Dark Chocolate Mousse
In the vast universe of recipes that people might consider "fancy" or "hard" or "impressive" even, chocolate mousse has to rank near the top. Most use strange terms like "sabayon," involve making tons of bowls and utensils dirty and call for ingredients like heavy cream that most people don't normally have hanging around. Well, I can't tell you this recipe is any different. Haha It comes from one of the preeminent chefs in the world, Alain Ducasse, so you know it will have some new and perhaps challenging techniques. It will also definitely make use of most, if not all of the mixing bowls you have in the cabinet. But I'm telling you, it is TOTALLY WORTH IT. This mousse recipe is not so light you might think it is actually good for you. This recipe is dark and thick and rich, sinful really. Though it actually doesn't contain as much sugar or fat per serving as you might think. On the plus side, it is so decadent and delicious that just a couple of spoons full is plenty to satisfy the most serious chocolate craving (except for Zoe who hates dark chocolate...)
Another bonus, besides the taste and the fact that after completing it you can pat yourself on the back for learning a classic French dish, this recipe also delivers some degree of convenience, at least in terms of meal planning. The finished mousse will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Meaning you can make it long before any dinner guests arrive and serve it long after the myriad bowls and whisks have been washed and put away.
Ducasse recommends using chocolate couverture, which is the premium chocolate used in restaurants and hotels. Good stuff if you want to spend a few extra dollars and seek it out. He recommends that something in the range of 56-60% cocoa solids is best. Any more than that and the mousse will be too strong or even bitter and the subtle nuance of higher percentage chocolate will be lost. For our video, we used semisweet chips and that worked fine as well.
So give it a shot. Read through the procedure and watch the video a couple times to get yourself ready. Maybe you put on Ratatouille or some Edith Piaf and pour a glass of burgundy. It's up to you! Enjoy the process! We're learning here. Also remember, if something seems to be going wrong, before you add any chocolate, just start over! I hate wasting food but eggs are relatively cheap so if you overcook your sabayon or overwhip your egg whites DON'T USE THEM. Sometimes it just makes more sense to start again.
Ingredients
- 75g Dark Chocolate (we recommend 56% or use semisweet chips)(approx. scant ½ C or 3.5 oz)
- 2 Large Eggs, separated (see note on egg whites)
- 38g Granulated Sugar (3 TBS)
- 20g Heavy Cream (5 tsp)
- Garnish to Serve: Whipped Cream, Fresh Strawberries or Raspberries, A Thin Crisp Cookie
Instructions
1. Place egg yolks and 2/3 of sugar in a bowl that fits snuggly over a small pot. Fill the pot with about 1” of water, heat to a simmer and place the bowl on top. Gently cook the eggs, whisking constantly, until doubled in volume, light and fluffy. Set aside.
2. Combine chocolate and cream in another bowl that will fit over the same pot. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Alternately, using a microwave bowl, melt in the microwave using 10-15 second bursts stirring in between each time. Keep warm.
3. In a new clean bowl and with a clean whisk, whip egg whites until frothy. Add remaining sugar then continue whisking until you have glossy stiff peaks.
4.Fold the cooked egg yolks (sabayon) into the melted
chocolate. Next add 1/3 of whipped whites to lighten. Add the remaining whites by folding in 2 more additions.
Cool and reserve at least 1 hour to set.
Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, berries and a cookie.
Notes
1. I do make a note in the video about the fact that the egg whites do not get cooked in this recipe. I googled the safety of this and without a doubt, there is some risk of food borne illness. That said, the French have been eating this for a couple hundred years and seem fine so what's the big deal. Not that I am one to distrust the French, I will suggest to err on the side of caution here. Two options for a safe meringue and mousse: 1. use pasteurized egg whites (the leftovers make a great frittata or can be frozen for future use) or 2. cook the whites over a pot of simmering water the same way you do the sabayon. This is called a a Swiss meringue and is a bit more dense than the one we make in the video. I did not test this latter suggestion but my guess is that since the finished mousse is relatively dense as is, the slight change in procedure will be ok.
2. Anytime you are incorporating whipped egg whites or whipped cream (or anything else where you want to retain a light airy texture), you use the same technique: folding. First, add a third of the whites or whipped cream and stir quickly to lighten. Next, add another third in the following way: Scrape your whisk or spatula down from 12 o'clock to 6o'clock, turn the bowl a quarter turn towards whichever hand you are using and
then lift from the bottom of the mix and gentle lay it back over the top. Finish by folding in the remaining third. In this way you can keep your mixture light and fluffy.