200 g of quality dark chocolate 70% or 72% cacao - see notes below for brand recommendations
6 eggs
2 tbsp of butter
Sea salt - just a pinch
1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over a bain-marie. Stir the chocolate often while it is melting. See notes below for more details about a bain-marie.
2. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the yolks in one bowl and the egg whites in another. Next you will be whisking the egg whites, so if you are using a stand mixer, place the egg whites in the mixing bowl of the stand mixer. If you are using a hand mixer to whip the egg whites, place them in a regular mixing bowl.
3. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites. The salt makes them stiffer and brings out the flavor of the chocolate.
4. Using a stand or hand mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff.
5. Using a hand whisk, whisk the egg yolks until well blended.
6. Once the chocolate is melted, remove it from the heat, and whisk the egg yolks into the melted chocolate, until they are well combined.
7. Add about a third of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula. Continue to add the egg whites a third at a time and fold into the chocolate mixture until everything is well combined. It is worth taking your time to gently fold in the egg whites so that it stays fluffy.
8. Pour the Chocolate Mousse into small serving bowls, or one large bowl to serve family style. I use verrines for serving at parties.
Chill for at least 2 hours. I find 4 is ideal. I recommend you make Chocolate Mousse the evening before so it is ready for the next day.
A bain-marie is a French term for a double boiler. To make a double boiler, place a pan with a few inches of water on the stove, and put a heatproof bowl on top of the pan. The chocolate is placed in the heatproof bowl, and as the water is heated in the pan, it will melt the chocolate. It is critical that the water not touch the bowl, as this would burn the chocolate. The point of a bain-marie is the water creates heat to melt the chocolate.
Menu Ideas
Keep a hearty soup like butternut squash bisque in the freezer; it can be the main dish for dinner. When it’s time for dinner, warm the soup, followed with bread and cheese, fresh fruit, and a 3-ounce serving of Chocolate Mousse. You’ll serve a well-balanced, wholesome, and divine meal with little cooking.
Tip: If you don’t thaw the soup ahead of time, you can warm it straight from the freezer. Run it under warm water to loosen the soup from the container, and place it in a pan with a lid to warm it.
Chocolate brand suggestions:
Michel Cluizel
Mauro
Valrhona
Lindt
You can watch the recipe video here. Note that in the video, I do not add butter. See the description above to read about adding butter.
