Chocolate Fish Rocky Road

A rocky road filled with one of the most Kiwi of confectioneries there is - chocolate fish. Paired with salted peanuts, and desiccated coconut robed in the best Kiwi Chocolate - Whittaker's.

Chocolate Fish and New Zealand go hand in hand. Chocolate fish are a delightful confectionery that consists of a marshmallow in the shape of a fish, covered in a thin layer of chocolate.

This little chocolate treat is usually given out as a reward for a job well done - "Give that (insert descriptor) a chocolate fish".

As the 10th of May is apparently National Chocolate Fish Day (according to Wiki), and the fact that we have now lived in New Zealand for 2 years, I thought is there any better way than to celebrate than with the most Kiwi thing I can think of making...a Chocolate Fish Rocky Road.

Now, I know, I know - a Rocky Road originated in Australia, but hear me out. I'm taking the far superior Kiwi Chocolate - Whittaker's and using that as my chocolate base, then filling it with chopped Chocolate Fish, throwing in some coconut, and giving it a salty twist with salted roasted peanuts.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Fish Rocky Road

Chocolate Fish - you can use either the larger chocolate fish made by Cadbury, Queen Anne, or the likes, or you can go for baby fish, which is what I used in this particular iteration.

Whittaker's chocolate, in my honest opinion, is a must. I mean, it's the best chocolate you can find here in New Zealand. And I must say, after 2 years in NZ, it now tastes like home. You can use either milk chocolate or dark chocolate, or even white chocolate for your rocky road.

Salted peanuts add a great crunch and a little bit of salt along with the sweet goes a long way. If you are not a fan of peanuts, I would still suggest adding in some sort of salted nut or pretzel. Trust me.

Desiccated coconut - I mean, I love the stuff. I used a fine variety but any kind will do.

Want to add in something else? Go crazy, a rocky road is meant to be experimented with.

There is no golden syrup in this rocky recipe because I feel that over-sweetens the dish. And will take away from the flavour of Whittaker's.

Making the Rocky Road

Note - this is a small batch Rocky Road. To make it I used my standard loaf tin (24 cm x 13 cm) which results in a slice that is about 1.5-2 cm tall. This recipe also scales easily by simply doubling or tripling to suit your needs.

Step 1 - spray your tin or receptacle with with a non-stick spray and then line it with parchment paper or baking paper overlapping up the sides for easy removal of your slice.

Step 3 - chop up or slice your chocolate fish and anything else you are using into blocks smaller than 2cm across. Measure out any other ingredients

Step 3 - Melt the chocolate in a heatproof or microwave-proof bowl, by zapping it at 30-second increments and stirring in between to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate using the Bain-marie method on the stovetop.

Step 4 - Mix your chocolate fish, coconut and peanuts through the melted chocolate and pour into your prepared tin. Smooth out and pop into the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 5 - allow the slice to come to room temperature before slicing with a sharp knife. You can always heat the knife with hot water and dry it off before slicing to make cleaner slices.

Step 6 - store in the fridge until you are ready to serve. The chocolate will be softer than the original chocolate block/slab because the chocolate was not tempered in the making of this delightful treat.

Recipe Card