Chocolate Mousse

Name: Chocolate Mousse
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (65–70%), chopped; 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter; 30 ml (2 tbsp) strong coffee or water; 6 large eggs (about 300 g without shells), separated, very fresh; at room temperature; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 40 g (3 tbsp) superfine (caster) sugar; cocoa powder or grated chocolate, to finish, optional

Dark, airy and intensely chocolatey, with no cream

Makes: 6 small glasses or 1 serving bowl
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 4 h 25 min
Level: Some skill

The French way: dark chocolate, butter, eggs and a little sugar, lightened with whisked whites until it is as airy as a cloud but tastes deeply of chocolate. Make it in the morning for dinner, or the night before.

Ingredients

200 gdark chocolate (65–70%), chopped (7 oz)
40 gunsalted butter (3 tbsp)
30 mlstrong coffee or water (2 tbsp)
6large eggs (about 300 g without shells), separatedvery fresh; at room temperature
1 pinchfine sea salt
40 gsuperfine (caster) sugar (3 tbsp)
cocoa powder or grated chocolateto finish, optional

Diet: Vegetarian, Gluten-free
Allergens: egg, milk
Origin: France

Method

Melt the chocolate, butter and coffee together in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Take it off the heat and cool 5 minutes until warm, not hot. 8 min
Stir the egg yolks into the chocolate one at a time; it will thicken and turn glossy.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks with an electric mixer (or a balloon whisk, about 5 minutes). Add the sugar gradually and keep whisking to firm, glossy peaks that just flop over at the tip. 4 min
Stir a quarter of the whites into the chocolate briskly to loosen it.
Add the remaining whites and fold in very gently with a large spatula, cutting down through the middle and turning the bowl, until no white streaks remain. Stop as soon as it is even.
Spoon into six glasses or a serving bowl. Chill at least 4 hours, until set. Dust with cocoa or grated chocolate before serving. 4 h

Why it works

The yolks emulsify the melted chocolate and butter into a smooth base, and the whisked whites carry millions of tiny air bubbles. Folding the two together keeps most of those bubbles, and as the mousse chills, the cocoa butter in the chocolate sets around them, locking the airy texture in place. A little sugar makes the whites more stable and less likely to weep.

Common mistakes

Adding yolks to hot chocolate, which can scramble them; or to cold chocolate, which seizes. Warm is right.
Overwhipping the whites until dry and lumpy. They won't fold smoothly.
Folding too hard, which knocks out the air and leaves a dense pudding.

Variations

Orange: Add the finely grated zest of 1 orange and replace the coffee with 30 ml orange liqueur.
Egg-free whipped cream mousse: Melt 200 g chocolate with 100 ml cream, cool to lukewarm and fold in 300 ml cream whipped to soft peaks.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps 2 days in the fridge, covered.

Notes

Contains raw yolks and whites; use pasteurized eggs if serving pregnant women, young children, the elderly or anyone with a weakened immune system. Many dark chocolates contain soy lecithin; check the label if cooking for someone with a soy allergy.