Ingredients

• 180 g dark chocolate65 to 70 per cent; higher sets before the centre warms, lower is too sweet
• 160 g unsalted butterplus extra for the moulds
• 3 eggslarge, at room temperature
• 3 egg yolkslarge
• 90 g caster sugar
• 35 g plain flourplus 2 tbsp cocoa powder for dusting the moulds
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

For caramel

• 120 g caster sugarfor the caramel
• 80 ml double creamwarmed
• 35 g unsalted butterfor the caramel, cubed
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea saltfor the caramel
• 150 g mascarponecold, to serve
• 1 tsp vanilla bean pasteto serve

Method

1. 01

   Make the caramel

   Put the caster sugar in a dry heavy saucepan over medium heat in an even layer. Leave it undisturbed until the edges start to liquefy, then swirl the pan. Do not stir with a spoon, which encourages crystals. Continue for 6-8 minutes until it is a deep amber, the colour of strong tea, and just beginning to smoke faintly at the surface. Pale caramel tastes only of sugar; this needs to be dark enough to be slightly bitter.

   120 g caster sugar

2. 02

   Finish and chill the caramel

   Take the pan off the heat and pour in the warmed cream in a thin stream while whisking. It will erupt violently, so stand back and use a long-handled whisk. Once it settles, whisk in the cubed butter a piece at a time, then the flaky salt. Pour into a shallow container and chill for at least 1 hour until thick enough to scoop.

   80 ml double cream · 35 g unsalted butter · 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

3. 03

   Freeze the caramel nuggets

   Scoop six rounded teaspoons of the cold caramel onto a parchment-lined plate, roll each roughly into a ball, and freeze for at least 2 hours until solid. This is the step that makes the pudding work, and it cannot be rushed. Soft caramel dropped into the batter sinks to the bottom and welds itself to the mould.

4. 04

   Prepare the moulds

   Butter six 175 ml dariole moulds heavily with softened butter, using upward brush strokes on the sides. Vertical strokes give the batter a ladder to climb. Add a spoonful of cocoa powder to each, rotate to coat completely, and tip out the excess. Cocoa rather than flour, so there is no pale tidemark when you turn them out. Stand them on a baking tray.

5. 05

   Melt the chocolate and butter

   Melt the chopped chocolate with the butter in a bowl over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth and glossy, about 5 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes; folded in hot it will start cooking the eggs.

   180 g dark chocolate · 160 g unsalted butter

   If a pudding will not turn outFifteen seconds in a shallow bowl of hot water. Do not prise at it, which tears the crust.

   A shot of espressoFolded into the chocolate it deepens everything without tasting of coffee.

6. 06

   Whisk the eggs

   Whisk the whole eggs, yolks and caster sugar with an electric whisk for 3-4 minutes until pale, thickened and roughly doubled in volume. The whisk should leave a trail on the surface that holds for two seconds. This aeration is the pudding's only lift; there is no raising agent.

   3 eggs · 3 egg yolks · 90 g caster sugar

7. 07

   Fold the batter

   Pour the warm chocolate mixture down the side of the bowl and fold it through with a large spatula in slow figure-of-eight strokes. Sift the flour and pinch of salt over the surface and fold again just until no streaks remain. Stop the moment it is uniform. Over-folding knocks out the air and gives you a dense, cakey pudding with no flow.

   35 g plain flour

8. 08

   Fill and chill

   Divide half the batter between the moulds, about 2 cm deep. Press a frozen caramel nugget into the centre of each, keeping it clear of the sides, then cover with the remaining batter to within 1 cm of the rim. Chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 24. Chilled batter is more forgiving in the oven. The outside sets before the centre has time to catch up.

9. 09

   Bake

   Heat the oven to 200C fan / 220C conventional and bake the puddings straight from the fridge on their tray for 12-14 minutes. They are ready when the top has domed and formed a dry, matte crust, the outer 1.5 cm is set, and a gentle nudge to the tray makes the very centre tremble like a set jelly. If the whole surface wobbles, give them 90 seconds more. Ovens vary enough that it is worth baking one on its own first to calibrate.

10. 10

    Turn out and serve

    Rest for exactly 1 minute. Less and they collapse, more and the centre firms up. Run a small knife around the edge of each mould, invert a warmed plate over the top, flip, and lift the mould away. Whisk the cold mascarpone with the vanilla paste until just smooth and spoon a quenelle alongside. Serve immediately; the molten window is about four minutes long.

    150 g mascarpone · 1 tsp vanilla bean paste