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February 2004 Recipe
Mocha Chocolate Mousse
It was a
wise old chef who taught me this recipe, which gives maximum
results for minimum effort. You can vary the coffee flavor here by
substituting a different alcohol, such as rum or cognac.
Ingredients
Serves 4
-
9 oz
dark chocolate
-
4 egg
whites
-
pinch of
salt
-
2
tablespoons sugar
-
3
tablespoons heavy cream
-
3
tablespoons espresso coffee
-
3
tablespoons Kahlua
-
cocoa
powder, to decorate
-
4 mousse
pots or ramekins (3/4 cup each)
-
electric
mixer
1. Fill
a small saucepan with a 1 in depth of water and bring to a boil.
Chop the chocolate and leave it to melt in a heatproof bowl over
the boiling water.
2. Whisk
the egg whites with the salt in the mixer until they hold a stiff
peak. Add the sugar to make a light meringue, beating until the
whites are glossy and hold a long peak, 1-2 minutes. Don't let the
meringue wait more than 5 minutes as it will start to deflate.
3. To
make the mocha mixture: Bring the cream and coffee to a boil in a
small pan and pour it over the chocolate. Let the mixture stand
for
15 seconds, then stir until smooth. Take the bowl off the pan of
hot water and stir in the Kahlua. Add about a quarter of the
meringue and stir
it until mixed - the heat of the chocolate will lightly cook the
meringue. Add this mixture to the remaining whites and fold them
together as lightly as possible. Spoon the mousse into the mousse
pots or ramekins, cover and chill for at least 2 hours until set.
4. Just
before serving, top the mousse with a dusting of cocoa.
Getting Ahead: Mocha Chocolate Mousse keeps well up to two
days in the refrigerator.
On
the Side: A crisp cookie, preferably a homemade 'Small
Diversion' (page 164).
In
the Glass: Chocolate mousse overwhelms almost everything
except a fortified sweet wine such as Port or a dark Sherry.
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