Melting Chocolate the Alice Medrich Way

Adapted from Seriously Bittersweet by Alice Medrich (Artisan, 2003)

Alice Medrich came up with a particularly effective way to melt bittersweet, semisweet, and unsweetened chocolate with butter—in a water bath. The key detail is the use of a stainless steel bowl, which heats and cools quickly; glass takes longer to heat up and then stays hot, continuing to cook the chocolate even after it is removed from the bath.

She emphasizes three rules when melting chocolate:

Avoid moisture — even a small amount can cause the chocolate to seize.

Chop the chocolate — this helps control and even out the melt.

Stir frequently — and adjust the heat so the water never goes beyond a simmer.

To melt chocolate in a water bath:

Use a stainless steel bowl and a skillet a few inches wider than the bowl.

Roughly chop the chocolate and combine it with the butter in the bowl.

Bring a shallow layer of water in the skillet to a simmer.

Set the bowl in the skillet and stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Do not let the water go beyond a simmer.

Remove the bowl from the heat and proceed with your recipe.