As December rolls around, our menus change again, citrus and chocolate, game and root vegetables, all great to cook with and part of the joy of being a cook in this country with the seasonal change of ingredients.

My new local butcher, The Kiwi Butcher here in Dorchester, has a great array of wonderful local, seasonal meats but I may have been taking local a step too far when I told a diner who enquired as to the providence of his pork, not only the farm it came from but his name as well.

I promise not to do it again, anyway, Harvey had a wonderful life running free on a local Dorset farm.

You might be relieved that this month’s recipe isn’t pork, despite my preamble.

With a MasterChef series back on the telly, I though I’d share that TV classic of a chocolate fondant.

A fondant is great to make in advance and keep in the fridge; these will not fail if you follow the recipe exactly and you’ll get wows from your guests when you serve them.

You might want to test one first for yourself just to be sure though.

Chocolate Fondant (Serves 4)

  • 200g 72 per cent cooking chocolate
  • 200g Butter
  • 240g Caster sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 4 Egg yolks
  • 100g Plain flour

Butter the inside of 4 ramekins, sprinkle with cocoa powder and place in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Melt the chocolate and butter on a very low heat.

In a bowl, whip the eggs, yolks and sugar.

Fold in the flour and, when mixed, fold in the chocolate and butter.

Pour the mixture into the ramekins. You can place them in the fridge at this point for up to 48 hours.

Place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 8-10 minutes, a couple of minutes more if chilled.

They may wobble but be set on top.

Serve with fresh cream.