little I would read about the characters eating some sort of sweet (cookies, or cake) with lemonade. I've tried it though, and suprisingly like it - the citrusy notes seem to heighten the tastes of certain sweets/or cuts through the richness of others.

[Sarah Campbell]

Dorie, what is the closest Metro stop to La Grande Epicerie? How do I get there? I may be in Paris next month and I just love swanky groceries.

[Alice Q. Foodie]

Mmmm... gougeres and kir - will have to give this a try! I am loving the blog and I am looking forward to getting my hands on some of your books. Thanks for sharing Dorie!

[Vicky]

Dorie, I thought chocolate bloomed if you stored it at too low of a temperature? (like a refridgerator?)

[Vicky]

Is it just me or is that a fish on your goblet? Cool!

[Colleen]

Great to see a good South African wine on your blog. I live about half an hour from the Stellenbosch winelands. I have not yet paired Sauv Blanc with licorice but will be giving that a try. Thanks

[Johan]

My wife and I discovered the liquorice/sauvignon blanc combination shortly after we first met, but with strong italian liquorice, which has the advantage of not sticking in your teeth like the Finnish stuff (which, being from Finland, I also love). We drank a cheap South African bag-in-box wine and the liquorice made it seem sweet and complex.

In Finland there are lots of sweets that combine chocolate and sweet liquorice. Panda liquorice, for instance is available in a chocolate-filled version. It's surprisingly good, although a bit too sweet, perhaps because liquorice seems to make everything taste sweeter.

[Laura]

Genius! Almost like having a Ricard, but more exciting and complex. I cannot wait to try this. Thanks Dori.

[Smari]

I am originally from Iceland and chocolate covered licorice is a big thing over there. I think it's a great combination. I wish people would appreciate licorice more here in the states, especially the salted kind.

[Mercedes]

I loved your first post on licorice, so happy for a follow-up. I agree choc-licorice could be a winning combo. There is a recipe for licorice pudding on Epicurious that I really want to try, but I haven't yet gotten up the nerve as it seems like it could be really good or totally terrible.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/237683

[Dorie]

Alison, in fact, the chocolate covering the licorice was a bit blotchy. I think it was a little dried out and a lot knocked around, but the taste wasn't affected. I'm not sure what causes chocolate to be powder-coated -- I don't know that I've seen that much -- but chocolate does have a tendency to "bloom" when it is stored at too high a temperature. What you're seeing in the gray streaky bloomed chocolate is cocoa butter. It looks weird, but if you melt or temper the chocolate it will be fine -- neither its taste nor its texture will be affected.

[Alison]

Over the years I've grown to love black licorice and covered in chocolate it sounds even better.

Why is it that in your first picture the chocolate appears to be blotchy with a white powder? I've noticed that same powder on old chocolate that forgets to be eaten in my house. Does it effect the taste?

[Dorie]

Shira, I'm always playing with my gougeres recipe, sometimes adding a little Dijon mustard, sometimes topping the cheese puffs with fleur de sel or a pinch of spice and often mixng it up with the kind of cheese I use. In the last batch I made, I tossed in what was left of some great aged Gouda along with the more traditional Gruyere. And yes, I will post a recipe for both gougeres and kir.

[Shira]

I've been moving slowly in the direction of black licorice, having conquered fennel and aniseed along the way. That said, my ears perked up at the mention of kir and gougeres. Do you do anything unusual with the former? Might you at some point offer a recipe for the latter?