Desserts
Please select a dessert from the alphabetical list.
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Chocolate Mousse
The coolest thing I know about chocolate mousse is that it was invented by Toulouse Lautrec. Toulouse Lautrec was not only a great painter, and regular at the Mulan Rouge, he was also quite the chef. He held a firm belief that cooking is one of the fine arts and deserves as much attention as the other arts. I can’t help but agree. To that end he created menus that were akin to paintings or symphonies where he attempted, through his recipes, to formulate a complete dining experience.
Tricks
Whipping egg whites is a much easier task when there is absolutely no oil anywhere in the mix. A tiny bit of oil on your whisk or in the bowl can prevent egg whites from whipping no matter how hard you try. Super spotlessly clean utensils are a must.
Using a copper bowl for whipping egg whites is useful. There is a chemical reaction that occurs between the whites and the cooper that helps things along. If you don't have copper then use glass. Just don't use plastic. Plastic bowls retain oil that you can't see and will ruin your efforts.
This recipe is comprised almost entirely of raw egg. Keep everything clean, most especially your hands, and work efficiently to return all of your ingredients to a chilled state. Chilling will not kill bacteria but it does prevent it from growing, so the cooler your chocolate mousse stays the fewer chances bacteria has to grow.
I have seen, from time to time, in my local store pasteurized whole eggs. I have never plucked up the courage to try them but if you can get pasteurized whole eggs they would be perfect for this recipe. Perfect, in so far as the potential for bacterial contamination is greatly reduced. I have not tried pasteurized whole eggs yet as I am concerned about their cooking properties. Maybe they don't whip the same as raw eggs?
Procedure
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or bain marie. Just as it softens and becomes totally liquid mix in the butter. Once the butter is incorporated add the 2 egg yolks. Blend all these ingredients until smooth and remove from heat immediately.
Whip the egg whites with the pinch of salt to form very firm peaks. You’ve got very firm peaks when you pull your whisk out of the bowl and the peaks that form do not sag. They will retain their peak shape without flopping over. The trick here is to go far enough without going too far. If you beat the egg whites too much they will break down and release a bunch of water into the bottom of your mixing bowl. If this happens give up and start over. Just at the end of your whipping process add both the superfine sugar and the vanilla sugar.
Make sure your chocolate mixture is somewhere near room temperature. Begin to slowly add the chocolate to the egg whites. It's usually best to use a really clean, dry wooden spoon to do this. Slowly incorporate all of the chocolate into the egg whites very gently. You want to try to avoid loosing the fluff you have created in the egg whites. Once its all combined transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and let it rest in the fridge overnight (4 or 5 hours at the very least if you are doing this recipe the same day you will serve it).
Ingredients
Conversions to European measurements can be found here!
For 4 people:
- 5 oz dark chocolate
- 6 tablesoops butter
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3 egg whites
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar