Dish of the day: salted chocolate bark recipe

Styling – Jonathan Fleming. Photography – Denise Braki.

A sprinkling of Himalayan salt adds a grown-up edge to this stunning yet simple chocolate bark. Try one of Jonathan Fleming's three versions or add your own twist. 

This might be one of the easiest ever treats to make, so much so that you don’t even really need a recipe! Chocolate bark is a great simple snack and you can let your creativity take hold to make some beautiful combinations. All you need is some good-quality chocolate and a few ingredients to top it off – nuts or seeds for crunch, dried fruit or freeze-dried berries with their vibrant colour, and even matcha and edible coloured powders are fun to play with.

Grating or sprinkling over some salt flakes like Rivsalt balances out the sweetness and gives the chocolate bark a grown-up edge.

I've created three different versions here – dark chocolate, crystallised violets and hazelnut; white chocolate, dried rose petals, freeze dried strawberries and a little edible pink powder; and white chocolate, matcha (green tea) powder, pistachios and a little edible gold powder.

Styling – Jonathan Fleming. Photography – Denise Braki.

SALTED CHOCOLATE BARK
Makes about 20 pieces

500g good-quality chocolate (dark, milk or white)
A handful of toppings of your choice (eg nuts, seeds, dried or freeze-dried fruit)
1-2 tsp matcha (green tea powder) or edible coloured powder
1/2 tsp Rivsalt grated Himalayan salt or other salt flakes

Line a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside.

Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted. You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave if you prefer.

If you’re adding matcha or edible powders, swirl them through the melted chocolate in the bowl. Pour the warm melted chocolate onto the lined tray and spread it out in a thin layer using a metal spatula.

Now you can start to play with your toppings, working quickly before the chocolate sets. Scatter over a handful of fruit, nuts or seeds (or a combination if you like), then sprinkle with the grated salt or salt flakes.

After you finish decorating, chill the tray in the fridge for 1-2 hours until the chocolate bark is completely set. Cut into piecesusing a knife or simply break into shards . Store in an airtight container, if there are any leftovers!

Want to add the finishing touch to your cooking? Shop Rivsalt here.