Recipe: Dark Chocolate-Dipped Trio: strawberries, black olives, and walnuts

SERVES 6 TO 12
                                             
Ingredients:

One 3 1/2 -ounce bar dark chocolate
12 strawberries, with stems on
1 teaspoon red peppercorns, crushed with a mortar and pestle or peppermill
12 walnut halves
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or another flaky gourmet salt
12 Moroccan olives with pits
1. Line a baking sheet or serving tray with parchment paper.

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a nonreactive heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. When the chocolate is completely melted, stir thoroughly.

3. Holding onto the hull of the strawberry, dip each one into the melted chocolate and place it on the baking sheet. Sprinkle crushed red peppercorns on top.

4. Drop the walnut pieces into the chocolate and stir until coated with chocolate. With a slotted spoon, transfer the walnuts to the baking sheet and sprinkle them with the salt.

5. Put the olives in the chocolate and stir until coated. (It's important to do the olives last because they tend to be salty.) Transfer them to the baking sheet with a slotted spoon.

6. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the berries, nuts, and olives set for at least 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving.