Stokehouse Q’s dark chocolate pots de crème with ginger pear

1.For chocolate pots, preheat oven to 160°C and place eight 150ml-200ml ramekins in a deep roasting pan. Whisk cream, milk and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil, then whisk constantly for 1 minute to cook cocoa. Whisk yolks and sugar in a separate bowl until well combined, then whisking constantly, gradually pour in hot cream mixture, then add chocolate and stir until melted. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, then pour into ramekins, filling three-quarters full. Transfer baking tray to oven, then fill tray with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until set with a slight wobble in the middle (25-30 minutes). Remove ramekins from water, cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate to chill (at least 2 hours or overnight).

2.For pear in ginger syrup, combine sugar, ginger and 250ml water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Turn off heat, cover with a lid and leave to infuse (1 hour, or longer for a stronger flavour). Bring syrup back to a simmer over medium heat, add pear and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (8-10 minutes). Keep warm, or refrigerate and warm briefly before serving.

3.Drain pear and spoon over chocolate pots with crystallised ginger to serve.