Preparation
- Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt to stiff peaks, whip the cream to stiff peaks in a second bowl, and chill both.
- Melt the chocolate and butter over a pan of warm water, stirring, then take off the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- Beat the egg yolks with the hot water in a large bowl until creamy, then stir in the sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy. Fold in the melted chocolate and, if using, the vanilla.
- First stir in about a quarter of the whipped cream to loosen the chocolate mixture. Then straight away fold in the beaten egg whites and the remaining cream gently with a spatula, not with a hand mixer.
- Spoon into glasses or small bowls and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Do not serve too cold: take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes beforehand, and garnish with chocolate shavings if you like.
Drink with it
Fortified wine · excellent match
Banyuls, Maury or Pedro Ximénez, cellar-cool
The sweetness of the wine keeps pace with the mousse, and notes of dried fruit, cocoa and coffee mirror the dark chocolate.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and VintageAged rum · excellent match
Aged rum, neat or over one large ice cube
Cask wood and roasted aromas meet bitter chocolate, and the sweetness of the rum lifts the cocoa notes without bringing in acidity.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottlingCognac and brandy · excellent match
Cognac VSOP, neat at room temperature
Roasted and dried-fruit notes in the cognac join the bitterness of the cocoa, and the airy mousse cushions the alcohol.
Cognac and Armagnac: Two Origins for BrandySherry-cask whisky · excellent match
Sherry-cask whisky, neat or with a drop of water
Dried fruit and spice from the sherry cask extend the cocoa notes.
What Does the Cask Do to Whisky?