Chocolate Mousse

This chocolate mousse recipe is, to me, a ‘foundation’ recipe. It has no added extras or quirky inversions, including only the bare essentials needed to make a mousse – eggs, cream and chocolate.

(Note: when melting chocolate in a microwave, use a glass or china bowl and only ever stir with a silver spoon. Using a wooden spoon or bowl will cause the chocolate to seize. Melt chocolate on a medium to slow heat and check roughly every 40 seconds. At this speed, it should only take approximately 2 minutes to melt, but each microwave is different so proceed with caution!)

INGREDIENTS

125g dark chocolate

4 eggs, separated

1 cup cream (250ml)

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

METHOD

Chop chocolate roughly and melt in microwave or over a double boiler. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly and then gradually add essence and egg yolk. Beat with an electric whisk until mixture is smooth and thick. Whip cream in a separate bowl until thick but still soft. Fold in to chocolate mixture. Using clean beaters, whip egg whites until peaks form. Fold half the eff whites into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold the remaining whites through the mixture. Spoon into individual dishes or on large dish and chill till firm (approximately 6 hours).

Serves 4.

Combination of cream and chocolate Jackson-Pollock-style.