Chris Wilkins’ Chocolate Almond Biscotti

As the chef and owner of Bar Oscar in Covington, I started my culinary career as a bread baker. I’ve enjoyed making these cookies wherever I’ve worked, and they’re always popular. This is my grandmother’s recipe, and it’s the type of food on which we hang our hat: simple foods done really well. I believe in sourcing the best ingredients I can from local farmers—people who care about what they do. For this biscotti, buy the best almonds and chocolate you can find. I like to tell people that a recipe is a guideline. Adjust it to your preferences. If you like pistachios, use those instead of almonds. If you prefer white chocolate, use it. As long as you keep the proportions the same, you will likely create something really delicious.

by Chris Wilkins

Ingredients
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• 2¼ cups chopped toasted almonds
• ½ cup chopped chocolate
(I use a 70% dark chocolate bar)
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

“This is my grandmother’s recipe, and it’s the type of food on which we hang our hat: simple foods done really well.”

Chris Wilkins

Directions
Heat up a large pot and add one cup of vegetable oil. In a blender, puree the red onion, red pepper, green pepper and habanero pepper. Add the mixture to the pot, along with the sliced yellow onion and diced tomato. Season the gravy with five Maggi cubes, one teaspoon of black pepper, one teaspoon of garlic salt, one teaspoon of minced garlic and one tablespoon of tomato paste. Let the gravy cook on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat on low, add cooked chicken wings, raw beef and raw shrimp and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until beef and shrimp are cooked through. It should be ready in 12 minutes. Serve meat and gravy on top of hot cooked white rice. Additional Tips: Add as much habanero as you would like. The more you add, the spicier the dish will be. You can add any choice of meat, including beef or pork hotdogs, sausages or fish. Chicken is the only meat that needs to be precooked before adding it to the gravy. Season the meat and gravy to your liking before serving.

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