Chocolate mousse, like the equally ubiquitous apple pie and crème caramel is one of those simple recipes that rely totally on the quality of the basic ingredients. As such therefore, it is very well suited to showcasing the best and freshest of organic produce, in this recipe, the nutrient-packed raw egg.
As we raise our own organic poultry, this is a very popular dessert with us and as I make large batches at a time, I've also found that freezing this dessert makes a wonderful and quick alternative to our usual custard-based ice creams.
Mousse au chocolat, the iconic French dessert, was created by Charles Fazi, Swiss confectioner to the court of Louis XVI. In 1755 M. Fazi was given the onerous task of devising an exciting and original dessert for the visit of foreign ambassadors. Legend has it that the chef spent three days and nights thinking up a recipe and this simple but sumptuous sweet was such a success that Louis rewarded him with a chateau. However, it was in the following century that Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec made the dessert incredibly fashionable with his variation; mayonnaise au chocolat. The artist was so often associated with chocolate mousse that in many culinary histories he is credited with its creation.
The Stuff of Legends
The Ingredients
....are so simple:
150g or 5oz of plain/dark chocolate, of at least 70% cacao.
(I use chocolate buttons which I can buy from a bulk dispenser at my local organic shop.)
(I use chocolate buttons which I can buy from a bulk dispenser at my local organic shop.)
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons of raw milk or water
Method
Add the milk or water to the melted chocolate and mix well to a smooth paste.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to a stiff froth.
Add the egg yolks by beating them into the melted chocolate. If you whisk the eggs in this order, then you can use the same beater without having to wash it!
Pull the whites over to one side of the bowl and then add the chocolate mixture. By slowly incorporating a little of the white into the latter, you will find it easier to add the rest while still retaining enough air within the whites to create the desired 'fluffy' effect.
Chill to allow the mixture to set and serve in individual elegant glasses to do justice to your dessert. I decorate mine with chocolate buttons and seasonal flowers.
If you can restrain yourself from eating the lot then leave the rest to freeze into a delicious chocolate mousse ice cream.
Alternative Recipe
Instead of the milk or water add one or two ripe bananas to the chocolate and egg yolks. Some of the pictures above show the banana version, which is equally as delicious and which I also freeze to make an ice cream!
All the very best,
Sue
© Sue Cross 2019
If you enjoyed this recipe then please feel free to comment and share it with your friends.
Hope to see you here again for another recipe from an old farmhouse in Normandie,
All the very best,
Sue
Additional Images
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) standing beside his paintings (detail from a colourised photograph taken by Maurice Guibert 1895), thanks to the Pinterest board of Catherine Coffee.
