Blueberries Part II

Savory Blueberry Chocolate Sauce

Chocolate is a tricky thing. It's all over: in cookies, cakes, candy bars, in milk, syrups, and coffee. But, most of the chocolate out there is bad. I know people will be upset with me for saying so, but it's just true. It wasn't true when I was about eight years old. Back then, I regularly sold my home-cooked, lovingly prepared school lunch to other third grade fools, so I could buy the generic, brown-colored sugar-chalk that passed as chocolate bars at the corner store. Of course, I thought they were divine. Even better if they featured a little rice crisp. But a funny thing happened on the way to adulthood, and now these same treats seem sickeningly sweet and weirdly textured (with the exception of M&Ms which are simply little nuggets of goodness).

This is all to say I was pretty sure that when I mixed blueberries with chocolate, I wanted more of a savory experience than a hyper-sweet gooey mess. I instantly thought of mole. A google search of blueberry mole led to a trip to Hell's Kitchen, a restaurant serving "progressive Mexican cuisine," which apparently includes a pork shank coated in a delightful, smooth, dark-colored, and deep blueberry mole. Fantastic. Slightly sweet, but with an undertone of something spicy and complex. Just fantastic.

I could attempt to make it, right? Please. I have a full-time job and a toddler. But, I could make something like it? Not even close. Something vaguely inspired by it? That's what's below.

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 jalapeno, minced

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ancho chile powder

1/4 tsp cumin

salt

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes (c'mon you know it's easier)

1 pint fresh blueberries

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1-2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted

Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet. Saute the onion until soft. Add garlic, jalapeno, and spices. Cook for about a minute. Salt to taste.

Using a blender, combine the onion mixture, tomatoes, blueberries, raisins, and almonds. Puree and then mix in the chocolate.

Done. Okay, not smooth or creamy. Kind of jerk-like. But, still good. I served it with chicken thighs. I browned them on the stovetop, removed them from the pan, added a little chicken broth, melted some of the sauce in that, added the chicken back to the pan and then smeared the sauce on top of the chicken and baked it in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes. My husband ate it without complaints, as did the toddler who has a fondness for spicy food.