Le Chocolat Chaud

There are so many times when the simplest things are best. Recipes that include just a few good ingredients.

Radishes with butter and sea salt. Pasta with pecorino and black pepper. Bread smeared with Nutella.

This recipe is another example.

I've always remembered the thick, uber-rich, super chocolatey hot chocolate served at Angelina's in Paris. It is literally like drinking melted chocolate bars. Today, with my mom in town and the snow coming down, it seemed like the perfect day to try to replicate it.

I looked at a few different takes on Parisian hot chocolate and decided that David Lebovitz's recipe sounded the best. The base was 2 ingredients: whole milk and really good bittersweet chocolate.

You heat up the milk in a saucepan and whisk in the chopped chocolate shards until they are melted. You can drink it right away as is, or you can continue to cook it for a few minutes to get it thick like it would be in Paris. It's amazing how much the consistency changes in just a few minutes on the stove.

Because he said he loves to add a little bit of sea salt (and because I love love love a little bit of salt with my sweet), I added a pinch of that too. And whipped up some fresh whipped cream to plop on top.

We all swooned. And we all declared it the best hot chocolate we had ever had.

The kicker was, I served it in little espresso cups, and it ended up being the perfect amount. It is so rich and so delicious that you really only need a few sips to be satisfied.

This recipe makes enough for 4 regular servings or 8 espresso-cup-sized servings. You can also keep the mixture in the fridge if you don't use it all. Lebovitz claims it gets even better as it sits. We don't have any left over so I can't vouch for this right now, but I think this will have to take residence in our fridge as a staple for the rest of the winter.

Le Chocolat Chaud, adapted slightly from David Lebovitz

2 c whole milk
5 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Pinch of sea salt
Whipping cream
Pinch of sugar

Beat whipping cream until it's at desired consistency. Add a pinch or two of sugar, and give one last whip. Set aside.

Heat milk in small saucepan. When milk is warmed, add chocolate and whisk until completely combined. For thicker hot chocolate, continue to cook over moderate heat, for about 3-5 minutes, until it thickens. Don't let it boil.

Add a pinch of sea salt.

Pour hot chocolate into cups. Serve with whipped cream.