This is the first time I’ve ever made chocolate mousse. I looked at a few recipes before deciding on this one by Raymond Blanc. It’s pretty straightforward, though I should have been a quicker about stirring the egg whites into the melted chocolate, and ended up doing more folding than I otherwise would have (and it was still a bit lumpy).
Chocolate mousse
(serves 4-6)
- 200g (7 oz) good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 7 free-range egg whites (you can use pasteurised ones from a carton, if concerned about eating raw egg
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice
- 40g (1 1/2 oz) caster sugar
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (or carefully in the microwave).
- Whisk the egg whites and lemon juice in a large, clean bowl until they form soft peaks. The lemon juice stabilises the egg whites, and helps to prevent over-whisking.
- Add the sugar and continue to whisk until firm peaks form. Do not whisk beyond this stage – the egg whites will start to collapse and separate into dry froth and runny liquid, and you’ll lose all the air that you’ve whisked in.
- Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the hot chocolate quickly and vigorously, until thick and well combined. (If you add the egg whites in too slowly, their cold temperature can make the hot chocolate seize, solidify and result in a lumpy (but still delicious!) mousse.)
- Fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture, using a spatula, until all of the egg white has been incorporated into the chocolate. Don’t overmix at this stage as you’ll knock out the air bubbles and the mousse will be dense.
- Divide the mousse mixture between four (or six) glasses or bowls. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or until set.
Ten More Bites 
Leave a Reply