We were listening to the Lunchbox Envy episode about fridges yesterday and Jack’s lunchbox contained chocolate salami. It’s been a good few years since I last made chocolate salami, and it was before I started following the Zoe eating plan. I thought it should be possible to come up with a Zoe-friendly version so turned to Claude and between us we did just that.

It turned out well. Reminds me of the sweet treat my mum used to make which was always referred to as chocolate tiffin cake.

The final recipe, including adjustments based on the quantity of certain ingredients I had to hand was:

• 70g pre-chopped nuts (almonds and hazelnuts)
• 20g walnuts (roughly chopped)
• 20g cashews (roughly chopped)
• 40g pistachios (roughly chopped)
• 100g dark chocolate
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 50g mixed seeds
• 50g chopped dates
• 30g dried figs (chopped small)
• 26g sour cherries
• 24g raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• Tiny pinch of ground cloves
• Pinch of sea salt
• additional Cocoa powder for dusting

Method

  1. Prepare ingredients: Roughly chop the walnuts, cashews, and pistachios to similar size as your pre-chopped nuts. Chop the figs into small pieces similar to the other dried fruit. If using cardamom pods, crack them open, remove the seeds, and crush them.
  2. Melt chocolate: Break the chocolate into pieces and melt gently with the olive oil. Use either:
    • Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each
    • Bain-marie (bowl over simmering water)
  3. Add spices: Once melted and smooth, stir in the cocoa powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and salt. Mix thoroughly until you have a smooth, spiced chocolate mixture.
  4. Cool slightly: Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes so it doesn’t melt everything when you add it, but don’t let it set.
  5. Combine everything: Fold in all the nuts (pre-chopped, walnuts, cashews, pistachios), seeds, dates, figs, sour cherries, and raisins. Mix well until everything is evenly coated with chocolate.
  6. Shape the salami: Turn the mixture onto a large piece of cling film or baking parchment. Shape into a log about 5cm in diameter and 20-25cm long. The mixture should hold together but be quite chunky.
  7. Wrap tightly: Roll up in the cling film/parchment, twisting the ends tightly like a Christmas cracker. This helps compress it into a firm salami shape.
  8. Chill: Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, or ideally overnight, until completely firm.
  9. Coat and slice: Unwrap the salami and roll generously in cocoa powder (you may want to do this twice for good coverage). Slice into rounds 5-10mm thick using a sharp knife.

Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The slices make perfect portion-controlled treats!