Smoked Chocolate Pot de Creme

Ingredient Spotlight

Apple or cherry wood chips (for cold smoking)

Wood chips from apple or cherry trees used to produce smoke for cold-smoking foods. Cold smoking is a preservation/flavoring technique used in barbecue and traditional European/Nordic preparations (e.g., smoked salmon) that imparts smoke without cooking; fruitwoods give a mild, sweet, slightly fruity smoke compared with stronger woods like hickory or mesquite. You can find them in the barbecue/grilling section of grocery stores, specialty cooking shops, or online; substitutes include other mild woods such as alder or pecan, a smoking gun or small cold-smoke generator, or (less ideal) a few drops of liquid smoke to mimic flavor.

Ingredient Spotlight

Vanilla bean, split (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

A vanilla bean is the whole pod of the vanilla orchid; splitting it and scraping the tiny black seeds yields concentrated flavor and visual specks in custards and creams. Vanilla originated in Mexico but most commercial beans come from Madagascar, Tahiti or Indonesia; the taste is complex, sweet, floral and more intense than plain extract. It’s sold at well-stocked supermarkets, gourmet shops, and online; a good substitute is vanilla extract or vanilla paste (roughly one bean equals about 1–2 teaspoons extract depending on bean size), though extract lacks the bean’s visual specks.

Ingredient Spotlight

Smoked sea salt (garnish), optional

Sea salt that has been smoked over wood to absorb a smoky aroma and flavor, used as a finishing salt to add depth without adding moisture. Produced by artisan and regional makers (notably in Northern Europe and the U.S.), the flavor intensity varies by wood and smoking time, so it’s used sparingly. Find it in gourmet sections, specialty stores, or online; if unavailable, substitute a pinch of regular sea salt plus a small pinch of smoked paprika or a drop of liquid smoke, keeping quantities low to avoid overpowering the dish.